Harvard Business Review

Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values. Knowing where one belongs can transform an ordinary person—hardworking and competent but otherwise mediocre—into an outstanding performer.

James MacGregor Burns that distinguishes between transformational leadership and transactional leadership.

You can’t just shut down the plane’s engines while you rebuild them—at least not without causing a crash. You need to maintain stability while moving ahead.

There are many frameworks to help leaders build new teams. One of the best known is “forming, storming, norming, and performing,” created by Bruce Tuckman in 1965.

Here’s a three-step model that works: First, assess the people you’ve got and the dynamics at play. Second, reshape the team’s membership, sense of purpose and direction, operating model, and behaviors according to the business challenges you face. Third, accelerate the team’s development by scoring some early wins.

Your assessments will be faster and more accurate if you explicitly state your criteria.

What do your rankings say about what you value most right now and what you believe you can influence through leadership?

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But leadership really isn’t about you. It’s about empowering other people as a result of your presence, and about making sure that the impact of your leadership continues into your absence

People tend to trust you when they think they’re interacting with the real you, when they have faith in your judgment and competence, and when they believe you care about them