Well, thank you very much! Can I be in charge for a while?  — Full Metal Jacket

One of the harshest lessons I ever learned is to know when I am in charge and when I am not.  It’s a skill I needed.  Some leaders want input, some don’t.  Some who do are territorial about their prerogatives, while others want their subordinates to come to the same decision as they have.  All were good leaders, but all had a different method.

That being said, the best people I ever worked for were capable of doing any of these things, and tailored their style to the particular person with whom they were dealing.  Knowing when to be a hardass, when to get input from subordinates, and when to let them run free to get to a goal is the best leadership skill, and it’s one that can only come from working for good leaders.