The leader will take counsel from his people, but he will act on what his mind tells him is right. He has trained himself out of the fear of making mistakes.

The secret of any organization's success is choosing the right people to play key roles.

I read recently about business executive Bernard Tapie, who became famous in France by taking over failing corporations (often for one symbolic franc) and turning them into successful money makers. Tapie developed an empire of forty-five companies, including Look ski bindings and Terraillon, a weight scale manufacturer. His secret? Whenever he assumed control of a corporation, he immediately brought in his fifteen-member management team to reorganize. They worked so well together that they salvaged many a corporation.

One of the most important aspects of successful leadership is putting together a group of people to carry out the mission. Great athletic coaches know they must have talent to win, and therefore they take an active part in choosing ...