Effective leaders make a full commitment to be a learner, to keep increasing and nourishing their knowledge and wisdom.

Judgment without character is expediency... or worse.

Great things are achieved by talented people who are absolutely convinced that they not only can but will achieve them.

If I were to give off-the-cuff advice to anyone trying to institute change, I would say, "How clear is the metaphor?"

The leader...is rarely the brightest person in the group. Rather they have extraordinary taste, which makes them more curators than creators. They are appreciators of talent and nurturers of talent and they have the ability to recognize valuable ideas.

I'd always rather err on the side of openness. But there's a difference between optimum and maximum openness, and fixing that boundary is a judgment call. The art of leadership is knowing how much information you're going to pass on - to keep people motivated and to be as honest, as upfront, as you can. But, boy, there really are limits to that.

The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.