3. It's Your Response That Matters

There will always be failures, in life and business, and it's your response in the face of defeat that really matters, Manning said. The path to success is the same as the path to failure, Manning said, so it is inevitable to avoid some setbacks. The key is to use the passion for what you do to confront the defeat head on, she said.

"Just as I had seen when I started a company and saw it fail, I began to see those defeats are temporary and can become part of who we are instead of consuming who we are," Manning said.

4. Be Persistent

If anyone knows how to be persistent, it's Manning. As she faced years of recovery for her burns and other injuries, Manning calls it her "unmeasured strength," where under adversity she was able to discover how strong she actually was. That is true in business and in life, she said.

"You don’t know how strong you are until strong is your only option... Strength is never measured until critical moment," Manning said.

5. Attitude Is Everything

Attitude is everything, Manning said. It shapes organizations, teams and even the actions of competitors. A good attitude can bring together people under a single cause, she said, and is the driver for transformation. In her own experience, Manning said her attitude and goal for recovery was able to bring together nurses, patients and supporters around the country. She said people are defined by how they act in times of adversity.

"Every day we begin again. We begin with a choice which is the latest in series of hundreds of thousands of deliberate choices," Manning said. "I implore you, gather your courage at those moments. Take those steps. Those steps of commitment those steps that will be remembered by your family, by generations to come...the steps of leadership that will be remembered for generations."