Leaders who led their organizations quietly and humbly, were much more effective than flashy, charismatic high profile leaders.

The most effective leaders of companies in transition are the quiet, unassuming people whose inner wiring is such that the worst circumstances bring out their best. They're unflappable, they're ready to die if they have to. But you can trust that, when bad things are happening, they will become clearheaded and focused.

If you have a charismatic cause you don't need to be a charismatic leader.

It took Einstein ten years of groping through the fog to get the theory of special relativity, and he was a bright guy.

Focusing solely on what you can potentially do better than any other organization is the only path to greatness.

By definition, it is not possible to everyone to be above the average.

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.