“If he (the leader) understands his function in any other way than as it is rooted in fact, if he does not continually tell his followers quite clearly of the limited nature of his task and of their own responsibility, if he allows himself to surrender to the wishes of his followers, who would always make him their idol—then the image of the leader will pass over into the image of the mis-leader, and he will be acting in a criminal way not only toward those he leads, but also towards himself. The true leader must always be able to disillusion. It is just this that is his responsibility and his real object. He must lead his following away from the authority of his person to the recognition of the real authority of orders and offices...He must radically refuse to become the appeal, the idol, i.e. the ultimate authority of those whom he leads...He serves the order of the state, of the community, and his service can be of incomparable value. But only so long as he keeps strictly in his place...Now a feature of man's maturity is responsibility towards other people, towards existing orders. He must let himself be controlled, ordered, restricted.”---“Another often-asked question when I speak in public: “Do you have some good advice you might share with us?” Yes, I do. It comes from my savvy mother-in-law, advice she gave me on my wedding day. “In every good marriage,” she counseled, “it helps sometimes to be a little deaf.” I have followed that advice assiduously, and not only at home through fifty-six years of a marital partnership nonpareil. I have employed it as well in every workplace, including the Supreme Court of the United States. When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”---The most valuable part of my work career has been the time spent investing in those I have worked alongside in the pursuit of a common goal. Whether redesigning the approach of internal sales, introducing benefits technology to a large agency, or growing a team of 2 to a team of 30+ (amid a 70% increase in user product utilization), the greatest part of the experience has been the camaraderie gained by working towards the same objective. I am passionate about growth and success and financial stability, but not as the end itself. Rather, I am committed to these being the means to the "better end" of people becoming the best they can be. Let's grow, together.