I had a chance to watch one of my role models in action today. He is one of the young, intelligent managers who rose to the top of the ladder pretty quickly. He managed to do that without creating enemies along the way which is pretty hard to do in big corporations. Everyone who has worked with him will attest to the fact that he deserves to be in the top and has nothing bad to say about him.
Unfortunately I never got a chance to work directly with him, but watching him today made me realize why he is different from the other managers. It all came down to being truthful. Just being genuine to your fellow workers can mean a world of difference. When he tries to inspire someone, he is not the one to throw around some business lingo. He doesn't just say "We really appreciate all the work you are doing" or "Keep up the good work". That is just a terrible compliment. When he praises you for something, you know he really appreciates your work.
One lesson I learned from him today is "Be Genuine", and I shall try.