No matter the person, how compelling the vision, or how brilliant the strategy, without leadership grounded in strong internal controls, there is bound to be a failure in execution. Gaining buy-in, building trust, and inspiring loyalty are skills developed over time...often through the "School of Hard Knocks." A leader sets the "Tone at the Top" through his or her actions, policies, values, influence, and day-to-day activities; and, a leader must learn how to communicate to stakeholders through authentic messages and powerful conversations. These skills are all grounded in strong internal controls. We will use the serious and funny experiences of the speaker through his 30+ year career in government financial management to connect the dots between leadership, building effective teams, and COSO internal controls.