Reading this title, many will nod.

To me, this is a great aspiration. I’ve experienced many wonderful moments doing exactly that.

It doesn’t make it less of a challenge to implement it in such a way, that the recipients will experience it as being put first.

Not to forget, that there are contexts within which this is not possible nor advisable.

Leaders can’t put people first.

A leader’s responsibility is always connected to a task or objective the people he is leading want to achieve.

It’s taking that relationship between people and objectives seriously that will help people to see themselves as treated like being put first. However, it will not prevent people from being challenged by some of the decisions they then have to find a way to follow.