Photo by Dudley M. Brooks / The Washington Post via Getty Images

Over the decades of my career as a journalist, I have had the privilege of interviewing an incredible array of well-known thought leaders and public figures. I am often asked: �Who was your favorite interview?� It is a question I find nearly impossible to answer. Yet, when pressed, there is one figure who truly stands out as the most memorable and the one I often find myself quoting: Dr. Maya Angelou.

I had the unique honor of interviewing Dr. Angelou twice, in wide-ranging interviews where we talked about her books, as well as her perspective on issues including racism and sexism, and her life philosophies. I find I carry her words around with me always�and her timeless wisdom and leadership lessons feel particularly relevant right now.

So as a tribute to Maya Angelou this Black History Month, I am sharing five life lessons I learned from her. I hope that we may all honor her legacy by carrying within us some of these insights.

1. Speak with confidence and power.

First off, there was her voice. Slow, thoughtful, deliberate, commanding, and so eloquent. She delivered each word thoughtfully, as though it was a gift � and it was. My default nature is to speak quickly and reactively so I learned from Maya the importance of slowing down to carefully considering each word and speak with confidence and power. She did not speak off the top of her head, but from the depths of her soul. She knew who she was and stood firmly within her truth.

Maya also taught me the importance of taking pride in who you are and talking with authority as an expert. This skill comes from within, not from someone else granting us this ability. She used her powerful voice (as we all can) to share her stories, to advocate for tolerance, justice and equality, and to move people to feel more beauty, peace and love.

2. Don�t be afraid to be vulnerable and share your story.

Maya�s lessons and leadership feel particularly timely considering the #MeToo moment we are in, which signifies a new era of women speaking their truth, baring their souls and telling their stories. That is another thing I learned from Maya and her writing: the importance of sharing our stories, struggles and vulnerabilities rather than hiding them away. She told me, �We need to not be in denial about what we�ve done, what we�ve come through. It will help us if we all do that. Have a sense to look at yourself and say, �Well, wait a minute. I�m stronger than I thought I was.��

Our stories and experiences are an essential and unique part of who we are, what drives us, and where we can offer our most powerful life lessons. Maya so poignantly and candidly shared her moving journey overcoming racism and trauma, including her extremely personal story of being raped as an 8-year-old girl, in her iconic 1969 autobiography I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings. That book (and the many other writings that followed) continues to be read around the world and has offered inspiration to millions.

3. See hard times as opportunities for growth.

Another lesson I learned from Maya is that the most powerful leaders are often those who have overcome incredible obstacles. It is often within the darkest moments and pain of life that we learn and grow. As she told me, �We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. It may even be necessary to encounter the defeat, so that we can know who we are. So that we can say, �Oh, that happened, and I rose. I did get knocked down flat in front of the whole world, and I rose. I didn�t run away; I rose right where I�d been knocked down.� You say, �I have so much courage in me that I have the effrontery, the incredible gall to stand up.� That�s it. That�s how you get to know who you are.� I think that is so helpful for us to remember as we ride life�s unavoidable waves, knowing we will get knocked down�this is a necessary part of our evolution and how we develop valuable reserves of wisdom and strength that serve us as individuals and as leaders.

4. Develop your courage.

There was one point Maya repeated and emphasized in both of our interviews: the importance of having courage. As she told me, �I would encourage us to try our best to develop courage. It�s the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can�t practice any other virtue consistently. You can be anything erratically � kind, fair, true, generous, all that. But to be that thing time after time, you need courage. And we need to develop it in small ways first� so that if you decide, �I will not stay in rooms where women are belittled, where races are belittled; I will not take it; I will not sit around and accept the dehumanizing of other human beings.� If you decide to do that in small ways, and you continue to do it, finally you realize you�ve got so much courage that people want to be around you. They get a feeling that they will be protected in your company.�

Considering the current historical moment we are living in, we need women to speak up, rise up, advocate for the causes we are passionate about. We need to command our fair share of influence and leadership in the stewardship of this country and planet. We all need to be courageous now more than ever.

5. Have hope for the future.

Lastly, what inspired me and continues to fuel me in my work, writing and advocacy is Maya's optimism and hope in the evolving of humanity�s consciousness. She told me, �People are saying, �This is what I will stand for. And I will not stand for any less than this.� We are growing up! We are growing up out of the idiocies�racism and sexism and ageism and all those ignorances�. We can learn to see each other and see ourselves in each other and recognize that human beings are more alike than we are un-alike.�

Note: This article originally appeared at Forbes.