Leadership Wisdom Found in an Old Notebook

Tonight, while searching for a book in my office, I stumbled across an old Moleskine notebook from 2006. The discovery immediately transported me back to the Nordstrom Café Bistro in St. Louis, where I had spent countless lunch breaks jotting down thoughts and reflections. I can still picture the scene—enjoying their salmon while reading articles by my friend ChrisWidener , savoring the quiet moments to reflect and learn.

Nearly two decades later, looking at these notes again, I’m struck by how foundational they’ve been to my understanding of leadership. These simple truths, captured over casual lunches, have shaped much of my approach to both business and life.

Here are the lessons that still hold true today:

1. “The greatest gap in life is the gap between knowing and doing.”

Knowledge alone doesn’t create change—action does. Leadership is not about collecting ideas or strategies; it’s about putting them into motion. Over the years, I’ve seen this gap play out countless times, both in my own journey and in those I’ve led. The most impactful leaders are those who don’t just know what needs to be done—they do it.

2. “It’s easier to go from failure to success than from excuses to success.”

This one feels even more relevant to me now than it did back then. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of rationalizing why something isn’t possible. But breakthroughs never come from excuses—they come from persistence. Every significant step forward in my career has happened when I stopped explaining why something couldn’t work and focused instead on how to make it happen.

3. “Cause something to happen.”

Simple yet powerful. Leadership isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment—it’s about creating it. This principle reminds me that progress rarely comes from passivity. Leaders take initiative, even when conditions aren’t ideal.

4. “The secret to our success is discovered in our daily agenda.”

Big visions are important, but they mean little without consistent, purposeful action. It’s the daily disciplines—the habits, routines, and small choices—that ultimately move the needle. Every major achievement I’ve experienced has been built on the foundation of steady, deliberate effort.

5. “People don’t follow people by accident.”

Leadership is about painting a picture of the future that others want to help create. It’s about inspiring a sense of possibility and showing others how their contributions fit into the bigger vision. Great leaders don’t just lead—they shape how others think about what’s possible.

As I reflect on these lessons, I’d add one more that feels crucial to leadership and personal growth:

6. “Self-awareness is the key to transformation.”

The ability to see your thinking as you’re thinking is one of the greatest tools for growth. Without self-awareness, you can’t challenge your own assumptions—and without challenging those assumptions, you can’t change, learn, or lead effectively. It’s like moving through life unconsciously, reacting instead of responding. Self-awareness makes leadership intentional. It allows you to recognize patterns, reframe challenges, and consciously choose a better way forward. Simply put, self-awareness is conscious leadership.

Finding this old notebook reminded me that while business landscapes and trends change, core principles of leadership remain constant. These truths about action, persistence, and self-awareness are as relevant today as they were when I first wrote them down in that Café Bistro all those years ago.

I’m sharing these reflections because they might resonate with you too. What leadership principles have stood the test of time in your experience?

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