Not every financial company toppled during the 2008 crisis, and some seized the opportunity to take advantage of weaker competitors in the midst of the tumult.

Good is the enemy of great.. The vast majority of good companies remain just that - good, but not great.

People need BHAGs - big hairy audacious goals.

If your company disappeared, would it leave a gaping hole that could not easily be filled by any other enterprise on the planet?

Throw leaders into an extreme environment, and it will separate the stark differences between greatness and mediocrity.

The essence of profound insight is simplicity.

Mediocrity results first and foremost from management failure, not technological failure.