Who are you? Really. What is it that makes you tick? Are you comfortable “in your own skin”? The leaders who are the most impressive to me are those who know themselves well enough to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. I asked a strong leader recently what she considered her greatest asset. She replied, "I believe that I am self aware.”

What is it that separates some leaders from the rest?

Have you ever noticed that those who lecture the most lead the least?

One was a veteran in her field with many years of work experience. The other was a young millennial with incredible talent but very little work experience.

"Mommy, I am having bad thoughts that scare me,” the six year old girl was struggling. Wisely, her mom said

I don't believe that there is such a thing as being stagnant when it comes to leadership. A wise leader, the CEO of a large company that is experiencing incredible growth, recently told me…

Many times we expect people to work together with no leadership or direction. Many times we assume that by simply putting individuals together, alignment will occur and goals will be met.

I thought maybe he would give me some tips for leading at the executive level or directing a space center. Nope, none of these made the conversation topic list.

"She had a huge impact on my life,” he said. Joe is a member of the millennial generation. He was talking to me about his grandmother who helped raise him.

As leaders, it is our responsibility to do the hard things the right way. Having empathy for others does not make us weak.

How often do we stop to consider the effects of our words, attitude or behavior on others?

Trust seems to be a rare commodity these days. The truth is, we all fail from time to time in this area. But realizing our mistake and owning it goes a long way toward building trust.

It's a lot like the new year rolling in. While we may set goals, establish dreams and have the hope of good things, the truth is that none of us can see the future.