Words are just words. If you say you are going to do one thing and do another, of what value are the words you spoke? If you want to be considered an honest, authentic leader, you must maintain congruence between words and actions.

“In these tough times,” writes Nina Simosko, ”‘paying it forward’ could make all the difference for many people. We should all be sure to take every opportunity, when helping others, to ask them to do the same for those in need within their own network.”

Whatever you aim to do in life, there are choices in how you accomplish it. Be sure to decide what is most important before taking your first steps. You may decide there isn’t enough time to do it correctly the first time, but you will always need to find the time to do it over again.

Nina Simosko points us to an article that suggests we can all learn from the ‘creative’ industries when it comes to unearthing the talent for innovation and fresh thinking hidden within our organizations.

Nina Simosko reminds us all that communication is a critically important management activity, especially in a time like now when people feel insecure and our imaginations so easily run riot with doomsday scenarios.

Nina Simosko argues that reigniting growth when all today’s mess finally ends requires rethinking growth, not sinking back into what we fondly hope may be business as usual. By focusing on on value creation and identifying opportunities where you can impact the sustainability and resilience of your business, you will give yourself—and everyone else— the best chance.

Nina Simosko reviews the amazing and inspiring actions of Captain Sullenberger, the captain of U.S. Airways flight 1549 that was forced to land in the Hudson River, and the lessons we should all learn from them.

Nina Simosko says that, just because you don’t have an academic degree from an amazing school or years of experience, you should never count yourself out as a potentially outstanding leader. You may just have innate abilities that, when combined with your other talents, can empower you to achieve greatness nonetheless.

Nina Simosko advises us to take a leaf out of the behavior of small children and cultivate more open and free-spirited approaches to handling the leadership situations we confront.

Nina Simosko issues a challenge to leaders to stop waiting on others and take responsibility for changing things for the better.