The team you belong to must come ahead of the team you lead: this is putting team results (e.g., organizational needs) ahead of individual agendas (e.g., the team or division you lead, your ego, your need for recognition, your career development, etc.) Confidentiality is respected downward more than it is respected upward. Organizational alignment is a direct result of this hierarchy (if it were the other way around, organizational alignment would be very difficult to achieve).

Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.

Trust is the foundation of real teamwork (there is nothing touchy-feely about this).

Choose your companions before you choose your road.

As a leader, you're probably not doing a good job unless your employees can do a good impression of you when you're not around.

There is just no escaping the fact that the single biggest factor determining whether an organization is going to get healthier - or not - is the genuine commitment and active involvement of the person in charge.

All things to all people is nothing to everyone.