When team members trust each other and know that everyone is capable of admitting when they're wrong, then conflict becomes nothing more than the pursuit of truth or the best possible answer.

People who have a sense of peace that their priorities are in the right place also have a sense of humility and a realistic view on life.

Too often, companies focus on systems and structures that facilitate cultural change at the mid-management level, overlooking problems closer to the top.

The problem is too often they are boring, and boring in a meeting happens for the same reason as in a book or movie - when there is not enough compelling tension. Meetings should be intense.

I have many times marveled at how I could feel so good about myself while eating peanuts in a middle seat on Southwest Airlines and yet feel so condescended to in first class on United.

Even though I wrote 'The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family,' my life is as chaotic as most people's.

Failing to engage in conflict is a terrible decision, one that puts our temporary comfort and the avoidance of discomfort ahead of the ultimate goal of our organization.

Hungry people are always looking for more. More things to do. More to learn. More responsibility to take on.

If you want to lead, you better love people. Even if you don't like them, you have to love them enough to tell them the truth.

Without trust, the most essential element of innovation - conflict - becomes impossible.

At the heart of every great movie is conflict. It's the same with a meeting. There should be conflict and tension.

Trying to design the perfect plan is the perfect recipe for disappointment.

There is almost nothing more painful for a leader than seeing good people leave a growing organization, whether it's a priest watching a Sunday school teacher walk out the door or a CEO saying goodbye to a co-founder.

The truth is that intelligence, knowledge, and domain expertise are vastly overrated as the driving forces behind competitive advantage and sustainable success.

If you're not willing to accept the pain real values incur, don't bother going to the trouble of formulating a values statement. You'll be better off without one.

Teamwork is a strategic decision.

Where there is humility, there is more success, and lasting success.

Whether we're talking about leadership, teamwork, or client service, there is no more powerful attribute than the ability to be genuinely honest about one's weaknesses, mistakes, and needs for help.

The best kind of accountability on a team is peer-to-peer. Peer pressure is more efficient and effective than going to the leader, anonymously complaining, and having them stop what they are doing to intervene.

For organizations seriously committed to making teamwork a cultural reality, I'm convinced that 'the right people' are the ones who have three virtues in common - humility, hunger, and people smarts.

What clients are really interested in is honesty, plus a baseline of competence.

When truth takes a backseat to ego and politics, trust is lost.

Clients don't expect perfection from the service providers they hire, but they do expect honesty and transparency. There is no better way to demonstrate this than by acknowledging when a mistake has been made and humbly apologizing for it.

Team synergy has an extraordinary impact on business results.