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The secret of a leader lies in the tests he has faced over the whole course of his life and the habit of action he develops in meeting those tests.

The true test of a leader is whether his followers will adhere to his cause from their own volition, enduring the most arduous hardships without being forced to do so, and remaining steadfast in the moments of greatest peril.

Leadership is, among other things, the ability to inflict pain and get away with it - short-term pain for long-term gain.

The role of leadership is to transform the complex situation into small pieces and prioritize them.

When you're managing an emergency department, you're trying to keep everybody calm, so when an emergency comes in the door, everyone can do their best work.

A typical leader has - a natural tendency is to be defensive in the face of a crisis. The first reaction is to blame someone - or something - else. Often, the blame is aimed at something abstract or non-controllable, which often has nothing to do with the crisis but is adjacent to whatever is going on, so it's an easy target.

If the crisis lasts moments, rapid action is critical. But if it's simply the beginning of a broader issue, especially one where the root cause isn't known yet, the worst thing a leader can do is act immediately.

If you have a problem, you have to recognize it and solve it.