This is a wonderful book on leadership, teaching by telling stories of individuals who became great leaders. Although unfamiliar with many of the stories, they swept me up and taught me. These examples were gleaned from all over the world so some names may not be familiar, but their stories are inspiring. Some of my favorite thoughts include the following:
Leaders leave a legacy. They never strive to be legends. (p. 197)
No leader sets out to be a leader. People set out to live their lives, expressing themselves fully. When that expression is of value, they become leaders. So the point is not to become a leader. The point is to become yourself, to use yourself completely--all your skills, gifts and energies--in order to make your vision manifest. You must withhold nothing. You must, in sum, become the person you started out to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming. (p. 188-189)