Build projects around motivated individuals.
Give them the environment and support they need,
and trust them to get the job done.

This Agile principle is such good business advice, I could approach it from many other non-Agile directions. It almost transcends business and applies to all human endeavors.

Starting with the motivation issue. Larry Bossidy, one of the world’s top CEOs, says that when hiring, a person with absolute determination to succeed will always do better than someone with a high IQ and elite education who is cruising.