In addition, no collaboration process can ever function efficiently if the involved parties have different ideas about the final result of their work. Another trait that is important from a managerial point-of-view is represented by the capacity to encourage participation. From this point-of-view, it is safe to say that the manager's role is to stimulate people to use their potential. Many people have undiscovered potential and it is the manger the one who is supposed to encourage people to get involved as much as they can in their work, having initiatives and expressing their views upon the matters. An honest feedback is also essential from the part of the manager and another trait chosen from Wilson's list.

It is fair to say that there is a strong link between the concept of the twenty first century leader and the managers which IBM wishes to empower collaborative influence. The roles that the manger plays under these circumstances is in fact that of a facilitator and a coach, supporting and empowering involvement. In order for the future manager to be perceived as a leader created from units which do not function inside the company, it is essential for him to have high technological and interpersonal knowledge, providing him withy power.

In order for collaborative influence to function,...

Orders given based on the simple fact of a superior status within the company are not efficient in this context. The twenty first century manager facilitates change and allows the people he manages to have access to key information. This is a strategic point for the efficacious functioning of collaborative influence, just like the support of cooperation through a continuous process of multidirectional communication and the desire to learn continuously.
As far as McGregor's theory y is concerned, it can be stated that there are several connections which could be made between some of its principles and the concept of collaborative influence. McGregor declares that all the employees can use their imagination and creativity in order to solve a wide range of problems. IBM is not only allowing them to do so, but is supporting them in this direction. By supporting the initiatives of its employees, the company has a better chance to use more of a persons intellectual potential. Getting actively involved into the way the company functions is a way for people to obtain bigger job satisfaction. One of the consequences of this fact is that this satisfaction will turn into commitment to the company the people work for and which they believe they belong to.