My leadership lesson comes from many years of observing good leaders. We all are teachers, and we're all students at the same time. I know that you are all too observing others and trying to emulate those people you admire.

I have found that as the leader, one of the most important skills we can have is, of course, communicating effectively with our teams. Similar to what Ian was just saying, communication in general. While good communicators are not necessarily good leaders, we know that good leaders are always good communicators. Now I'm not referring necessarily to those who are skilled public speakers. The level of communication that makes a leader effective, I think, is much deeper than their ability to deliver a talk in a compelling way. In fact, some of the most effective leaders are those who speak less and listen more. As leaders, we set the tone, the energy, the framework within the team being led. When the leader establishes an open and transparent environment and allows everyone to share freely, and without concern for judgment, team members will give their very best.

I'm reminded of a workshop the outgoing global council members recently participated in, based on the teachings of an author. Her name is Nancy Kline, Kline with a K. She wrote a book called More Time to Think. This approach to leadership suggests that leaders who are skilled at creating what she calls "thinking environments" succeed in igniting high quality thinking within their team members. This high quality thinking results in greater engagement and optimal results. There are actually 10 components to creating a thinking environment, and while we do not have the time to cover them, I would encourage everyone to read the book More Time to Think. It is truly transformative.

In closing, I'd like to mention just one of these 10 components of an effective thinking environment, and that is the ability to pay attention, to listen to each other with respect and without interruption. The quality of our attention profoundly affects the quality of the other person's thinking. There is a vast amount of evidence that when we truly listen with interest, with respect, and with curiosity, people feel heard and are driven to unveil their best thinking, which leads to the best outcome.