"The first rule for such a situation is to make decisions like an engineer, based on technical merit rather than personal considerations. "It was a way of getting people to trust me," Torvalds explained. "When people trust you, they take your advice." He also realized that leaders in a voluntary collaborative have to encourage others to follow their passion, not boss them around. "The best and most effective way to lead is by letting people do things because they want to do them, not because you want them to." Such a leader knows how to empower groups to self-organize."