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Published on March 28, 2008

Colin Powell said: "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them." Leadership is all about your people. Caring about them and solving their problems.

Former New York City mayor Ed Koch used to ask people on the street: "How am I doing?" He truly cared about their problems and did all he could to solve them.

People see right through falsity in a leader. American-football coach Jimmy Johnson said: "The only thing worse than a coach who doesn't care about his people is one who pretends to care."

I was once president of a large company, with more than 2,000 people reporting to me in 20 countries. At headquarters, I was isolated and away from the real things that were happening in my company. I made it a rule to travel each week to a different country and take people out for coffee - not just my direct reports, but people at all levels. Eventually, they would loosen up, and I would learn what was really happening.

A French cynic said: "There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them."

Leadership is about knowing where your people are going, as well as telling them where to go. A friend once told me about a problem he had. I started trying to solve it, and he said: "I'm your friend, not your employee. Don't try to solve my problem, just listen to me."

A few days later, one of my managers called me with a problem. After I had listened, I began to solve it for her. But I stopped myself and said I had confidence in her ability to solve it.

She said: "That's why you are such a great leader. I know how to fix this, and I only called to get your support." No one is a perfect leader; we are all always learning.

Liu Shaoqi said, "If there is a perfect leader, he is only pretending, like a pig inserting scallions in his nose in an effort to look like an elephant."

ERIC ROSENKRANZ

er@ethree-asia.com