My secret is to empower people. I do that by discovering the things others are good at and then I give them opportunities to use their natural talents. It's not difficult to figure out what people are good at in your office. Most people prefer to stay within their comfort zones, but others need a challenge to keep them productive. When you hand off a special project, or promote an achievement-based friendly competition at work you might be surprised with who rises to the occasion.

I work in a school and it is my job to work with behavior problems and help students discover alternatives to violence and anger. When I give kids the opportunity to solve their problems by giving them a forum to speak, often they can come to conclusions on their own. I don't have to guide them very much I just encourage a talker to talk, a doer to do, and a peacemaker to develop plans.