The leaders I met, whatever walk of life they were from, whatever institutions they were presiding over, always referred back to the same failure something that happened to them that was personally difficult, even traumatic, something that made them feel that desperate sense of hitting bottom-as something they thought was almost a necessity. It's as if at that moment the iron entered their soul; that moment created the resilience that leaders need.

What makes a good follower? The single most important characteristic may well be a willingness to tell the truth. In a world of growing complexity leaders are increasingly dependent on their subordinates for good information, whether the leaders want to hear it or not. Followers who tell the truth and leaders who listen to it are an unbeatable combination.

Leaders must earn the trust of their teams, their organizations, and their stakeholders before attempting to engage their support.

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.

To be authentic is literally to be your own author... to discover your own native energies and desires, and then to find your own way of acting on them.

If I had to reduce the responsibilities of a good follower to a single rule, it would be to speak truth to power.

Around the world, the generals are being ousted, and the poets are taking charge.