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become integrated as a new belief. And since it’s so important that you install the core belief that you don’t have to have a title to show leadership in all you do, you’ll be hearing that idea over and over again. ‘We need to be reminded more than we need to be instructed,’ said the thinker G. K. Chesterton.”
    “Got it,” I replied agreeably as I checked out the shine on Tommy’s sparkling penny loafers.
    “Lovely. So as we discussed at the bookstore, leadership is not some complex art reserved for the chosen few with Harvard degrees and impeccable social backgrounds. Each of us, by the very fact of our shared humanity, can show leadership. And with all the cataclysmic change in our society right now, leadership has become the single most important master skill for success in business. And I forgot to clearly mention the other day that leadership isn’t only something to do at work. We need to practice leadership within every arena we play. To arrive at our greatest lives, it’s ever so important to model leadership in our health, demonstrate leadership with our loved ones, reflect leadership around our finances, and live leadership within our communities. And most essentially, the foundation of it all is self-leadership. If you can’t lead yourself, you’ll never be able to lead anyone around you. Primary insight for you right there. ‘Finding the center of strength within ourselves is in the long run the best contribution we can make to our fellow men,’ said the psychologist Rollo May,” Tommy recited as he drew in a long breath of fresh air. “It’s a great day to be alive, Blake. Just consider the alternative if you don’t believe me,” he added, giving me a playful nudge.
    “Thanks for the gift, Tommy,” I said as I placed the necklace over my head. Finally Tommy had revealed what LWT stood for: Lead Without a Title. I liked the sound of that.
    “Again, thanks for making it out here at this time,” said my mentor. “Getting up early is one of the intelligent daily practices that Leaders Without a Title perform with acute consistency. Reminds me of the words of Ben Franklin who once observed: ‘There will be plenty of time to sleep once you are dead.’ ” He looked down at the graves.
    “Blunt guy,” was my response.
    “He was spot on, though. It’s so easy to sleep too much. Too many of us wish we had more time, yet we waste the time we have. Getting up an hour earlier every day gives you seven extra hours in a week. That’s thirty fresh hours in a month. Almost an extra workweek every thirty days! That’s time you can exploit to build your plans, refine your vision, and develop your best projects. That’s time you can leverage to reflect on your values, remove your inner barriers, and rethink your thinking. That’s time you can use to learn and grow and get to peak in all you do. One of the main aims of the journey you are on, Blake, is to improve. It’s fine to be content, but never be satisfied . So improve everything. Improve it all, daily, relentlessly, and passionately.”
    “Inspiring. But I still need another cup of coffee,” I admitted.
    Tommy remained utterly focused. He clearly heard me. He then looked down at the two graves again.
    “Yeah, I was wondering about those. You spooked me, man. I thought that maybe you might be going to get a little psycho on me when I saw them. But I trusted you, Tommy. At some level, I just trust you. Maybe it’s because you knew my dad. God, I miss him a lot.”
    “Me too. He was man of such generosity and decency. Even as a kid he’d always take the high road even when it was the hardest path to take. Well, I’d bet he’d be thrilled to know youwere out here with me today. And to hear that you’re set to make some big changes in the way you work and the life you live.”
    “Yeah, he’d be happy,” I said quietly.
    “Took me hours to dig these,” Tommy said, pointing to the deep holes in the ground. “Quite a workout