Some thoughts on leadership: Leadership is the art of mobilizing others toward shared aspirations in an ethical manner. Leaders must take care of employees who, in turn, are responsible for taking care of all other stakeholders: owners, customers, suppliers, the government, community and the environment, thereby resulting in an increase in the welfare of all parties involved. Great leaders are visionaries whose intuition helps them to recognize and capitalize on business opportunities in a timely manner. Their success is based on surrounding themselves with like-minded' professionals who complement them to help reinforce their strengths and eliminate their weaknesses. They build teams consisting of individuals who complement one another in a way that ensures consistent performance in line with corporate goals. Mediocre leaders surround themselves with yes-people who are unable to contribute positively to the bottom line! The wisdom of effective leaders enables them to appreciate the views of their inner circle and others. In situations where consensus cannot be reached, they have an uncanny ability to cut to the chase and make informed decisions. They foster an environment that encourages the sharing of ideas through brainstorming while realizing that innovation need not be preceded by the existence of committees. True leaders place a great deal of emphasis on culture and shared values. They realize that business involves human beings and that pro?table growth results from fruitful relationships. Formal power is entrusted to them by virtue of their position in the company. Informal power results from their core belief system. They lead by example, thus earning the respect and admiration of their peers and subordinates. As a result, employees are enthusiastic about going beyond the call of duty for their' leaders. Great leaders build organizations that are vibrant and performance driven. They structure compensation packages that reward people on the basis of individual as well as team performance. They believe that a base salary pays the bills, whereas variable compensation, including EBITDA-based bonuses, motivate employees to challenge themselves and increase their contribution to the ?rm consistently. Leadership traits can create a virtuous cycle for the organization's stakeholders. Ethical leadership calls for morals, fairness, caring, sharing, no false promises or unreasonable demands on others, a genuine green' approach, rather than green washing,' as an exercise in public relations, etc. Is ethical leadership' an oxymoron? For free abridged books on leadership, ethics, teamwork, motivation, sexual harassment, etc., write to crespin79@primus.ca. Maxwell Pinto, Business Author strategicbookpublishing.com/Management-TidbitsForTheNewMillenium.html youtube.com/watch?v=p34hB50lv-8 ---This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

In my business I make the final decisions, but I respect the in-put of others and I often discuss issues with fellow employees. That said, I am careful to work with people I know and trust and whose comments I value. Sometimes they have great ideas; other times I consider their in-put then do what I think is best. You know the personalities and backgrounds of your employees. You know whether you can or should discuss certain issues with some or all of them. I do agree that a top-down management style doesn't work in a small business. People who work for a small business want to feel valued and one way to do that is asking for their opinions in matters that affect their job or performance.

Treating people with respect never goes out of style. Even if the final decision will be only yours to make, getting impute from others could help you with the decision process. It is always good to get information from different view points. I have found that women do take things more personal than men do, so your tone of voice could cause unhappy employees.