Recently, one of my friends posted a word image on Instagram that read, "Compliment people. Magnify their strengths, not their weaknesses." It reminded me of some of the past teams that I've worked on, and the managers I've had. Some were leaders and some were just managers. The difference between the two was often that the leaders lived by the principle above. 

Leaders who can truly create loyalty amongst their followers encourage growth and leadership in those who follow them. They realize that a rising tide raises all ships, and if you can help someone make his/herself better, the bond between leader & follower will be stronger, not weaker. This is the core of mentorship- recognizing that leadership is not self-centered, but rather that ideas, ideals and values will always be bigger than the person sharing them, and strong relationships are what allow leaders to flourish. When people try to lead through putting others down, they are not giving people a reason to follow themselves; at best they are only giving people a reason not to follow someone else. This "zero-sum" mentality (for me to win, others must lose) is actually self-defeating. It does not create winners, only losers. 

So, with this in mind I updated the quote a little bit :) I hope you like it!