Leadership is fundamentally about people management. It is about having the right people in the right jobs. A good leader is one who has the ability to feel the pulse of people and never tries to put a square peg in a round hole. That done, half the battle is won.

Leadership is an art and a true leader is one who has the ability to understand what motivates people and who channelises their strengths to achieve positive results. A sense of self-worth is more often than not what drives people to work harder. A good leader is one who understands this and exploits it to the hilt. It doesn't cost much to show your people some appreciation. And it almost always pays off. As someone said, "There is a difference of just three vertebrae between a pat and a kick but the implications are vastly different."

No company is perfect and the same applies to the individuals who work in them. There are many ways of dealing with the problem of underperformers. Just sacking them is one option, but that in turn could create negative vibes in the rest of the organisation, and cause general demoralisation. On the other hand, non-performance is often the result of a mismatch between the job profile and the person designated for it. It is imperative to work towards an equillibrium between performance-driven business objectives and the "hidden" costs required to support it.

Maintaining a positive attitude is critical to good leadership. A leader should always lead by example and be prepared to show the way. Only by doing so can he or she ensure employee participation that is so essential for an organisation's continued survival in a highly competitive environment.