The most important job you have is growing your people, giving them a chance to reach their dreams.

Leading a big company means never allowing a company to take itself too seriously.

Again, your challenge is not just to improve. It is to break the service paradigm in your industry or market so that customers aren't just satisfied, they're so shocked that they tell strangers on the street how good you are.

Set stretch goals. Don't ever settle for mediocrity. The key to stretch is to reach for more than you think is possible. Don't sell yourself short by thinking that you'll fail.

Shun the incremental and go for the leap.

First and most obvious, bring out the three old warhorses of competition - cost, quality, and service - and drive them to new levels, making every person in the organization see them for what they are, a matter of survival.

Does coaching work? Yes. Good coaches provide a truly important service. They tell you the truth when no one else will.