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

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

You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.

The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it.

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

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

The difficulties of life are intended to make us better--not bitter.

True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that can’t be mandated. It must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time – either to increase your level of influence with others or to erase it.

A good idea becomes great when the people are ready. The individual who is impatient with people will be defective in leadership. The evidence of strength lies not in streaking ahead, but in adapting your stride to the slower pace of others while not forfeiting your lead. If we run too far ahead, we lose our power to influence.

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

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds.

Live to learn and you will really learn to live.

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.

You don't become an effective leader by default.

The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying.

Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.

We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.

Your attitude colors every aspect of your life. It is like the mind's paintbrush. It can paint everything in bright, vibrant colors--creating a masterpiece. Or it can make everything dark and dreary.

If you don't have peace, it isn't because someone took it from you; you gave it away. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control what happens in you.

Nobody can motivate himself in a positive direction by continually using negative words.

Change is inevitable ... growth is optional.

Whenever I mentor people and help them discover their purpose, I always encourage them to start the process by discovering their strengths, not exploring their shortcomings. Why? Because people's purpose in life is always connected to their giftedness. It always works that way. You are not called to do something that you have no talent for. You will discover your purpose by finding and remaining in your strength zone.

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

Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.

The leader continually passes on the vision to those who come around, knowing that dreams, if presented right, are contagious.

Attitude ... is the vanguard of your true self.

Many people make decisions when things aren't going well. They look for relief in the despair of the valley instead of waiting for the clarity that comes from being on the mountaintop. And when you're experiencing the darkness of the valley, it's always tempting to make changes that you hope will relieve the discomfort.

The continual search for happiness is a primary reason that so many people are miserable. If you make happiness your goal, you are almost certainly destined to fail. You will be on a continual roller coaster, changing from successful to unsuccessful with every mood change. Life is uncertain, and emotions aren’t stable. Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success.

I've known people who thought that reaching their potential would come from shoring up their weaknesses. But do you know what happens when you spend all your time working on your weaknesses and never developing your strengths? If you work really hard, you might claw your way all the way to mediocrity! But you'll never get beyond it.

It's not what happens to me but what happens in me that matters most.

Attitude ... is the prophet of your future.

Life doesn't do anything to you. It only reveals your spirit.

Dont ever be impressed with goal setting; be impressed with goal getting.

By choosing to embrace and practice good values every day, you choose the higher course in life. And your life goes in a direction that you will always feel good about. You may not always get what you desire, but you will always be the person you desire to be.

If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading.

Many times we take our talents for granted. We think because we can do something well, anyone can. Often that's not true. How can you tell when you're overlooking a skill or talent? Listen to what others say. Your strengths will capture the attention of others and draw them to you. On the other hand, when you're working in areas of weakness, few people will show interest. If others are continually praising you in a particular area, start developing it.

He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.