"You can't handle the truth!" ~Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. Jessup wasn't a coward. He wasn't incompetent. He was a highly decorated Marine who genuinely believed the mission justified his decisions. In his mind, he wasn't breaking the rules. He was doing what weaker leaders couldn't. That's what makes his character so compelling. Every leader eventually reaches a point where they have enough success, enough experience, and enough authority to believe their judgment is beyond question. Some never come back from that. So here's the debate. Is the most dangerous leader the one who knows they're wrong... Or the one who is absolutely convinced they're right? I'd love to hear where you land on this one.

"I'm not insane. My mother had me tested." ~ Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory Let's be honest. We've all worked with a Sheldon. Brilliant. Always right. And somehow completely unaware that everyone in the room had stopped listening ten minutes ago. Here's the trap. The smarter we become, the easier it is to believe our intelligence is enough. It isn't. Leadership is the ability to make people want to follow you, not simply admit you're right. I've met leaders with average intelligence who inspired extraordinary loyalty. I've also met geniuses who couldn't get a team to follow them across the street. Intelligence may earn respect. Character earns followers. Here's today's question. If you had to choose just one, would you rather work for someone who was brilliant but difficult, or someone who wasn't the smartest person in the room but brought out the best in everyone? Why?

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." ~ Malcolm X Every leader has values. Far fewer leaders have values that survive pressure. It's easy to talk about integrity when business is good. It's much harder when standing by your principles costs you money, popularity, or an opportunity. Character is not built in the easy moments. It is revealed in the difficult ones. Here's today's question. What is one principle you refuse to compromise, no matter what it costs?

What is leadership if you can not bring someone further and show them the ropes along the way.