Here are some lessons that I have learned from leaders I admire.

1) Have a grand vision - Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, CTO

As a leader, you can inspire and motivate your team to tremendous effect by communicating a vision in a clear, straight-forward way. But don't think small - raise the bar really high.

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2) Be Competent

Being very good at what you do will inspire others to follow you and trust your judgement.

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3) Take Care of Your People

This is an important principle that is ingrained into most military officers but is sadly often lacking in civilian managers. Mentorship is important but moreover, doing whatever you can to advance the careers of your subordinates should be one of your prime duties.

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4) Give Your People as Much Autonomy as Possible

Resist the temptation to micro-manage. If you telegraph the answer you expect to your team, then you are not going to get an innovative solution to a problem - or even a correct one.

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5) Say What You Mean

Be a "straight-shooter". Don't be passive-aggressive and resist the temptation to tell people what they want to hear, only to proceed in a different direction. This is harder to do than it seems. As Carl advised, "To be a good program manager, don't worry too much about making friends. If you need a friend, buy a dog."

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6) Set the Bar High

You should have very high expectations of your team members. Don't berate them for their failures, but challenge them with goals that seem above their abilities. Elon Musk is exceedingly good at this too.

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7) Lead by Example

What you do is so much more important than what you say. As a leader, you should be the hardest worker, the most well-prepared and the one willing to do all the things no one else wants to do.

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8) Allow Your Subordinates to Tell you That you are Wrong

Often leaders who do their job too well end up surrounded by a bunch of "yes-men/women"(psychopaths) . This can have disastrous consequences.

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END THANKS