Leaders always work with their people. A leader must always be able to collaborate with all of the members of his or her team. He must be able to use their resources well, and to make sure that everyone is working as a cohesive unit. A leader shows teamwork and cohesive action by example; he makes sure that he shows others that he is a team player and that he respects what every single person in his team has to bring to the table.

A leader must always make full use of his resources. His greatest resource will always be his team. A leader must be able to understand his team and in this way use them in the most effective way possible. You must also show them how to cooperate and how to act as a unit, that will work cohesively without strife. Some leaders believe that it is a good idea to pit individuals in his team against each other and in this way supposedly motivate them to try harder. This type of strategy is shortsighted and will eventually destroy the cohesion of the team to such an extent that future progress will be impossible. Competitive strife within a certain team can only bring about distrust from all its members. This distrust will eventually infect the entire unit and will make any creative unity impossible.

Leaders collaborate with others in order to create group cohesion. This cohesion allows for more creativity, faster, and better group results. It is most important that the leader knows how to bring about group unity. That leaders subtly push the many diverse personalities in their team into a perfect working unit.

In order to discover ways to group cohesion and to engage the entire team, always ask your team the following questions:

• What do you think we should do?
• What would you do if you were in my shoes?
• What opportunities do you think we are missing?
• What information or ideas do you have that you think would help in this situation?

By asking these questions of all his employees on a regular basis, a leader begins to understand his teammates and he also shows them in a direct fashion that he respects their ideas and their input. A leader should always try to make him or herself available so that others do not find it difficult to engage him or her in relaxed open discussion. Any leader that tries to assert dominance through fear and a rigid demeanor, will only alienate his people and create a group environment that is not flexible and strong.

In order to make the best use of his greatest resource, his people, a leader must learn to collaborate with others. By working together with others and by showing them respect as he does so, I leader creates the kind of unity that any winning team needs.