A grand dream doesn’t become a reality through the actions of a single person. It requires team effort. It requires solid trust and strong relationships. It requires deep competence and cool confidence. It requires group collaboration and indi- vidual accountability. Leaders foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships. This sense of teamwork extends far beyond a few direct reports or close confidants. You have to engage all who must make the project work—and, in some ways, all who must live with the results.
Constituents neither perform at their best nor stick around for long if you make them feel weak, dependent, or alienated. Giving your power away and fostering their personal power and ownership will make them stronger and more capable. When you strength- en others by increasing self-determination and developing competence, they are more likely to give it their all and exceed their own expectations. Focus- ing on serving the needs of others, and not your own, builds trust in a leader. And the more people trust their lead- ers and each other, the more they take risks, make changes, and keep organi- zations and movements alive.