Stephen Covey had an uncanny ability to push his ego aside and make others feel included and valued. Even though we only met three times, he inspired me year after year to weave these key philosophies into my daily business activities.

Leaders' primary objective is to empower others to make decisions and take actions that are aligned with the organization’s vision, purpose, and strategy. These nuances are the softer side of leadership, beyond the technical skills that you have already mastered.

No one is attacking Washington, D.C.'s stagnant culture more boldly than Michelle Rhee, head of the city's failing schools. Is there a lesson here for our nation's leaders?

Finally! A way to check on what your friends are doing every minute of every day on every social network. That’s FriendFeed. All together now: “We’re not currently monetizing the site.”

With its resource-hungry push into the sub-Sahara, Beijing puts the planet to the test.

1. Paper Route
USA Today became the nation's largest daily newspaper by getting inertia on its side. Twenty-two percent of its average daily circulation of 2.3 million readers comes from getting its paper distributed in hotels.

2. Spend to Save
Wachovia's Way2Save program is a real-world version of Thaler's Save More Tomorrow experiment. With each use of its check card or online bill payment, Wachovia transfers $1 into a savings account that has a 5% annual percentage yield.

Win or lose, Barack Obama's rise changes business as usual for everyone. Here's why.