The opposite of hope is despair, and when we despair, it is because we feel there are no choices.

Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard.

Successful leadership is not about being tough or soft, sensitive or assertive, but about a set of attributes. First and foremost is character

People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic, as they proceed from one challenge and crisis to the next.

I used to think that running an organization was equivalent to conducting a symphony orchestra. But I don't think that's quite it; it's more like jazz. There is more improvisation. Someone once wrote that the sound of surprise is jazz, and if there's any one thing that we must try to get used to in this world, it's surprise and the unexpected. Truly, we are living in world where the only thing that's constant is change.

People vary enormously in how they learn. Some learn through their eyes - by reading but also by responding to all kinds of visual information. Others learn mostly through their ears or touch or other senses.

Recognize the skills and traits you don't possess, and hire the people who have them.