I've been asked a lot since if there are any lessons I've learned about character and leadership. There are three lessons, I think that I have learned, that continue to instruct me to this day, that continue to guide me in both business and in life.

The first lesson is that values matter and character counts, and that no matter how much things change, fundamental values shouldn't. For those of you who are just starting out your career, you will find that in leadership-as perhaps in life-the most important decisions you make, and the toughest decisions you make are often the decisions you make alone.

The second lesson I've learned about character and leadership is that leadership, just like success, is not a journey, it is a destination. It is perhaps a cliche to say that leadership is a journey not a destination but it is a cliche because it is true, leadership is journey. The only constant in any of our lives, whether you're running a company or running a family, or perhaps running a country is change.

And the third lesson I've learned about leadership and success is that real power comes in the connections between all kinds of things, but most importantly real power comes from the connections between people. Power comes not from those who stand alone, but from those who can work best with others, and reach out to others to achieve a desired outcome. And finding those connections and recognizing those connections is part of what leadership is all about.

As leaders, you can never forget that people want to do a good job. They want to be treated with consideration and respect. They want to feel a real sense of accomplishment in . their work, to have their ideas considered, and their achievements recognized. People want to feel like they're part of something larger than themselves---to be a party of the larger vision, direction, to be part of worthy goals.