Seeing clearly. Thinking broadly. Feeling deeply.
“Training isn't optional. In addition to seminars and conferences, learn from peers. Leaders are the sum of their experiences. The more experiences I have, the better leader I can be.”
(Glenna Osborn, President/CEO of Missouri Central Credit Union, in “A 'Need for Speed'.” Credit Union Magazine: July 2007. Vol. 73, Iss. 7; pg. 16)
“We live in an imperfect world-but one that can be improved over time. That's the exciting part of the age we live in. Operating in countries that are in transition requires a sense of optimism that things will improve, a willingness to become engaged in the process, and a commitment of human and material resources to help shape and bring about the better future most people strive for.”
(Maurice Tempelsman, Chairman of the Board of Lazare Kaplan International, Inc., in “Engaging the Imperfect World.” by Ivan Solotaroff. Modern Jeweler: 2007. Part 2. pg. 14)
“A key part of our strategy is to challenge every sacred cow that exists. I think that's my personal mantra. I want us to be able to consider, and be open to, all the opportunities without being restricted by past practice.”
(Gordon Grant, President of CIMA, in “Younger Statesman.” by Ruth Prickett. Financial Management: July/August 2007. pg. 16)
“Today, we continue the tradition of bringing artists into the plant so our R&D manager and marketing people can meet directly with them. We also take employees into stores so they can see customers buying Zildjians -- and the competition. Careful listening is part of our corporate strategy.”
(Craigie Zildjian, CEO of The Zildjian Company, in “Conversation: A Formula for the Future,” by Gardiner Morse. Harvard Business Review: July/August 2007. Vol. 85, Iss. 7/8; p. 23)
“We were spending too much time with our head in our computer. We were spending too much time sending email to each other. You have to bring people together to learn from each other."
(A.G. Lafley, CEO of Proctor & Gamble, in “Man With A Mission,” by William J. Holstein. Chief Executive: April/May 2006. , Iss. 217; pg. 30)
“Make sure you always win, but make sure the other party doesn’t lose; always give them a ladder to climb down.”
(Koh Poh Tiong, CEO of Asia Pacific Breweries, in “Singapore’s Tiger Beer Chief Draws Lessons from Zoology, Nixon,” Wall Street Journal: July 9, 2007. pg. B.3)
“Sometimes you have to go deep underwater to get straightened out before you can start to grow. So in the near term, we will go down in market share and down in volume to get to a place where we operate profitably.”
(Alan Mullaly, CEO of Ford, in “Boss Talk: At Ford, the 'Outsider' Is Optimistic; In a Town of Pessimists, CEO Mulally Tells Everyone 'It's Going to Be OK'.” by Jeffrey McCracken and Joseph B. White. Wall Street Journal: July 23, 2007. pg. B.1)
"A Latin teacher once told me that the 'F' she gave me would ruin my life. I didn't believe it and told her so. A little letter in a square box? It all seemed so silly."
(Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation, in “Irreplaceable,” by Victoria Murphy Barret. Forbes: August 14, 2006. Vol.178, Iss. 3; pg. 82)
“The hardest lesson I've learned has been to not repeat the dumb mistakes I've made over the years, which are too numerous to list.”
(Gerald Schwartz, Chairman and CEO of Onex, in “Gerald Schwartz,” by Thomas Watson. Canadian Business: Summer 2007. Vol.80, Iss. 10; pg. 174)
"Once you have ordinary intelligence, what you need is the temperament to control the urges that get other people into trouble."
(Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway in "Built to Make Billions?" by Alex Markels. U.S. News & World Report: August 6, 2007. pg. 51)
"Human nature has taught me that you achieve a lot more through being optimistic than being pessimistic. Despite the fact that from time to time I get let down, I always start from the perspective that people don't necessarily have to earn my trust. People get my trust pretty early on and they have to lose it."
(Rob Fyfe, CEO of Air New Zealand, in “The Management Interview: Rob Fyfe - Blue sky thinking behind the clouds; Air New Zealand's ads say being there is everything. CEO Rob Fyfe makes it personal, fronting up with painful news as he steers the airline in a bold new direction,” by Ruth Le Pla. New Zealand Management: September 2006. pg. 48)
"The most important thing I've got is my time.”
(Simon Davidmann, CEO of Imperas, in “The Art Of EDA Innovation,” by Ann Steffora Mutschler. Electronic Business: December 2006. Vol.32, Iss. 12; pg. 44)
"In business, you reward people for taking risks. When it doesn't work out, you promote them because they were willing to try new things. If people come back and tell me they skied all day and never fell down, I tell them to try a different mountain."
(Michael R. Bloomberg. Mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg LP, in “The CEO Mayor; How New York's Mike Bloomberg is Creating a New Model for Public Service that Places Pragmatism Before Politics,” by Tom Lowry. Business Week: June 25, 2007. , Iss. 4040; pg. 58)
