Level 5 leaders are differentiated from other levels of leaders in that they have a wonderful blend of personal humility combined with extraordinary professional will. Understand that they are very ambitious; but their ambition, first and foremost, is for the company's success. They realize that the most important step they must make to become a Level 5 leader is to subjugate their ego to the company's performance. When asked for interviews, these leaders will agree only if it's about the company and not about them.

A visionary company doesn't simply balance between idealism and profitability: it seeks to be highly idealistic and highly profitable. A visionary company doesn't simply balance between preserving a tightly held core ideology and stimulating vigorous change and movement; it does both to an extreme.

Profit is like oxygen, food, water, and blood for the body; they are not the point of life, but without them, there is no life.

I am not failing - I am growing! Do you have the ability to reframe failure as growth in order to achieve your goals?

Some managers are uncomfotable with expressing emotion about their dreams, but it's the passion and emotion that will attract and motivate others.

Most people will look back and realize they did not have a great life because it's just so easy to settle for a good life.

It is more important to know who you are than where you are going, for where you are going will change as the world around you changes.