Number 2

Leaders in any field of endeavor constantly face pressures, obstacles and dangers.
Since leaders are the people that carry the greatest responsibility in a group, they cannot resort to excuses -- they cannot pass the buck. They are in the unenviable position of having to be judged by results alone.
They have to take care to reflect on themselves constantly from different angles to ensure that they maintain themselves in perfect working condition.
Since they have too much business to be able to instruct wholly and fully in words alone, leaders tend to be solitary figures. If they have a deputy or assistant, called No. 2 in the group, who can handle miscellaneous tasks, leaders are able to concentrate better on their own more important work.
The work of leaders is mostly mental and invisible, like carefully and minutely monitoring the big picture, deciding on the priority of work both within the office and outside, and coming up with countermeasures for all problems that arise. The most important task for an assistant or No. 2 is to lend them moral support.
No.2 persons must try to have the same thinking and feeling as their leaders, be attentive to their bosses in order for the bosses to maintain a balanced perspective, and work to create a harmonious, calm atmosphere where the leader can feel relaxed. These are important in the sense that No.2 persons should allow their leaders to perform at full capacity.
The most important part of a leader's work depends largely on his inspiration and decisiveness. No. 2 persons need to encourage an environment for their leaders to do so and provide timely information. No. 2 persons must be good advisers to whom the leaders can speak everything freely.
Leaders must also be people who always make difficult demands of themselves and take up new challenges, so they need sincere subordinates who back them up and allow them to feel confidence and courage.



Therefore, what leaders need most is such subordinates with whom they can feel completely comfortable and to whom they can unhesitatingly feel free to show their weaknesses.