People approach any task with one of two mindsets: what I call the "Be-Good" mindset, where your focus is on proving that you have a lot of ability and already know what you're doing, and the "Get-Better" mindset, where your focus is on developing ability. You can think of it as the difference between wanting to prove that you are smart, and wanting to get smarter.

William A. Hewitt, Chairman of Deere and Company, says, "To be a leader you must preserve all through your life the attitude of being receptive to new ideas. The quality of leadership you will give will depend upon your ability to evaluate new ideas, to separate change for the sake of change from change for the sake of me.

Education makes all the difference.

Ignorance means we didn't have the necessary information; stupidity means we had the necessary information but misused it.

Experience alone isn't a good enough teacher — evaluated experience is.

Every day I read, write, think, ask questions, and file what I learn. These are the five disciplines I practice to keep improving.

Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.

Knowledge alone is not power. Knowledge has value only in the hands of someone who has the ability to think well. People must learn how to think well to achieve their dreams and to reach their potential.

Willing to pay the price to be a perpetual learner.

Teachability is an attitude of wanting to learn from every experience and every person.

So why do some people emerge as leaders while others can't influence no matter how hard they try? I believe that several factors come into play: 1. Character—who they are 2. Relationships—who they know 3. Knowledge—what they know 4. Intuition—what they feel 5. Experience—where they've been 6. Past Success—what they've done 7. Ability—what they can do

Experience isn't the best teacher—evaluated experience is.