All leaders must be good communicators. But let's be clear, communications is not the same as oratory. Let me give you an example. General George C. Marshall was an exemplary public servant and military officer. He helped mobilize our nation for the Second World War and helped lay the foundation for peace as Secretary of State. He communicated through words, but more loudly through his actions.

Leadership is an active, living process. It is rooted in character, forged by experience, and communicated by example.

Leadership is the behavior each of us exerts when we take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

The words a leader speaks are important, of course. But how they're delivered can make all the difference, especially in tough times.

Purposeful organizations develop the next generation, not simply the next leader. My friend Marshall Goldsmith, bestselling author and leading executive coach, does not like the term succession planning. Better to say, "succession development." That means you are focusing on multiple managers and grooming them to lead.

Solution = Conflict + Collaboration

Heroism is not blind courage: it is selfless action. it is knowing the odds are stacked against you, but feeling that you must do what you do for the good of others.