Baghdad fell on April 9, 2003, Hussein and his regime were brought down, we declared "Mission Accomplished" and celebrated victory . . . and chaos erupted. We did not assert control and authority over the country, especially Baghdad. We did not bring with us the capacity to impose our will. We did not take charge. And Iraq did not in a few weeks magically transform itself into a stable nation with democratic leaders. Instead a raging insurgency engulfed the country.

Don't bother people for help without first trying to solve the problem yourself.

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. I am talking about a gung-ho attitude that says 'we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best. 'Spare me the grim litany of the 'realist;' give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.

The best method of overcoming obstacles is the team method

Leaders honor their core values, but they are flexible in how they execute them.

Always show more kindness than seems necessary, because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know.

Every human endeavor has leaders and followers, and your job as a leader is to inspire.