I enjoyed this post, Chris. One of the absolute best leaders I have had was not someone I worked for; she was the coordinator of a group of captains at Relay for Life. She was a very busy person -- teacher, parent, wife, many other things. But she made me feel, as a Captain, that I was indispensable and appreciated. She called us together at 2 in the morning (of the all night relay) to give us goodie bags and in general make us feel great about being there. I have never been able to put my finger on it, but I am thinking her personal constitution involved something like "I will make people feel cared for and in so doing help them do their best work." I enjoyed your piece!