One of the costliest mistakes senior leaders make is drawing a clear line in the sand between what is personal and professional.

The challenge that this presents is that when leaders don't know their people at an individual level (a personal level), they never truly understand how to "lead" them.

"Leading people" has nothing to do with mystical qualities that only charismatic people have. It has everything to do with consistent actions such as developing, directing, delegating, coaching, and so much more. And, what many leaders fail to recognize is that a one-size-fits-all-approach to doing any of those things just isn't that effective.

The People-first bottom line: Being a leader isn't about you, it's about your people. And in order to lead effectively, you have to know your people at a personal and individual level. Business IS personal. Deal with it.