Secret 3

When you start an enterprise that's the end result of your idea, there will always be a sense of propietary ownership; you will want to be there to put out any fires and solve any problems that the company might face because it's your creation and you know all aspects better than anyone, correct? This is a normal misconception that tends to sink many companies, that of its owners thinking they know everything there is to know about anything. Knowing everything is not the essence of a leader; a true leader is one that knows when it's time to step down and let another person more qualified than himself do the task at hand.

Micro-managing is always a bad idea. It's a tried-and-true practice to study your workforce one by one and see their aptitudes and shortcommings in order for them to be better-suited in the tasks they're assigned to do. Success leaves no room for neither ego nor jealousy for other people's strenghts; when you're part of a group that works for a common goal, priority one should always be fulfilling the group's objectives. Now, in order to get there, the group needs to learn to work as a team and it's the team leader's job to assess what each member's strenghts and weaknesses are in order to put them in positions where their strenghts will benefit the group the most. Leaders are what they are because of their ability to see the greatness in people, and not only that but also apply said greatness to the common goal.
A good example of a great leader you might not have heard of (yet) is that of Leonidas I, king of Sparta. In the Battle of Thermopylae, a vastly outnumbered Spartan/Greek army (led by Leonidas I) fended off Persian forces for days and even though the Spartans would be defeated in that particular battle, the 300 Spartan soldiers made a last stand that to this day is remembered as one of the most memorable in history. A testament to teamwork, strategy and planning, Leonidas' 300 Spartans caused crippling losses within Persian ranks, the number of casualties ranging between 20,000 and 50,000. This is what happens when you have a great leader: a group of people under the right leadership are capable of doing incredible feats, and true leadership lies in being able to place your resources where they can be maximized the most. Knowing that everything clicks and is executed like clockwork will bring the courage and determination to overcome great obstacles. Not everyone is aware of how important they can be, and it's up to you, the leader, to determine where your pieces best belong in.
There will be times in your life where you'll be helpless, without a clue as to how to tackle a situation that's way over your head. You know you can't do it alone... what will you do? In order to let other people that are better suited than you take on the problem it will take a certain amount of disregard for pride, as it seems. It's not easy to admit that you can't do something. A true leader recognizes when it's time to step aside and let another try... to be able to do this is one of the key elements of success in any enterprise; the true essence of being able to work as a team and give every member of your group the chance to stand out and shine will not only bring success in all of your ventures but will also make your peers stay under your leadership, and that, my friend, is what success is truly about.