No vision issue today is bigger than the question of efficiency versus some combination of innovation and customer service.

Never underestimate the magnitude of the power of the forces that reinforce the status quo.

Great leaders motivate large groups of individuals to improve the human condition.

Leadership is about coping with change

Valued achievements connect to people at a deeper level—and a deeper level can change behavior that is generally very difficult to change.

This is true even in organizations that are very focused on analysis and quantitative measurement, even among people who think of themselves as smart in an MBA sense. In highly successful change efforts, people find ways to help others see the problems or solutions in ways that influence emotions, not just thought.

In terms of getting people to experiment more and take more risk, there are at least three things that immediately come to my mind. Number one, of course, is role-modeling it yourself. Number two is when people take intelligent, smart risks and yet it doesn't work out, not shooting them. And number three, being honest with yourself. If the culture you have is radically different from an experiment and take-risk culture, then you have a big change you going to have to make—and no little gimmicks are going to do it for you.