“You also have to be able to relate to people, and not look down on them or talk down to them”

When you bring staff into a meeting and you talk to them about the things we can do to improve, and then you actually act on their ideas and they see that their input made a difference, people will follow you.

You also have to be able to relate to people, and not look down on them or talk down to them. I may have a title, but that’s not the reason that we need to do this. We’re here to do A, B and C. Here’s the way you can help with that. What suggestions do you have to make it better? Those are the secrets to success.

Kevin E. Lofton, as quoted in Adam Bryant, “Designate a Devil’s Advocate”, The New York Times (9 August 2015), BU2.