In the last issue, I promised that I'd provide a clue to knowing yourself. That clue comes from my recent work interviewing more than 50 successful executives for a book I'm writing on leadership. Not surprisingly, I found that every one of them was driven to succeed.

More importantly, they were driven by a very personal and individual motivating principle. I use the term, "driving principle," to name the deeply held motivating force that propels leaders.

I found that each of the successful leaders I interviewed had driving principles that were established well before they reached high school. Their driving principles, always expressed in a short, pithy statement, act like the operating system of a computer that operates below the surface and runs all the applications. Their driving principles capture the essence of what motivates them.

In many cases, the leaders clearly recalled the instance when their driving principle first became evident. Several of the leaders told stories that describe when they became aware of their driving principle. One brief example:

One leader, now a successful executive at State Farm Insurance, remembers the day when, as a youngster, his older brother said to him, "You'll never make it out of here," referring to the lower class neighborhood they lived in. The executive remembers thinking, "I'll show you!"

That phrase, "I'll show you," became his driving principle. It propelled him to persist when he was told he was too slow, too small, and too dumb to play football. He became the captain of his high school team, went on to play in college and then six years in the NFL. His driving principle still motivates him as he moves up the ranks at State Farm - forever disproving those who believed he'd never make it.

What difference does a driving principle make? Driving principles motivate us to succeed despite the many obstacles we might face. Imagine a small voice, always at the back of your mind, that, no matter what the circumstance, erupts into your awareness and reminds you to continue, to persist, and to prevail.

If you can imagine that, you've captured the essence of a driving principle. If you can replay your own voice and hear the words, you know your driving principle. If not, in the next issue I'll provide you with a few more examples of driving principles and a tip for putting yours into words.

In the meantime, you might want to ask, "What drives me?" Your answer will help provide the clue to knowing yourself that forms the foundation of your leadership.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." His words, written in the 1800s, are especially important for leaders now.

Leaders are pulled in many ways - the demands on their time are extraordinary. In addition, we expect leaders to be everywhere and know everything - they should know and care as much about our pet projects or our problems as we do.

Emerson is right, no one else can provide the peace and the clarity and the assurance you need to lead. Only you can do that. You do that not by listening to others, but by knowing who you are and what you stand for. Then, when the myriad demands and expectations cascade upon you, you'll have the self- knowledge you need as the foundation for how to lead.

Tomorrow, I leave for a month of work, writing, and vacation in Greece. Every time I spend time there (my wife and I have a house not too far from Olympia, site of the ancient games), I'm reminded of the long-lasting influence the ancient Greeks have had on us.

Two things, from a leadership perspective, are most obvious. First, it was the ancient Greeks who advised us to, "Know Thyself," the reminder that before we can be of any value to others, we must first know ourselves. It's not surprising that the best leaders I work with are those who know themselves fully, deeply, and honestly.

The second is the importance that the Greeks placed on the development of character. The ancient Greeks didn't teach leadership. They did, though, provide their young men (and future leaders) with opportunities to develop character by having them spend time with older, wiser men from whom they would learn (we'd say mentors) and by sending them off on overseas services assignments (often military campaigns).

The combination of knowing oneself and developing one's character formed the basis of leadership development for the ancient Greeks.

The next newsletter will come to you from Greece.