To be a leader means, especially, having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who permit leaders to lead.

In addition to all of the ratios and goals and parameters and bottom lines, it is fundamental that leaders endorse a concept of persons. This begins with an understanding of the diversity of people's gifts and talents and skills. Recognizing diversity gives us the chance to provide meaning, fulfillment and purpose, which are not to be relegated solely to private life any more than such things as love, beauty and joy. The art of leadership lies in polishing and liberating and enabling those gifts.

Change without continuity is chaos. Continuity without change is sloth-and very risky.

We cannot avoid growing old; but we can avoid growing cold.

Trust cannot be bought or commanded, inherited or enforced. To maintain it, leaders must continually earn it.

A short term view will lead to a partial and perhaps twisted view of the whole picture. A crucial element may be missing. We may not be running the entire race. A friend of mine described a colleague as great at running the "ninety-five yard dash." That is a distinction I can do without. Lacking the last five yards makes the first ninety-five pointless. In fact, serious runners thing of it as a 110 yard dash so that no one will best them in the last few yards. You've got to think beyond the whole.

Understanding the diversity of our gifts enables us to begin taking the crucial step of trusting each other.