Times are certainly more difficult now then they were a year ago. People just don’t have the same level of confidence in our country’s ability to quickly recover from the economic recession we’re experiencing. It probably holds true for your business as well. In order to be successful in this economy you will need to get more out of each employee and each employee will need more out of you, the employer.

The ability to motivate others is a critical leadership skill. Any leader who tries to bully people into doing more is sure to fail. People are simply not going to give their best if they hate what they do and for whom they are doing it. If you sense this attitude in your employees, it’s time to undertake a business transformation.

The only way to get out of this recession is to act with confidence. They only way your business is going to survive is if you make decisions with confidence. The only way to do that is lead with confidence. Get out of your office and spend more time with the ranks. Host brown bag lunches and get to know how your team is doing at home. Empathizing with your staff may do more than a raise. Make them part of your recovery, part of your business transformation plan. Take 10 percent of your company, create some stock and hand it out. Detail your plans for sales innovation, and solicit ideas from all departments on new and surprising ways to make revenue. In one of my past companies, one of our most successful marketing innovations came not from the marketing and sales departments—but from our chief financial officer. Never underestimate your team. In good times and in bad, they will define you and your organization. And if you can get them to believe like you believe, they will lead your business to success.