I am often asked if leaders are born or made. The answer, of course, is both. Some characteristics, like IQ and energy, seem to come with the package. On the other hand, you learn some leadership skills, like self-confidence, at your mother's knee, and at school, in academics and sports. And you learn others at work-trying something, getting it wrong and learning from it, or getting it right and gaining the self-confidence to do it again, only better.

Willingness to change is a strength, even if it means plunging part of the company into total confusion for a while.

Too many people believe that one big, public success will solve their self-confidence problems forever. That only happens in the movies. In real life, the opposite strategy is what works. Call it the small victo-ries approach. In time you will discover that all failing really does teach you something you needed to know- so you can regroup and stretch again, with ever more...nerve.

I’ve learned in a hundred ways that I rarely regretted acting but often regretted NOT acting fast enough.

Great leaders love to see people grow. The day you are afraid of them being better than you is the day you fail as a leader.

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.

The team with the best players usually does win - this is why you need to invest the majority of your time and energy in developing your people.