There are specific qualities that I believe characterize highly functional teams: a shared vision of the future of the group, a genuine interest in one another’s perspectives, and mutual trust and respect.

Similarly, the values we have in common help to propel us as a group and individually toward our achievements, and so it is essential to know your core values and identify those of others. Some of my core values are discipline, heart, creativity, thoughtfulness, pragmatism, and responsibility; and so I thrive with people who value these traits.

The basis of all that you do consists of the people with whom you choose to do it. Regardless of the loftiness of your ambition, validity of your goal, or significance of your work, your efforts pay off to the extent of the human dedication they harness.

Without sincerity, the world crumbles.

Perhaps I could have located the events nearer. Perhaps I could have established a shorter timeline. Perhaps different decisions would have made it easier to write my début novel. But I haven’t and they didn’t.

The story chose its setting, the characters made their decisions, and I was there to bear witness. A challenge? Undoubtedly. Worth the trouble to me? Absolutely. I ask myself the question: what force has driven me all these years to embrace challenges? Perhaps it is the resulting journey and the knowledge that only I can live it and give it expression.

The root of the word intelligence is the verb “to grasp” in Latin. A limited intelligence means a failure to grasp. I am convinced that you can grow your intelligence, in fact that life constantly teaches you to do just that—if you let it.

My training initially placed a great emphasis on formal education and ideas. Such training habituated me to think logically, inquisitively, and conceptually. I can take any problem and break it down into its components, after which I generally solve it.

Life had other invaluable lessons in store for me. It taught me to be streetwise, which is defined in the Merriam-Webster as “possessing the skills and attitudes necessary to survive in a difficult or dangerous situation or environment.” How well we navigate reality corresponds to the degree in which we are able to gauge who people are and what they are likely to do, realistically, without judgement or expectations.

I’m convinced each person has a unique perspective and so I always listen to what someone says, no matter who it is. Over the course of my life, I’ve discovered it’s one thing to have intelligence and apply it, and it’s another, much more powerful thing to keep developing your intelligence.

Conscientiousness means paying attention to detail, checking things twice, and following up on what you do. It means taking responsibility for your actions, knowing what is important, and never leaving anything of importance to chance.

Conscientiousness means being present in all that you do.

The recent disaster in Fukushima has wrenched the gut of all those who love Japan and its people.

One of the things I love most about the Japanese is their relentless dedication to doing the right thing—what they perceive as the right thing to do.

It means returning an envelope filled with cash found on the street; taking no more than an individual portion of what is handed out by disaster relief workers if more is available; keeping a public place as clean, when you use it, as if you were in your own home.

These are some of the reasons I will never forget the time I lived in Japan over two decades ago, and why I continue to miss the kindness of its people.

#3 Respect others’ time. Plan, plan, plan. Give your direct reports a game plan that they will implement. Give them an objective, the means to achieve it, and a timeline. Never assume that you can drop an assignment on someone, even a junior employee. You are running a company, not a fire department or an emergency room. In a functional office environment, interference happens, but it is not the norm.

#2 Be accessible. To give your direct reports the means to achieve objectives, you must provide them with plenty of opportunities to come to you for information, clarification, and counsel. After all, if your employees implement the objectives you’ve set, what is your job if it isn’t to guide them?

#1 Devote yourself to your best managers. Go against the notion that the creaky wheel gets the oil. That is a recipe for mediocrity. If you are the commander of a fleet, your best managers are the captains of the fleet’s vessels. Without them, the fleet won’t move in the right direction. Spend time with your captains; go over their challenges and solutions; help them to fulfill their potential. Be a great manager.