I co-chair a national collaborative of accomplished entrepreneurs. At a recent meeting, the CEO of a mid-sized company asked the group “How do I get my employees to think I care about them so they’ll be motivated to go the extra mile?” It was a question that everyone present wanted the answer to. I raised my hand and said, “I’ve found that the best way to make my people think that I care about them is…to actually care about them.” It was a bit of a wise guy answer, but it was

Ever left a meeting and thought, “That was a waste of time”? You’re not alone. Over 70% of employees rate meetings as a waste of time; only 11% find them productive. That’s a failure of leadership.

I had several occasions to hear former Secretary of State George Schultz speak. He discussed different issues each time but he always...