"A pessimist sees a challenge in every opportunity; an optimist sees an opportunity with every challenge." This is one of General David Petraeus' favorite Churchill quotes.
Petraeus has an indefatigably positive attitude, and he lives this admonition to others: give energy – don’t be an "oxygen thief" – doing so through praise and encouragement, mentoring and example, all the while ensuring that he conveys forthright assessments and reports to those above and below.
The mantras he uses in his counterinsurgency guidance are also useful: live our values; be the first with the truth; in the absence of guidance, figure out what it should have been and execute aggressively.
These are values-oriented leadership principles for CEOs, line workers and even parents dealing with their own insurgents (toddlers) at home says Paula Broadwell, author of All In: The Education of General David Petraeus, The New York Times bestselling biography about one of the most transformational military leaders of the past 20 years.
Quoted from Womenetics, February 16, 2012 http://www.womenetics.com/
