In a world obsessed with hierarchy, where bosses use position to diminish others, treating people as equals isn't just nice—it's revolutionary. Here's what decades of watching my father taught me: kindness isn't weakness dressed up in good intentions. It's strength secure enough to lift others up.

 "I'm not smart—I'm just curious."

That's what my father would say whenever someone praised his ideas. He passed away this June, and as I've been reflecting on his legacy, I realize he understood something profound about excellence that most of us miss.

This is part one of the four gifts he left behind—lessons that came directly from the people whose lives he touched