Book excerpt: We can learn a lot about the world around us by taking time to understand ourselves. Looking back on past experiences can yield many valuable life lessons. The same can be said about a true leader. Taking time to reflect and understand your history as a person, colleague, peer, and leader should reveal a form of evolution. Even when trying to do your best in the world around you to express "this is me," people can only view you through their filters. Your filter is your platform. Tune a good filter to make it great. Nourish a great filter to make it exceptional. Reflect on positive ideals to make an exceptional filter a success. Be the leader that constantly moves towards reaching authentic goals. If you do these things, you are an authentic, exceptional, true leader.