Simon Sinek
Spending too much time focused on others' strengths leaves us feeling weak. Focusing on our own strengths is what, in fact, makes us strong.
Some people are born good-looking. Some have the gift of gab. And some are lucky enough to be born smarter than the rest of us. Whether we like it or not, Mother Nature does not dole these characteristics out evenly.
When we can communicate from the inside out, we're talking directly to the part of the brain that controls behavior, and then we allow people to rationalize it with the tangible things we say and do. This is where gut decisions come from.
If you can clearly articulate the dream or the goal, start.
There is not a single one of us with a job that is not completely reliant in some way shape or form on others.
It is only from the people I've had the good fortune to meet that I am learning the lessons to guide me. Baz Luhrmann, director of 'Moulin Rouge,' for example, has a childlike curiosity about the world. He doesn't pretend to know all the answers - quite the opposite, in fact. He asks loads of questions of everyone.
If no one ever broke the rules, then we'd never advance.
Pilots, to a large degree, are like salesmen. They have to be confident to be good at their jobs. They have to practice relentlessly and plan out all the scenarios of the things that could happen when they're out there. Nothing is more important than preparation. They are also mighty competitive, both as individuals and as squadrons.
Like a good parent can't also be his child's best friend, a leader with authority requires some separation from subordinates.
I use Apple because they're easy to understand and everybody gets it.
There's nothing efficient about innovation.
There is a difference between giving directions and giving direction.
Anyone can sell product by dropping their prices, but it does not breed loyalty.
Bad leaders believe that they have to project control at all times.
Leaders who fail are the ones who do it by themselves. Leaders who succeed are the ones who allow others to help them.
Good listeners have a huge advantage. For one, when they engage in conversation, they make people 'feel' heard. They 'feel' that someone really understands their wants, needs and desires. And for good reason; a good listener does care to understand.
You'll never see the president carry his own luggage, and why? Because even though we know he has luggage, it would reduce his stature if he was too much like us. We need to think of our leaders as being above us, even though they must still relate to us.
Offer someone the opportunity to rebuild a company or reinvent an industry as the primary incentive, and it will attract those drawn to the challenge first and the money second.
Republicans are completely befuddled by Obama's 'star power' and don't seem to have a clear or effective strategy to compete.
The quality of a leader cannot be judged by the answers he gives, but by the questions he asks.
Actions speak louder than words. All companies say they care, right? But few actually exercise that care.
I don't enjoy eating humble pie; it never tastes good. But I do appreciate it when it happens.
To spend more money, you have to have more money, but time is fixed and we all have the same amount to spare. How we choose to spend it can make a significant difference on the impact we have in our careers or in the world.
During World War II, the pilot losses were staggering. In some bombing raids, as many as 80% of the planes that left did not return.
Any parent who tells their kids that they can't attend a school play or go to a soccer match because they have to work is kidding themselves. It's OK to miss a game or two or a performance here and there, but it's not all right to miss the majority of them.
Money is a short-term result that incentivizes short-term decision making.
Whether individuals or organisations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves.
It's always the organizations that are resource constrained that come up with the good ideas to win.
If we care about the average working American, then Wal-Mart matters. A lot.
Entrepreneurs must be practical experts. They needn't set out to be subject matter experts in what they do; they must set out to solve a problem or pursue some cause or purpose greater than themselves.
Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. Patton was the epitome of what a leader should be like - or so he thought. Patton believed a leader should look and act tough, so he cultivated his image and his personality to match his philosophy.
If you look at the average age of a company on the Dow Jones index, it's something like 35 years or younger. In other words... success is no indication of longevity.
I try to find, celebrate and teach leaders how to build platforms that will inspire others.
In the 1980s America reacted to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. We supported a war that left a nation torn to pieces. And as the last Soviet tank left the country, so did we.
We live in times of high stress. Messages that are simple, messages that are inspiring, messages that are life-affirming, are a welcome break from our real lives.
I couldn't understand why my productivity went down when I had deliberately made more time available to write. Then I realized it was because I wasn't flying as much.
There are two types of claims: those based on hard numbers and those based on slippery numbers.
All the great organizations in the world, all have a sense of why that organization does what it does.
No matter how many or how few people you have reporting to you, you must remember that as you climb higher in the ranks, your words will be taken as commands even if you're just thinking out loud.
Anyone who achieves any kind of success, however you want to define it, sometimes can't let go of it.
I know there's a difference between being successful and feeling successful. And if you ask me if I feel successful, the honest answer is 'not yet.'
Most years, if you were to ask me how much I make, the genuine answer is that I have no clue. I usually find out the answer to that question once a year, at tax time, when my accountant tells me.
Some would argue that you're as successful as the company you keep. Certainly there is a connection between our friends and who we are.
Sometimes spending time with someone who is perceived as 'successful' can make us feel less successful.
In this age of omniconnectedness, words like 'network,' 'community' and even 'friends' no longer mean what they used to. Networks don't exist on LinkedIn. A community is not something that happens on a blog or on Twitter. And a friend is more than someone whose online status you check.
Pilots have their names painted just beneath the canopy of their aircraft. This gives the pilot a sense of ownership for his or her jet. What's more, like cars, each aircraft has its own personality, so it's important for a pilot to get to know and love his aircraft.
Spending time with the military certainly lends itself to some remarkable experiences, and I've been privileged to have had my share.
The lives we live are a bit of a straight-hair vs. curly-hair thing. We often want what we don't have. In reality, it's not about better or worse; it's just perception.
I never imagined working with CEOs, congressmen or the military, yet I make regular visits to the Pentagon, stop by the Capitol now and then and sit down with leaders of all kinds of companies.