Leadership is so complicated because we make it so. We read how famous leaders did it. We model ourselves after our boss. We mimic the actions of our peer group and our leaders at work. Yet being one is different than imitating others. To stand alone as a leader is hard. And the way to do it even more challenging. My mentor explained to me years ago that the mark of great leadership is when we help our employees close the gap between how they are performing and what they are actually capable of. This is not necessarily by sending staff to training or by words alone. In many cases it is driven by a corporate culture that encourages experimentation. That likes some kind of risk taking when it benefits the customer. 
 
Most businesses today use the wrong motivator. We have all seen the surveys, leaders think that money and benefits rank highest for employees in terms of need/want. And perhaps today during the recession we are experiencing a narrow window of time where this is what people have their eye on. However, the rebound will come slowly. And all of us will forget eventually. And it may not be an era of free agency like the mid-90′s or of organized labor in the mid 1900′s. However, eventually all of us will want to be “actualized” at work again. We will want our salaries to rise, for a bonus to be possible, for career paths to be made clear again. And we will forget about how we have needed to make sacrifices and to be conservative at work, at home and in our communities to get by.
 
So what is the right motivator? It is not contests or short term things for long. They work for short bursts alone. These short term tricks of leadership are like the Puppet Master manipulating from above.  The employees are the puppet, they do what they are told, they follow along. Then one day it stops working. And on to the next contest right? Wrong. The best leaders lead without strings. They create an environment where others can move freely and trust. Where folks are encouraged to think about and explore what they are capable of. Think of it this way, in most companies trust is earned. You start on your first day with an empty bucket. And everyday through your actions, and performance a little trust goes in. Why not fill the bucket to the top on day one? The trust is there for the employee to cherish and to build immediately on. It is the this confidence and trust that help your employees close the gap.
 
To lead without strings you must create an environment of accountability. Where accountability comes from within. It comes from the team, not top down.

To lead without strings you must allow for failure. Do you celebrate it and learn from it?
 
To lead without strings you must be vulnerable as a leader.  Do you share enough with your team or is there a gap?
 
To lead without strings you must be willing to admit that you are wrong.  Is your leadership persona capable of handling it?
 
To lead without strings you must listen.
 
To lead without strings you must give away your authority.
 
To lead without strings you should help dream.  Dream about what they want and what they are capable of.  You must raise the bar and watch people achieve it.

This is a no strings zone!