Lessons For Leaders From TouchPoints

Some of my favorite parts of Douglas Conant's and Mette Norgaard's book, TouchPoints, are these lessons for leaders:

You need to have dual vision. You need to be able to address the most pressing need and do it in a way that makes your employees more capable and ready to take on the next issue.
No leader can succeed by being only tough-minded or only tender-hearted. The perfect balance is to be both tough-minded on the issue and tender-hearted with people.
Leading with heart doesn't mean you always decide in favor of the individual. It just means that when you need to make a tough-minded decision, you are acutely aware of how it will affect the people involved.
The people who are the most committed to mastering their craft are often the most humble. That is because, instead of comparing themselves to others, they are moved by an inner vision of what they might achieve.
Ask often, "How can I help?" Doing so at the start of an interaction opens up space for people to voice their ideas, concerns and viewpoints.

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