Jeff Haden has written an interesting article considering how exceptional bosses get the best out of the employees http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-things-extraordinary-bosses-do-for-their-employees.html?goback=.gde_144864_member_264034420#!
These include creating a sense of purpose, setting clear expectations and meaningful objectives, clarity over independence and freedom of action. I found this very interesting as this echos the approach we take at Bluegem when introducing clients to the objective briefing process which helps facilitates peak performance.