But, after delivering a lecture on CARVER Leadership, hosting a panel on cybercrime, and winning a technology award, I cut my trip short.

Why?  Because back home in Florida, a group of my old high school teammates and coaches were being honored at halftime for our state championship runner-up finish more than three decades ago.

Some of these guys I hadn't seen since graduation.  We were a little grayer, considerably balder, and carrying a few extra pounds around our midsections.  But within minutes, we were those same young men again.

And standing alongside the coaches who pushed us through grueling practices in the Florida heat, I was reminded of something I've been teaching in CARVER Leadership.

Great leadership isn't about the trophies you collect.  It's about the people you develop and the belief you instill in them.

Five thoughts from this week:

• Success comes in many forms.  Winning an international technology award is special.  But reconnecting with the men who helped shape your life is something you can't put a price on.

•  Great coaches are great leaders.  They saw potential in us that we didn't always see in ourselves. They demanded discipline, accountability, sacrifice, and teamwork. Those lessons lasted far longer than our athletic careers. 

• Sacrifice is the price of achievement.  Whether you're building a company, competing for a championship, or leading a team, extraordinary results rarely come without extraordinary effort.

• Leadership creates a legacy.  Our coaches probably never imagined that the lessons they taught a bunch of teenagers sweating through the Florida summer would still influence us 30-plus years later. But that's what real leadership does.

• Never forget where you came from.  The world may take you to some extraordinary places, but sometimes the most meaningful destination is right back where it all began. 

Thirty years later, I can't remember every game we won or lost.  But I'll never forget the men who taught us that winning begins with believing you can   I've been fortunate to experience some remarkable professional victories over the years.  But standing with those old teammates and coaches reminded me that some of life's greatest wins never make the headlines.   They live in the friendships we maintain, the lessons we carry, and the people who believed in us before we believed in ourselves.   That's CARVER Leadership.  And that's a victory worth celebrating.   Stay safe and vigilant!      Luke Bencie