“If you want to have the imagination to see the future, you better have the wisdom to appreciate the past.” – Henry Mintzberg

“It is a leader’s responsibility to set the tone, to learn to accept the differences of people, and to foster an environment where different people can contribute as part of the whole and achieve unity in diversity.” – C. William Pollard

“You’ve got to be an optimist if you’re going to accept a setback, learn from it, carry on – and inspire others to do the same.” – Daniel Goleman

“Exemplary leaders create a climate of candor throughout their organizations.” – Warren Bennis

“The least effective decision makers are the ones who constantly make decisions. The effective ones make very few. They concentrate on the important decisions.” – Peter F. Drucker

“Looking into the future is an uncertain task at best, and it requires experienced, creative, and determined risk takes to deliver visions of merit.” – General Eric K. Shinseki

“Vulnerability does not require leaders to fall on their swords…It does mean exposing followers to who you really are rather then who you want others to think you are.” – Chip R. Bell

Here is an interesting article on the cost of employees to business – especially useful for small business trying to map out their next HR steps and hoping to build their teams in the months ahead.

“The leader sets the organization’s mission, and if this mission does not resonate deeply, then those being led will merely go through the motions.” – Srikumar S. Rao

“Most people are so busy “doing,” rushing from project to project and meeting to meeting, that they don’t have time to learn from all their doing.” – James Belasco