The essence of leadership is relationship. The essence of relationship is emotion.

In reasonably effective companies, most employees operate on a continuum somewhere between compliance and commitment.

Compliance can be enforced in a number of ways -- rules, procedures, threats, and bribes, to name a few.

But compliance has serious limitations. It is seldom associated with innovation, breakthrough or exceptional performance.

Commitment, on the other hand, knows virtually no bounds. Most forms of organizational capacity, power, and competitive advantage are generated from commitment.

But commitment only springs from the heart. It can't be coerced or legislated. Commitment is an emotional response, a response that almost always results from a meaningful connections -- a relationship.

One of the crucial tasks of leadership is to create a climate conducive to an ever expanding web of connection between people throughout the organization.

Relationships develops when one person acts for the benefit of another.

Tip of the hat to Pigwisdom.com, check them out for more on leadership.