To guard our character with unwavering commitment, our best protection comes from being humbly aware of our vulnerability.

Good leaders know who they are—their strengths, weaknesses, passions, talents, and values. And, developing leaders always starts with self-awareness.

Courage is leaning into the doubts and fears to do what you know is right even when it doesn’t feel natural or safe.

Leaders can choose to grow and change, but generally the most powerful predictor of future performance is past behavior. Evaluate them realistically.

Affirming others isn’t ‘flattering’ them—it’s when you genuinely and consistently acknowledge their efforts and accomplishments, both large and small. Make affirmation a habit and watch what happens!

Good teams are committed to the team mission and to each other personally. Good leaders inspire and build this commitment and trust.

Professional accountability is a good thing. Without it, excellence is merely a pipe dream and even average performance isn’t a realistic expectation.

We all want to ‘count for something’–to make a difference. And, accountability helps us get where want to go in terms of achieving our goals and fulfilling our responsibilities.

As is often the case with children, the rule of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ plays out in the workplace. It’s hard to be good role model, and it’s one of the greatest challenges of leadership.

Leaders must be good listeners. It’s rule number one, and it’s the most powerful thing they can do to build trusted relationships.

Take every moment as a gift of life to enjoy. Stress will melt away to fill your heart with gratitude.

Don’t we all look up at the same stars?

A lot of people are alive because I shed too much hair to get away with murder.

A parting is sadder than a death, Ma always said, for two people are dead to one another and yet go on living.

For God's sake, all of you, say spiteful things about me, then I shall know I mean something to you. Don't say surgaries, or I'm done.

Who cannot but see oftentimes how strange the threads of our destiny run? Oft it is only for a moment the favorable instant is presented. We miss it, and months and years are lost.

Believing in books is a lot like believing in God.

I think every program needs to stand the sunshine of righteous scrutiny. Whether it's Social Security, whether it's Medicaid, whether it's Medicare.

I listen to everything.

Australia will take more refugees from Syria in response to the growing international crisis but it will not increase the total number of asylum seekers it accepts.