One thing you need to watch out for when you’re giving motivational speeches, whether you’re in front of a formal, seated audience, or in a more informal setting like with a group of your employees (this even applies when talking to your customers), is violating the narcissism ratio. And the narcissism ratio, very simply, is the ratio of the number of times you say “I” and “me” versus the number of times you talk about “them.”
Being a boss is no easy job, and it’s pretty common to wonder, “How am I really doing?” Unfortunately, traditional business metrics don’t really offer much guidance. A great P&L, for example, might be the result of leadership brilliance, but it could also be the result of the market popping up, and chances are that one leader didn’t single-handedly drive the dial up.
While many of the traits that define a good manager vary depending on the organization, the team and the manager, through my studies I have identified a set of six personality traits universally found in the most successful leaders of remote teams. You may find you already naturally possess some of these characteristics while others you will have to work to develop.
By now, I’m guessing everyone’s read the New York Times piece about Amazon. And you’ve no doubt tuned in to at least some of the debate about the comprehensiveness of that article. But what no one is directly talking about, and what we should be talking about, is leadership styles. How you lead is what’s really at the heart of all the buzz around this article.
Some people have the personality to work remotely. These remote personalities are hard-charging go-getters with a self-motivated mindset. They’re fine working with fewer rules and more all-nighters. And they’re not fazed by the isolation, diminished emotional and administrative support, or the reduced collaboration and recognition of remote work.
One thing leaders don’t always consider in managing teamwork is what's the ideal size for a work team, a work group? Generally speaking, for the most productive teamwork, you want to follow what's known as the "two pizza" rule. The two pizza rule basically says you should never have a team or a work group that's bigger than what you can feed with two large pizzas.
One of the biggest problems that occurs between bosses and employees is a mismatch in their communication styles. When you speak and the boss doesn’t hear you, or vice versa, it can greatly hurt your chances of career success. 
Emotional intelligence predicts people’s ability to regulate themselves, manage other people, and achieve success. Research shows a link between emotional intelligence and career success. Not everyone is born with it, but unlike IQ, emotional intelligence can be acquired and improved with practice.
Around nine out of ten managers have avoided giving constructive feedback to their employees for fear of the employees reacting poorly. Well, is it any wonder that an employee would react badly to getting constructive feedback when less than half of them know if they’re doing a good job? 
Last week a newly-hired manager sent me this note about how he was able to connect with his new employees, even though they were bitter and cynical because of their previous leaders (who were awful). I’m sharing this letter because it shows you how employee retention can sometimes be a simple task, if you’re willing to exert just a little bit of personal energy, attention and time.
