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The hard-nosed leadership program pinpoints candidates with the talent, skill – and adaptability – to make the jump.

…when the performance pressure starts heating up and things are on the verge of turning ugly, skilled bosses everywhere find ways to give people a break, or tell a joke, or just make a warm gesture…

…willingness to accept blame for future setbacks shows how, to get and keep a management job, skilled bosses talk and act as if there is a strong link between their actions and followers’ performance.

A hallmark of wise bosses is that they are not only aware of their ignorance, weak skills, and character flaws – they actually do something about it.

The best bosses don’t just recruit people with stellar solo skills; they bring in employees who will weave their vigor and talents with others.

…a hallmark of poor performance is a lack of self-awareness; [bad bosses] consistently overestimate their skills in just about any task that requires intellectual and social skills…

…social savvy is knowledge. It’s a set of skills that have to be learned… the place where we seem to get these kinds of attitudes and skills is from our families.

There is no doubt that quitting is an important decision-making skill. Getting the decision right is sometimes a matter of life and death.

…it’s so important to skill up on quitting, because having the option to quit is what will keep you from being paralyzed by uncertainty or being stuck forever in every decision you make.

We’re not omniscient. We don’t have crystal balls or time machines. All we have is our best assessment of an uncertain and changing landscape and the hope that we have honed our quitting skills enough to walk away when conditions turn against us.