Macromanage rather than be a puppet master

When asked as to what is his leadership style, Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank responded: I try to strike a balance between thinking big picture and zeroing on the detail. On the one hand, you want to give people room to perform. On the other, being too far removed from the details can be extremely expensive. I compromise by choosing the few "make or break" agendas that I personally need to be engaged with. In other areas, I am happy to let go.

Dieters who pursue weight loss for autonomous reasons lose more weight than those who are pressured by others. Smokers who chose to stop smoking are more successful than those who feel forced to stop. Synonymously, when people are empowered to make their own decisions at work, they naturally feel motivated to excel.

Leadership is a zero-sum game. The more a leader demands from his team, the less the team members are able to demand of themselves, just like a helicopter parent and his overdependent child. With every controlling directive comes a demoralizing message: "Only I know what's best."

I try to foster autonomy by ensuring the team have a good understanding of why behind the what. I find that when people are given a meaningful rationale, they tend to invest more effort and view their contribution as important.

In addition, I define the outcome, not the process, giving the team or individual the flexibility to chart their own approach, however they see fit. My years of experience shows me that when they feel a sense of control and experience ownership, they take pride in their work.

Being a leader is a privileged position. What we say, how we say it, and why we say it make a difference in the lives of the people we lead.