In this day and age of instant gratification and warp-speed communications it is easy to confuse efficiency with effectiveness. We often use e-mail to communicate something, and while this is certainly efficient, it is not always effective. Some things need a phone-call or a face-to-face meeting. You can’t, for example, lead people via email. Yes, you can send out instructions, set up a meeting, share company plans, but you can’t build trust via email, and you can’t inspire people with some keystrokes.

The purpose of a leader is to create more leaders, not followers. Leadership requires listening. It requires sensitivity. It requires compassion. It requires interaction.

The best leaders lead by example. They are the first in the office each day and the last to leave. They know how to roll up their sleeves and they also know how to communicate. Great leaders don’t take themselves too seriously. They know how to laugh, and when.