Think of the most successful people you know and the people you aspire to be like. Did they follow conventional wisdom? Did they walk well-worn paths? Most likely, the most successful people are also the ones who blazed their own trail and threw conventions to the wind.

Success doesn’t come by accident. It comes from consistent hard work in pursuit of a dream. It comes from a passion that drives you, day and night. And it also comes from constantly and diligently employing some key habits that position you for greatness.

"You are the average of the five people that you spend the most time with. – Jim Rohn"

“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Remember that? Chances are one of your parents taught it to you to help you deal with someone who wasn’t being nice to you. The problem is, though, that it’s wrong.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but employing bad strategy masked as great strategy has to top the list. The pattern was quite simple — I would have a self-proclaimed brilliant revelation, chart a wildly ambitious new course, sell everyone on the vision while dismissing the naysayers, intentionally...

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launchedStartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

Rarely are managers, in any field, well prepared to deal with employees who need corrective input. In fact, we’ve heard all too often how the whole idea of being critical strikes a note of "being mean," "acting arrogant," or "hurting someone’s feelings."

It’s high on the wish list of leaders: They want their employees to focus intensely on their specific roles, but also have a good grasp of the overall strategy. That way, they can see the big picture and appreciate how their work contributes to the broader goals, making them more likely to...

Many of the smartest people I have known have listened more than they spoke. And many of the strongest people I have known, freely enlist the help of many around them rather than going their difficulties on their own.

I was at a conference with 50 or so chief learning officers last week and we had a number of discussions about leadership.