People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.

We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it's a continuing choice.

Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.

Policies are many, Principles are few, Policies will change, Principles never do.

Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up.

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.

Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best.

If you're lying, you're lying.

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

Leadership is influence.

Good executives never put off until tomorrow what they can get someone else to do today.

A lack of realism in the vision today costs credibility tomorrow.

A minute of thought is greater than an hour of talk.

A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life. A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach her potential.

As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.

As you get older, time speeds up but life slows down.

Children astound me with their inquisitive minds. The world is wide and mysterious to them, and as they piece together the puzzle of life, they ask 'Why?' ceaselessly.

Dividers seek to make themselves look or feel better by making others feel worse. They damage relationships, fracture teams and organizations, and create havoc in people's lives.

Enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit.

Every person has a longing to be significant; to make a contribution; to be a part of something noble and purposeful.

Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

Exceptionally hard decisions can deplete your energy to the point at which you finally cave in. If you mentally crumble and degenerate into negative thinking, you'll magnify the problem to the point where it can haunt you.

Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don't change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan.

Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.

For more than a decade, I led an organization that put on an elaborate Christmas program each December. It was a big production, with over 250 people participating in more than 20 performances. By the end of the season, everyone who participated was exhausted.

Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn't come alive until the leader models it.

Good thinkers always prime the pump of ideas. They always look for things to get the thinking process started, because what you put in always impacts what comes out.

Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it's almost always due to personal growth.

Have the humility to learn from those around you.

How do leaders serve their people? They may pay good wages and treat employees with respect.

I vividly remember a conversation I had many years ago in 1974, which marked a turning point in my leadership journey. I was sitting at a Holiday Inn with my friend, Kurt Campmeyer, when he asked me if I had a personal growth plan. I didn't. In fact, I didn't even know you were supposed to have one.

Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.

If you are a leader, you should never forget that everyone needs encouragement. And everyone who receives it - young or old, successful or less-than-successful, unknown or famous - is changed by it.

If you are a parent, you have probably already realized that your children are always watching what you do. And just as children watch their parents and emulate their behavior, so do employees who are watching their bosses.

If you want to reach the top, don't run over others. Likely, the only way you'll reach the top is to be carried there by others.

In the end, people are persuaded not by what we say, but by what they understand.

Inability to make decisions is one of the principal reasons executives fail. Deficiency in decision-making ranks much higher than lack of specific knowledge or technical know-how as an indicator of leadership failure.

It seems the older you get, the more life comes into focus.

Keeping score is for games, not friendships.

Leaders who are kind of insecure or egocentric, they basically sabotage themselves.

Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That's not a guess, it's a guarantee. With pride, it's not a matter of 'if' we will fall, but 'when.' There are no exceptions.

Live to learn, and you will really learn to live.

Most people don't like change. They revolt against it unless they can clearly see the advantage it brings. For that reason, when good leaders prepare to take action or make changes, they take people through a process to get them ready for it.

Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful.