Americans value leadership that empowers followers—developing their capabilities, expanding their autonomy, creating conditions for their success—over leadership that controls them. The controlling leader who micromanages, who dictates every action, who reduces followers to instruments fails American ideals. The empowering leader who develops others, who creates space for initiative, who produces more leaders rather than more followers represents the ideal.
When working with Americans, demonstrate that you are invested in their development, not just in their output. Create space for initiative rather than dictating every action. Help people grow rather than keeping them dependent. The best leadership eventually makes itself unnecessary by developing followers who can lead themselves.
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