Encourage dissent: Leaders should have associates who have contrary views, who are devil's advocates, "variance sensors" who can tell them the difference between what is expected and what is really happening, between what they want to hear and what they need to hear. There are too many naked emperors running around today.

In the face of ambiguity, uncertainty, and conflicting demands, often under great time pressure, leaders must make decisions and take effective actions to assure the survival and success of their organizations. This is how leaders add value to their organizations. They lead them to success by exercising good judgment, by making smart calls when especially difficult and complicated decisions simply must be made, and then ensuring that they are well executed.

The first job of a leader is to define a vision for the organization...the capacity to translate vision into reality.

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

First and foremost, effective leaders must continuously strive to make themselves smarter and better at making judgments.

Trust is the emotional glue that binds followers and leaders together.

Leaders are people who do the right thing: managers are people who do things right. Both roles are crucial, but they differ profoundly. I often observe people in top positions doing wrong things well.