1. The workings of human nature are only so vast. General patterns of behavior can be observed and understood. As people we are more alike than unalike. The internal process of wrestling with internal beliefs and concepts allows one to obtain a deeper understanding of what others might be going through. In traveling lifes path the friendly advice of an experienced journeyman is always helpful, especially to those new to the terrain.

2. Strive for excellence, but remain coachable. Take notes from people who have been where you want to go. In order to learn and grow from others requires the ability to trust others. Without trust, expanding your level of performance and building something of great value is all but impossible.

3. To know thyself impresses upon the leader the need to continually grow and learn as a natural result of living. Knowledge is not truly knowledge, until the information obtained is acted upon and used in a positive manner.

4. Fully understanding ones proclivities allows a leader to more optimally impact his/her surroundings. To react on blind emotion, merely reacting to surrounding stimuli does little to further ones cause. The success of leadership relies heavily upon the success of obtaining self-knowledge.

5. Empathy is created by being fully aware that you could just as easily be the other, were it not for destinys determination. Such a realization can only come about by having fully experienced life for oneself. Are individuals really so different that personal struggles and shortcomings are not shared across all lines of human demarcation?