Seeing clearly. Thinking broadly. Feeling deeply.
“It seems so human to hold your hand out to people less fortunate than you are.”
(Paul Newman, founder of Newman’s Own, in “What CEOs Can Learn From Paul Newman.” John C. Whitehead and Peter L. Malkin. Wall Street Journal: October 2, 2008. pg. A.17)
“One of the things I talk a lot about is the necessity to juggle all of the constituencies that have an interest in the business: shareholders, customers, employees, vendors, and the communities in which we operate. Those constituencies are all mildly in conflict with one another in terms of what's best for them. Your job as a leader in a company is to find an appropriate way to juggle those conflicting interests so everybody feels like they're getting a fair deal, without letting any one dominate the others because they'll drag your company down.”
(Charles Geschke, co-founder and co-chairman of Adobe Systems, in “Driving Adobe: Co-founder Charles Geschke on Challenges, Change and Values.” Knowledge@Wharton: September 3, 2008)
“There are only so many ideas we can digest at any given time... You want to be able to move with alacrity when opportunities present themselves, but behind the scenes be very deliberate.”
(Dave Barger, CEO of JetBlue, in “Boss Talk: Changing the Course of JetBlue; New CEO Dave Barger Reviews Discount Carrier's Strategy, Seeks Calmer Approach to Growth,” by Susan Carey. Wall Street Journal: June 21, 2007. pg. B.1)
“Whenever I travel, there are three things on my agenda: meeting with local management, seeing a customer, and having lunch with young high potentials.”
(Gerard Kleisterlee, CEO of Philips Electronics, in “The New Fast Track; Nowadays, the handpicking begins even before the first job.” by Lindsey Gerdes. Business Week: September 15, 2008. pg. 44)
“I start my workday early, at about 6:30 a.m., not only to think but to quiet my mind and my spirit. It is during those few hours that solutions that are less harsh come to me.”
(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)
“My father was a very kind and gentle guy -- tough, but still gentle in the way he was tough.”
(Charles Geschke, co-founder and co-chairman of Adobe Systems, in “Driving Adobe: Co-founder Charles Geschke on Challenges, Change and Values.” Knowledge@Wharton: September 3, 2008)
"People are often faced with difficult choices -- for instance, 'Do I want to be the high-quality, high-cost supplier or the low-quality, low-cost supplier?' We're trained to examine the pros and cons of such alternatives and then pick one of them.
"But really successful businesspeople look at choices like these and say, 'I don't like either one.' They don't accept that it's an 'either-or’."
(Bob Young, cofounder and former CEO of Red Hat, in ”How Successful Leaders Think,” by Roger Martin. Harvard Business Review: June 2007. Vol. 85, Iss. 6; p. 60)
“If not this business, I would probably look to some type of service industry that touches people's lives; something that at the end of the day allows you to reflect and say that what you're doing makes a difference. That's important long-term and it's what motivates and drives me.”
(Dean Liollio, President and CEO of EnergySouth, in “Dean Liollio found his calling in natural gas industry.” by Jeff Share. Pipeline & Gas Journal: August 1, 2007. pg. 22)
“I get a big kick out of watching leaders and CEOs who try to manage results. You can't manage results unless you manage the things that go into making the results.”
(Jack Rooney, President & CEO of U.S. Cellular, in “There Are No Happy Losers,” by Tony Bingham and Pat Galagan. T+D: May 2007. Vol.61, Iss. 5; pg. 42)
“Deliver bad news early and personally. Own your plan, and quickly, proactively act on variances. Attack the issue, not the person, and assume positive intent.”
(Ronald A. Williams, CEO of Aetna, in “The Turnaround King.” by Sonia Alleyne. Black Enterprise: September 1, 2006. pg. 96)
“When a company is doing poorly, people are more likely to dig in together if they understand the situation. In every case of bankruptcy I've been aware of, the employees had no idea what was happening. If they'd known, I don't think they would have let it happen. I never see a downside to sharing information totally.”
(Robert Meggy, President and CEO of Great Little Box Company, Ltd., in “Packing the perfect HR punch.” by Robert Colman. CMA Management: March 1, 2007. pg. 40)
“The benefits of good, well-trained leaders are very difficult to quantify. All you know is that it's big… You can never, ever overeducate your workforce, whether it is frontline associates or anyone else. Education is mother's milk to an organization.”
(Jack Rooney, President & CEO of U.S. Cellular, in “There Are No Happy Losers,” by Tony Bingham and Pat Galagan. T+D: May 2007. Vol.61, Iss. 5; pg. 42)
“The one thing I would do differently is I would have done things faster, which is counterintuitive.
“When you think about changing a big organization rooted in its history, you think the changes should be gradual. I think that the faster you move, the faster you make the tough calls and the better off you're going to be. You don't want to have organizations in what some people think of as a liquid state.
“I'm an engineer by training so my physics comes back. An organization is something very solid and when you apply a lot of heat to change it, it becomes fluid. You want to make sure that you don't keep it fluid too long, because liquids move in many directions that you might not have intended.”
(Eduardo Castro-Wright, CEO of Wal-Mart USA Stores, in “Boss Talk: Engineering a Change at Wal-Mart; U.S. Stores Chief Says Timely Overhaul Will Drive Sales After Economy Rebounds.” by Ann Zimmerman. Wall Street Journal: August 12, 2008. pg. B.1)
“Don't analyze things too much. There's a certain level of analysis that has to happen, and then you have to act decisively. Have the confidence and certainty to go forward and make a commitment along those lines. You have to do it, and if you make mistakes, you've got to adjust.”
(Ted Ford, President and CEO of TechColumbus, in “Thoughts on running a business: Ted Ford, President and CEO, TechColumbus.” by Abby Cymerman. Smart Business Columbus. May 1, 2007. pg. 9)
"I don't think we have internalized the extent of the global competitiveness issue. It's almost like we take our position in the world for granted."
(Paul Otellini, CEO of Intel, in “Business: CEOs Find Lack of Political Leadership on Trade,” by Alan Murray. Wall Street Journal: June 13, 2007. pg. A.2)
“It's hard. You need to have the strength of your convictions, and you need to be able to modify things as you go. No strategy should be in stone.”
(Gary Smith, CEO of Ciena Corp., in “CEO Interview - Long-Distance Runner.” by Justin Schack. Institutional Investor: February 2008)
“I always advise young people to find a great company to work for and not to worry too much about the perfect role or how much money they'll make early on. If you work with good people and learn how good companies do things, you'll be better for it for the rest of your career.”
(Barry E. Davis, President and CEO of Crosstex Energy, in “Crosstex Energy CEO blends people and financial skills.” by Lew Bullion. Pipeline & Gas Journal: October 1, 2006. pg. 96)
"The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that unique pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the particular balance of success or failure as the world measures success or failure is of less account."
(Jon Huntsman, Sr., Chairman of Huntsman Chemical, in “Deans' Column: Patrick Harker of Wharton on Jon Huntsman,” by Patrick Harker. FT.com: May 14, 2007. pg. 1)
“We want our presidents and general managers to accomplish four things: employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, community involvement and market leadership.”
(Tony March, Co-CEO of March/Hodge Automotive, in “Dealer believes managers should be owners.” by Arlena Sawyers. Automotive News: March 12, 2007. pg. 24)
“No matter how smart you think you are, ultimately you are deep into what you're doing, and you don't have the perspective that somebody from the outside can bring.”
(Ted Ford, President and CEO of TechColumbus, in “Thoughts on running a business: Ted Ford, President and CEO, TechColumbus.” by Abby Cymerman. Smart Business Columbus. May 1, 2007. pg. 9)
“I ask all my senior people to do 40 hours of personal development annually, including myself.”
(James A. Skinner, CEO of McDonald’s, in “Boss Talk: How Jim Skinner Flipped McDonald's; Big Chain's CEO Focused On Getting Better, Not Bigger; 'We Have To Provide Choices',” by Janet Adamy. Wall Street Journal: January 5, 2007. pg. B.1)
“There was some point in my life, but I can't tell you exactly what it was that I realized that I could be more courageous. I was chicken and would never have gone to Europe by myself... At some point along the way, I thought, you know you can do that, and I guess I've not been afraid ever since then to try new things.”
(Deborah Johnson, CEO of Rick Johnson & Company, in “One-On-One with Deborah Johnson; At A Glance.” by Autumn Gray. Albuquerque Journal: August 7, 2008. pg. 3)
“In whatever adverse situations you are, always look at the bright side. Hardships and trials come and go. They don't exist just to make you fail, but to prepare you for bigger and more important tasks later. If you are positive, you'll find a solution or you'll come across someone who helps you solve the problem.”
(Jong Soo Lee, CEO of Hyundai Engineering & Construction, in “Lee Maps Hyundai Engineering's Long, Hard Road to Success,” by In-Soo Nam. Wall Street Journal: June 11, 2007. pg. B.3)
“If you're in leadership, your job is to serve. The higher up the ladder of leadership you are, the more service is expected and required.”
(Umberto P. Fedeli, President and CEO of The Fedeli Group, in “Thoughts on running a business: Umberto P. Fedeli, President and CEO, The Fedeli Group.” by Kristy J. O'Hara. Smart Business Cleveland: December 1, 2006. pg. 14)
"Even in the early stages, I always had this great curiosity about what was going on in the world. Once you have that, it doesn't go away…
“We're in a world that's changing so dynamically. If you don't experiment with that world, you are going to get left behind very quickly."
(Roger Ogden, President and CEO of Gannett Broadcasting, in “Roger Ogden: Mile-High Winner,” by Paige Albiniak. Broadcasting & Cable. New York: April 9, 2007. Vol.137, Iss. 15; pg. 28)
“In business, results are directly linked to how much you believe that you own the results that you're accountable for.”
(Eduardo Castro-Wright, CEO of Wal-Mart USA Stores, in “Boss Talk: Engineering a Change at Wal-Mart; U.S. Stores Chief Says Timely Overhaul Will Drive Sales After Economy Rebounds.” by Ann Zimmerman. Wall Street Journal: August 12, 2008. pg. B.1)
"Invention is by its very nature a disorderly process... You can't put a Six Sigma process into that area and say, well, I'm getting behind on invention, so I'm going to schedule myself for three good ideas on Wednesday and two on Friday. That's not how creativity works…
"You cannot create in that atmosphere of confinement or sameness. Perhaps one of the mistakes that we made as a company – it's one of the dangers of Six Sigma – is that when you value sameness more than you value creativity, I think you potentially undermine the heart and soul of a company like 3M."
(George Buckley, CEO of 3M, in “At 3M, A Struggle Between Efficiency and Creativity: How CEO George Buckley is Managing the Yin and Yang of Discipline and Imagination,” by Brian Hindo. Business Week: June 11, 2007. Iss. 4038; pg. 8)
“Any organization is a human endeavor, but in the pursuit of efficiency, most big organizations work hard to dehumanize, depersonalize it. We think you can do both: run a successful and growing company that depends on the unpredictability and ingenuity of its employees…
"Some of our best ideas have come from the people who are furthest removed from the CEO's office -- those line-level employees who interact with our customers each and every day.”
(Brad Anderson, CEO of Best Buy, in “Brad Anderson,” by Matthew Boyle. Fortune: Apr 30, 2007. Vol.155, Iss. 8; pg. 66)
"I try to find a way to interact with people at every level within the organization in some form or fashion. To me, the best part of this business is being able to work with talented, committed people. I find ways to interact with a pumper or a lease analyst or a geologist. I try to find some way to be involved and to communicate at every level of the organization. It makes a world of difference.”
(Tony Best, CEO of St. Mary Land & Exploration Company, in “St. Mary's Best,” by Taryn Maxwell. Oil & Gas Investor: May 2007. pg. 53)
“Laughter is food for my soul, and I have a big soul that needs extra portions. So I smile and laugh a lot, and surround myself with positive-thinking people who also see laughter as an important ingredient in their lives.”
(Maria Martinez, President & CEO of Border FCU, in “Laughter Is Food For Her Soul,” Credit Union Magazine: January 2007. pg. 14)
“My mother encouraged me to walk up to people and ask them questions. But sometimes it's better just to stop, listen, and observe.”
(Abbe Raven, CEO of A&E Television Networks, in “Working On The Railroad,” by Devin Leonard. Fortune: December 11, 2006. pg. 45)
"I'm obsessed with getting new insights. I recently read a book about Patton, and he was an obsessive reader. It's really the only way to learn."
(Douglas R. Conant, Chief Executive of Campbell Soup Co., in “Lighting A Fire Under Campbell.” by Adrienne Carter. Business Week: December 4, 2006. pg. 96)
“It doesn't matter who you are, you can always benefit from having someone to talk to, to bounce your ideas off, to give you feedback.”
(Sir John Sunderland, Chairman of Cadbury Schweppes, in “Leading in a global economy.” by Sue Mennell. Training Journal: May 2008. pg. 25)
“Fifteen years ago my son was in the track and field state finals. It was during our annual analyst meeting. I told everyone I was missing the final Q& A session, and if they had any questions they had to find me on the first day and a half, before I left. Everyone was stunned, but I never looked back.”
(Daniel Amos, Chairman and CEO of Aflac, in “The Three-Minute Manager.” by Jia Lynn Yang. Fortune: July 21, 2008. Vol. 158, Iss. 2; pg. 58)
“If you have to worry about employees getting their work done, you haven't hired the right people, and you haven't created the right culture.”
(Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, in “The Three-Minute Manager.” by Jia Lynn Yang. Fortune: July 21, 2008. Vol. 158, Iss. 2; pg. 58)
“I'm a conservative in business, but I'm very radical in thought process.”
(Loyd Ivey, Chairman and CEO of Mitek Corp., in “Loyd Ivey.” by Janet Pinkerton. Dealerscope: July 2008. Vol. 50, Iss. 7; pg. 32)
“In the end the culture saved us. Because we're not hierarchical, when you ask for help people step up to the plate and support you.”
(Anne Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox, in “The X-factor.” by J P Donlon. Chief Executive: June 2008. , Iss. 234; pg. 26)
“I think for a lot of people, there's a lot of pride involved and they are reluctant to reach out to someone else when they are in trouble.”
(Kenneth D Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America, in “NeighborWorks America CEO Kenneth D. Wade.” by Charles Wisniowski. Mortgage Banking: July 2008. Vol. 68, Iss. 10; pg. 19)
“A surefire way to kill an innovative process is to go through the processes and then never implement one of the ideas.”
(Matt Bowen, President and CEO of Aloft Group Inc., in “Small Business Link: Productive Brainstorms Take The Right Mix of Elements.” by Kelly K. Spors. Wall Street Journal: July 24, 2008. pg. B.5)
“A lot of the missteps I've had with individual situations within my career I would attribute to not listening to the degree that I needed to listen.”
(Krista McMasters, CEO of Clifton Gunderson, in “Successor Readies to Take the Lead.” Journal of Accountancy: July 2008. Vol. 206, Iss. 1; pg. 68)
“I've found the harder I work, the luckier I get.”
(Loyd Ivey, Chairman and CEO of Mitek Corp., in “Loyd Ivey.” by Janet Pinkerton. Dealerscope: July 2008. Vol. 50, Iss. 7; pg. 32)
“Happiness is tied to having more free time, so give your employees more of it. Ask them to think about what work can be eliminated from the day. Chances are, 40% of what you do is useless. There are often too many meetings, and you probably don't need to see half of your e-mails.”
(Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, in “The Three-Minute Manager.” by Jia Lynn Yang. Fortune: July 21, 2008. Vol. 158, Iss. 2; pg. 58)
“I've had people tell me they haven't had a vacation in ten years. That's not good. You may not have had a physical vacation, but I know you've had a mental vacation. No one can work ten years straight and not have his mind wander. You need breaks to come back as a better employee.”
(Daniel Amos, Chairman and CEO of Aflac, in “The Three-Minute Manager.” by Jia Lynn Yang. Fortune: July 21, 2008. Vol. 158, Iss. 2; pg. 58)
“I am a great believer in not putting things off and taking on the challenges head on. The fact is we have to improve performance even in the face of tough realities and there is no point in waiting for better times, or for someone else to step in and do their share.”
(Jouko Karvinen, CEO of Stora Enso, in “European CEO Of The Year.” by Mark Rushton. PPI: May 2008. Vol. 50, Iss. 5; pg. 11)
“Remember to leave the house without your ego and with your sense of humour every day. I'm not sure I do that every day, but I try very hard to.”
(Caryn Lerner, CEO and president of Holt Renfrew & Co., in “Live & Learn: Caryn Lerner.” by Megan Harman. Canadian Business: June 16, 2008. Vol. 81, Iss. 10; pg. 96)
“Know the business your company is in, and have a personal connection with what's happening with customers, suppliers and plant personnel.”
(Rick Jacobs, President of Eaton Filtration, in “The view from the top: Insight on life in the C-suite.” by Paul Teague. Purchasing: June 12, 2008. Vol. 137, Iss. 6; pg. 12)
“I think a leader is a person who can inspire people, who people look up to not because of his position but because of his character and the way he goes about leading his life, and somebody who isn't only profit-driven, but also involved in other areas like community involvement.”
(Sajjad Ebrahim, President of Par-Pak Ltd., in “The Whole Package.” by Umair Abdul. Canadian Plastics: May 2008. Vol. 66, Iss. 5; pg. 14)
“The challenge is to make people comfortable with me and my approach and that I'm sincere. I'm not embarrassed to ask what I don't know and I never lost my sense of curiosity of why things are the way they are. I'm challenging people to think about things differently.”
(Sue Swenson, President and CEO of Sage Software, in “Swenson Calls for Change at Sage.” Alexandra DeFelice. Accounting Technology: June 2008. Vol. 24, Iss. 5; pg. 48)
“It's often hard to explain something so simple to people.
"If you have good employees and listen to what the customers' needs are, you work hard to fulfill those needs. It works out. You get a good return for your shareholders. You've just got to make sure you don't focus on the money, but instead on the customer.”
(Dick Evans, Chairman and CEO of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc., in “Strictly by the book.” by Steve Cocheo. American Bankers Association. ABA Banking Journal: May 2008. Vol. 100, Iss. 5; pg. 26)
“I've always been very inquisitive about how do you succeed and, no matter what it is, how do you do things better?”
(Nellie Cournoyea, CEO and Chair of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, in “Live & Learn.” by Lauren McKeon. Canadian Business: May 12, 2008. Vol. 81, Iss. 8; pg. 72)
“Whether you're in executive management or purchasing and supply chain, it's about relationship building, encouraging teamwork and creating harmony. You have to listen to people, because no matter how big your ideas are, you can't do everything yourself.”
(Rick Jacobs, President of Eaton Filtration, in “The view from the top: Insight on life in the C-suite.” by Paul Teague. Purchasing: June 12, 2008. Vol. 137, Iss. 6; pg. 12)
“I think of myself as a simple CEO, one that likes to find the crucial decision makers within the company, and then give them the freedom to get on with it. I want to be the balancing power.”
(Jouko Karvinen, CEO of Stora Enso, in “European CEO Of The Year.” by Mark Rushton. PPI: May 2008. Vol. 50, Iss. 5; pg. 11)
“Companies depend on their leaders to make the tough decisions, to keep the business propelled toward the vision and making progress. You need to have passion. You need to be confident, even when you hit a speed bump. You need to have a sensitivity to people, but also be decisive and tough.”
(Caryn Lerner, CEO and president of Holt Renfrew & Co., in “Live & Learn: Caryn Lerner.” by Megan Harman. Canadian Business: June 16, 2008. Vol. 81, Iss. 10; pg. 96)
“Being educated is not just about academics, it's also in the way you treat people and conduct yourself as a person.”
(George Quek, founder and Chairman of BreadTalk Group, Ltd., in “Bakery Titan Began at Bottom.” by Tor Chi Li. Wall Street Journal: July 7, 2008. pg. B.6)
“I think that innovation happens in encounters when you encounter other people and also when you step over some boundary and you combine ideas that haven't been combined before.”
(Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL, in “Software Firm Is Open for Innovation.” by Josh Hyatt. Wall Street Journal: July 7, 2008. pg. R.3)
“I come with a lot of emotion for our employees. They're not numbers. They're human beings. And there are a million people dependent on Chrysler's success -- employees, dealers, suppliers. So this is a huge emotional challenge for us. This has to work.”
(Bob Nardelli, CEO of Chrysler, in “Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli: Surviving The Perfect Storm.” by Maria Bartiromo. Business Week: June 23, 2008. , Iss. 4089; pg. 23)
“You've got to be out talking to people and having dinner with them. You have to make it safe for them to tell you what's really going on -- the good and the bad. It can be complicated and messy, but if you can get alignment, a lot of good things start happening.”
(Bill Mitchell, CEO of Arrow Electronics, in “What Can CEOs Do to Develop Leaders?” by Jennifer Pellet. Chief Executive: June 2008. , Iss. 234; pg. 50)
“You can go into any corporation in America and you are going to see a set of values somewhere near the entrance. The question is whether it is just something that you put up for show and the cosmetics, or whether it is really something that the organization believes in.”
(Jim Sinegal, Costco Wholesale Corp. co-founder and CEO, in “Integrity and Values.” by Miles K Davis. New England Journal of Entrepreneurship: Fall 2008. Vol. 11, Iss. 2; pg. 9)
“We wanted people to see that effective communication was an integral part of our success. Having everyone on the same page, providing each employee with accurate and up-to-date information, not only empowers them, it also engages them to become more involved in helping our business grow.”
(John Mullen, CEO of DHL Express, in “Delivering on the promise.” by Natasha Nicholson. Communication World: May/Jun 2008. Vol. 25, Iss. 3; pg. 16)
“I see myself as the person who sets the general direction and tone... After that, my role becomes one of coach and mentor.”
(Steve White, President and CEO of Westerty Community Credit Union, in “Grape Expectations.” Credit Union Magazine: May 2008. Vol. 74, Iss. 5; pg. 16)
“It was taken for granted that we would win. If you didn't get good results, you got bashed by managers and media. The results were disappointing. We kept on losing… [That] series of difficulties and challenges is something that I feel everyone should experience because, in a way, I acquired wisdom and creativity to get through that.”
(Takeo Fukui, CEO of Honda Motor Co., in “Boss Talk: Honda CEO Vies For Green Mantle; To Take On Toyota, Fukui Hones New Technologies.” by John Murphy. Wall Street Journal: June 16, 2008. pg. B.1)
“When one has a set of aspirations, and you reach them, there's a huge opportunity to ask yourself what more you can do.”
(Ron Williams, CEO of Aetna, in “We all pay for the uninsured.” by Geoff Colvin. Fortune: May 12, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 10; pg. 105)
“Even when we started Google, we thought, ‘Oh, we might fail,’ and we almost didn't do it. The reason we started is that Stanford said, ‘You guys can come back and finish your Ph.D.s if you don't succeed.’ Probably that one decision caused Google to be created. It's not clear we would have done it otherwise. We had all this internal risk we had just invented. It's not that we were going to starve or not get jobs or not have a good life or whatever, but you have this fear of failing and of doing something new, which is very natural. In order to do stuff that matters, you need to overcome that.”
(Larry Page, co-founder of Google, in “Larry Page on How to Change the World.” by Andy Serwer. Fortune: May 12, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 10; pg. 82)
“Due to [time] constraints, I have to put down in priority things I like to do and that would be very interesting. I can't spend as much time as I'd like to at hospitals, talking with doctors and patients who use our products. This is where I hear and see so much and get so many ideas.”
(Daniel Vasella, CEO of Novartis, in “Crowded Calendars Rule Executives' Days.” by Carol Hymowitz. Wall Street Journal: June 16, 2008. pg. B.1)
“If there's nothing to do, do nothing. But many CEOs can't do that. If you're an action junkie it's going to get you in trouble.”
(James Tisch, CEO of Loews Corp., in “The Game: Tisch Hews to the Prudent Approach; Loews's Chief, Sitting on $12.5 Billion, Bides His Time for Next Corporate Bargain.” by Dennis K. Berman. Wall Street Journal: June 17, 2008. pg. C.1)
“Obviously, the most important thing is to embrace failure, because if nobody dares to fail, you won't go anywhere. That's always easily said and not so easy to actually live by. But it's extremely important. In a time where things change so fast, I think that you have to embrace failure -- cost-effective failure.”
(Jonas Bonnier, CEO of Bonnier Group, in “Bonnier CEO: 'We Don't Want To Be Time Inc.'” by Nat Ives. Advertising Age: May 12, 2008. Vol. 79, Iss. 19; pg. 28)
“You have to have a set of necessary conditions for innovation to occur. To start with, you have to listen to people... Innovation comes from places that you don't expect.”
(Eric E. Schmidt, CEO of Google, in “How Google Fuels Its Idea Factory; CEO Eric Schmidt describes the simple principles driving the company's steady stream of innovations.” by Robert D Hof. Business Week: May 12, 2008. , Iss. 4083; pg. 54)
“The success or failure of DHL Express is not dependent solely on me or the members of the senior management team. A company is only as good as its people. If you want to get a public pulse, go and talk to the people who deal with the customers -- the frontliners, the couriers. If they see that you are sincere and are really concerned with what they have to say, they will tell you a lot of things you otherwise would not know.”
(John Mullen, CEO of DHL Express, in “Delivering on the promise.” by Natasha Nicholson. Communication World: May/Jun 2008. Vol. 25, Iss. 3; pg. 16)
“I have learned that with a clear vision and the right motivation, one can get the right people, and with the right people, nothing is impossible. It is tough to find good people, and it takes time to convince people to share your vision, but once you win their buy-in and overcome the inertia, an unstoppable momentum is created within the organization.”
(A.J. Devanesan, CEO of Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings, in “The Interview: Managing in Asia: Growing a Tree-Friendly Paper Business.” by Tor Ching Li. Wall Street Journal: May 19, 2008. pg. B.5)
“What really makes Kimpton unique is… we have a caring group of people that run our hotel operations who have a way of connecting with our customers in a very authentic and meaningful way.”
(Michael Depatie, President and CEO of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, in “Q & A.” National Real Estate Investor: May 2008. Vol. 50, Iss. 5; pg. 15)
“It really comes down to our culture, which is very customer-focused, paying attention to what was going to be important to our customers and not focusing on things that might be fashionable at the time but that weren't going to add real customer value.”
(David Sandler, President and CEO of MSC Industrial Direct, in “Culture club.” by Brad Perriello. Industrial Distribution: June 2008. Vol. 97, Iss. 6; pg. 40)
“Based on my experience, if people already know and have heard rumors about a particular development -- and you know they always manage to know this somehow -- it is best to tell them quickly and completely. Withholding information or delaying its dissemination only serves to heighten the anxiety people already feel. I trust our employees enough to know that they are capable of making informed decisions on matters that we share with them.”
(John Mullen, CEO of DHL Express, in “Delivering on the promise.” by Natasha Nicholson. Communication World: May/Jun 2008. Vol. 25, Iss. 3; pg. 16)
“I have found that you learn a lot in taking a chaotic situation and creating structure, process, and strategy.”
(Ron Williams, CEO of Aetna, in “"We all pay for the uninsured." by Geoff Colvin. Fortune: May 12, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 10; pg. 105)
“My experience is that when people are trying to do ambitious things, they're all worried about failing when they start. But all sorts of interesting things spin out that are of huge economic value. Also, in these kinds of projects, you get to work with the best people and have a very interesting time. They're not really taking a risk, but they feel like they are.”
(Larry Page, co-founder of Google, in “Larry Page on How to Change the World.” by Andy Serwer. Fortune: May 12, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 10; pg. 82)
“Very early on we need to get the employees involved in the decision-making process. Only by doing so will they embrace and live the company policies. A person who feels that his or her ideas and opinions helped shape a policy or program will be less likely to resist it. In the long run, the person will learn to trust the company he or she works for and know that his or her welfare is always in the minds of the decision makers.”
(John Mullen, CEO of DHL Express, in “Delivering on the promise.” by Natasha Nicholson. Communication World: May/Jun 2008. Vol. 25, Iss. 3; pg. 16)
“When it comes to specific advice, the best was from a former boss, who told me, ‘Don't view your career as a linear progression.’ He advised me to take horizontal rather than vertical steps: to try out situations that are unstructured, to learn different ways of working, and to get outside of headquarters and experience different cultures. I've applied this advice many times-most notably, taking a decidedly unstructured job at IBM Japan and then joining the fledgling IBM services business. After those experiences, I had the confidence that I could manage pretty much anything.”
(Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM, in “The Best Advice I Ever Got.” by Jon Birger, Clay Chandler, Jon Fortt, Barney Gimbel, et al. Fortune: May 12, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 10; pg. 70)
“Work hard and fast. Work closely with others and don't be late. I have always been able to get through a lot at speed and it's important to be able to juggle your workload. You can't do it all on your own either, collaboration is vital.”
(Rosemary Squire, co-founder and joint CEO of The Ambassador Theatre Group, in “My first job;Interview;Rosemary Squire.” edited by Laurie Stone. The Sun: May 22, 2008. pg. 53)
“When things start going south, communication should increase. Even if you think you're doing enough, you're not doing enough.”
(David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue and CEO of Azul, in “Lessons Of The Fall.” by Patricia Sellers. Fortune: June 9, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 12; pg. 70)
“Over the course of my IBM career I've observed many CEOs, heads of state, and others in positions of great authority. I've noticed that some of the most effective leaders don't make themselves the center of attention. They are respectful. They listen. This is an appealing personal quality, but it's also an effective leadership attribute. Their selflessness makes the people around them comfortable. People open up, speak up, contribute. They give those leaders their very best.”
(Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM, in “The Best Advice I Ever Got.” by Jon Birger, Clay Chandler, Jon Fortt, Barney Gimbel, et al. Fortune: May 12, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 10; pg. 70)
“If you have to work and do something significant in a country, it's much easier if somehow you're connected to the country and you like the country and you respect the people and are curious about the culture. It makes a big difference because people in the country working around you may notice whether or not you are connected to the country and that you are happy to be there, that you're curious, that you're learning, that you're listening.
“Well, they will forgive you for a lot of things. If not, you will always be facing scrutiny from people who consider that maybe you don't get it, maybe you have preconceived ideas. Maybe you're not listening.”
(Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan and Renault, in “World: Interview - Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Renault S.A.” Thai News Service: May 26, 2008)
“If you project a positive, upbeat image, you get back the same… In life, you always get back what you put in.”
(Irene M. Dorner, CEO of HSBC Bank Malaysia, in “Dorner's banking on positive attitude.” New Straits Times: May 1, 2008. pg. 2)
“The speed of innovation required to compete in the world mandates that we must have seamless communication. We cannot depend on a small group of people who are holding the key to all communication throughout the world. That really impedes information sharing and decision-making. I want everybody's wisdom instead of just a few.”
(Yong Nam, CEO of LG Electronics, in “Boss Talk: CEO Broadens Vistas at LG --- Becoming a 21st Century Multinational; A Contender to Buy GE Appliance Unit?” by Evan Ramstad. Wall Street Journal: May 21, 2008. pg. B.1)
“I look at CEOs. I look at these very serious, self-important people, and I just don't want to be that.
"The way our organization succeeds, and if I'm the happiest, is if the hierarchy is minimized except where you need it to create order. And everything else is the team working together.”
(James Hinton, CEO of Presbyterian Healthcare Services, in “One-On-One with Jim Hinton ; At A Glance.” by Autumn Gray. Albuquerque Journal: May 15, 2008. pg. 3)
“We're not going to complain; we're going to change. Long-term prospects are incredibly positive if you can find a way around short-term negatives.”
(Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis Pharma, in “Jimenez swimming against the tide.” by Tanya Lewis. Medical Marketing & Media: May 1, 2008. pg. 40)
“We have to be a role model. We want to make a profit. To do that, we have to behave in a way that makes a contribution to the country. It's benign self-interest.”
(Gareth Penny, Managing Director of DeBeers, in “Gem of an Idea.” by Alex Perry. Time: May 12, 2008. Vol. 171, Iss. 19; pg. GB 9)
“In chess, you show your position all the time, your strengths and your weakness are right there on the board. However, your strategy of moving forward is kept to yourself. When I negotiate, I show my position. The other side is often trying not to show their position, and that is poker. The poker player will not believe what you tell him. I strongly believe the chess player wins relative to the poker player.”
(Chavvas Chamberlain, founder, Chairman and former CEO of Dalsa Corp., in “Live & Learn: Savvas Chamberlain.” by Andrew Wahl. Canadian Business: March 17, 2008. Vol. 81, Iss. 4; pg. 92)
“Essentially, what a lot of companies have started to say is: ‘We know the world of business is complex, but a lot of the complexity we have is self-imposed. We have created things, we have inherited things, we have acquired things, and when we look at them they are far more complicated than they should be.’”
(Mike Gibson, CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers, in “How To Survive Complexity.” by Matthew Gwyther. Management Today: April 2008. pg. 36)
“In an increasingly networked world, the 21st century is not for tidy minds… We all look for nice black-and-white solutions, but if it was as simple as that it would be easy. We would not have to come into the office in the morning.”
(Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP Group, in “How To Survive Complexity.” by Matthew Gwyther. Management Today: April 2008. pg. 36)
“I used to think I could just create a great place to work -- and I can. But every single person has to care, every day, and take personal responsibility. We have printed core values, and we take quarterly retreats to talk about them. That makes them live.”
(Cathy Dunkin, founder, president and CEO of Standing Partnership, in “A Day in the Work Life of Cathy Dunkin.” by Susan Caba. St. Louis Commerce: April 1, 2008. pg. 64)
“I'm convinced that size is not a recipe for value creation.”
(Frederic Oudea, CEO of Societe Generale, in “International Finance: SocGen Turns Page as CEO Plots Recovery.” by David Gauthier-Villars and Nicolas Parasie. Wall Street Journal: May 14, 2008. pg. C.2)
“Today's a challenge. The future's going to be a challenge. But the past has always been a challenge.”
(Scott Wester, President and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, in “New leader, old challenges.” by Steve Clark. The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report: March 25, 2008. pg. 42)
“We… haven’t tried to mimic everyone else. Your differences are your advantages.”
(John Tippets, CEO of AAFCU, in “CUJ EXIT Interview: John Tippets, CEO of $4.7-B AAFCU, Retires With Thoughts On Management, Future of Cus.” by Ray Birch. Credit Union Journal: March 3, 2008. pg. 18)
“Have very strong core values and communicate them clearly. Hire a wonderful team and trust them. Treat people with respect and hold them accountable.”
(Cathy Dunkin, founder, president and CEO of Standing Partnership, in “A Day in the Work Life of Cathy Dunkin.” by Susan Caba. St. Louis Commerce: April 1, 2008. pg. 64)
“Every deal should have a balance. Imbalance is what creates the tension in the future, and when you're trying to create a partnership that is long term and sustaining you can't take the last dollar or pound from the table. You have to have fairness. In the long run, it serves a purpose because people feel they got the value. Then they are loyal and they feel good and they continue to work with you.”
(Joanna Shields, President of BEBO, in “The MT Interview: Joanna Shields.” By Emma De vita. Management Today, May 1, 2008. pg. 30)
"I set out to bring humanity back to air travel, and we did just that by having the most talented crew members in the industry serving our customers."
(David Neelman, founder and Chairman of JetBlue Airways, in “JetBlue Founder Will Leave Board --- Neeleman to Devote Full Time and Attention To Brazilian Start-Up.” by Susan Carey. Wall Street Journal. April 10, 2008. pg. B.7)
“Heroes are people you can count on every day. They don't have to do anything amazing. They just do the consistent thing. And that changes the lives of people around them.”
(Larry Stapleton, President and CEO of United Southeast Federal Credit Union, in “CEO Keeps On Truckin'.” Credit Union Magazine: March 2008. Vol. 74, Iss. 3; pg. 20)
“One really fun thing about this to me is the chance to learn so much and it's so fun and I think I have read just about every book I could possibly get my hands on about the automobile industry, especially about Ford… It's just a tremendous story. And so, I've been a student of it.”
(Alan Mulally, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, in “Conversations From The Corner Office: Ford Motor Company President and CEO Alan Mulally.” with Kai Ryssdal. www.marketplace.org. January 15, 2008)
“When I got this job, I came home and I was feeling very proud I was just made CEO. My daughter who was then 16 said, ‘Let's be really clear, Dad, you're not the CEO of this house.’
"It's very important in a job like this to have a place you can go to get real perspective on who you are and what you're doing, and my family provides that for me and I spend every moment I can with them.”
(Jeffrey Kindler, CEO of Pfizer, in “Boss Talk: Looking for Life After Lipitor; Pfizer CEO Kindler Touts His Strategy For a Turnaround.” by Avery Johnson. Wall Street Journal: April 24, 2008. pg. B.1)
“We do 360-degree reviews of our senior management team, and I tell people the feedback they get from their subordinates is more important than the feedback from their peers or supervisors. You can fool your boss, but you can't fool your subordinates for very long.”
(James Hackett, CEO of Anadarko Petroleum, in “'Too Nice To Get Ahead'?; The CEO of Anadarko Petroleum proves otherwise.” by Richard M Smith. Newsweek: March 24, 2008. Vol. 151, Iss. 12)
“You have to be resilient and tough and committed and stay with your plans. Don't get down too much when you're going through bad times, but don't get too exuberant when you're going through good times because neither of those are representative of the long term.”
(David O'Reilly, CEO of Chevron, in “Chevron CEO Ponders Prices; O'Reilly Expects High Energy Costs For the Long Haul.” by Russell Gold and Ana Campoy. Wall Street Journal: May 1, 2008. pg. B.1)
"The more you climb up the ladder, the more people will tell you what a great guy you are. The worst trap you can fall into is believing them. It's important to encourage people to give you feedback and to disagree if they have a different opinion. It depends on your reaction. Otherwise you are totally alone. You will lose touch and ultimately make decisions which are really dumb."
(Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG, in “Driving Lessons: Dieter Zetsche's Experiences behind the Wheel of Daimler-Chrysler and Beyond.” Knowledge@Wharton. March 19, 2008)
“Short-term thinking, political correctness and growing pressures for quick returns appear to be limiting traditional assessment and debate that focuses on real, sustainable solutions. Strong leaders must discern and, where appropriate, resist these pressures.”
(John Luke Jr., Chairman and CEO of MeadWestvaco, in “MeadWestvaco's John Luke: Change Simply for the Sake of Change Is an Abdication of Leadership.” Knowledge@Wharton. April 2, 2008)
“Sustainability is central to our total value proposition, impacting not only our business, but every customer and every consumer we touch everywhere in the world.”
(Charles O. Holliday Jr., CEO and Chairman of Dupont, in “We Cannot Sit In The US And Make Decisions For India.” by Anusha Subramanian. Business Today. February 10, 2008)
"Don't make the mistake of letting conventional wisdom vote on whether your idea is a good idea. When you do the conventional thing, you will almost certainly lose.”
(Rob Glaser, founder of RealNetworks, in “RealNetworks' Rob Glaser and Time Warner Cable's Glenn Britt: A Focus on Innovation, Passion and Luck.” Knowledge@Wharton. March 27, 2008)
“Some things will go bad no matter how good you are.”
(Loyd Blankfain, CEO of Goldman Sachs, in “The Man Who Must Keep Goldman Growing.” by Bethany McLean. Fortune: March 17, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 5; pg. 130)
“Every day, when I drive home, I spend 10 or 15 minutes thinking of the two or three things I could have done better that day. I have a journal. Every month or so I look and see if I've gotten better or not. Over 20 years, have I gotten better? I think. I think. But I always find something I should have done.”
(Joe Wilczek, CEO of Franciscan Health, in “Q&A: Joe Wilczek Franciscan CEO looks ahead.” by C.R. Roberts. The News Tribune. January 21, 2008)
“My hobby is reading. I usually read six to seven books simultaneously on subjects like politics, economy, management, history and science in addition to novels.”
(Atsutoshi Nishida, CEO of Toshiba, in “Boss Talk: Toshiba's Plan for Life After HD DVD; Nishida Says Firm Will Target Consumers With TVs, PCs and Standard Disc Players.” by Yukari Iwatani Kane. Wall Street Journal: March 3, 2008. pg. B.1)
“I was asked in one of my early meetings, 'What are you doing about the stock price?' and I said, 'Nothing. I am paid to run the company, not to manage the stock price. You run the company well, the stock price will look after itself.’”
(E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola, in “Coke is out of the ditch, now it needs to go faster, says E. Neville Isdell.” by Sanjoy Narayan and R. Sridharan. Business Today. April 6, 2008)
“There is a fine line between loving and being and idiot. If someone doesn’t share your values, they have to go.”
(Andrew Cherng, founder and Chairman of Panda Restaurant Group, in “Kung Pao Chicken for the Soul.” by Evan Hessel. Forbes: April 21, 2008. pg. 106)
“I've worked in a number of places, and for me, the same issues are important everywhere. People want to see that you mean what you say and want to believe in your word. If they feel you are not straightforward, you are lost. This is important whether you work in Asia or Africa or wherever."
(Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG, in “Driving Lessons: Dieter Zetsche's Experiences behind the Wheel of Daimler-Chrysler and Beyond.” Knowledge@Wharton. March 19, 2008)
“I am convinced now, as I was then, that man is an end because he is a child of God. Man is not made for the state; the state is made for man. To deprive man of freedom is to relegate him to the status of a thing, rather than elevate him to the status of a person. Man must never be treated as a means to the end of the state, but always as an end within himself.”
(Martin Luther King, Jr. in The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Volume IV: Symbol of the Movement, January 1957-December 1958. Susan Carson, Adrienne Clay, Kieran Taylor, and Virginia Shadron, eds. University of California Press, 2000)
“Since for the Communist there is no divine government, no absolute moral order, there are no fixed, immutable principles; consequently almost anything – force, violence, murder, lying – is a justifiable means to the ‘millennial’ end. This type of relativism was abhorrent to me. Constructive ends can never give absolute moral justification to destructive means.”
(Martin Luther King, Jr. in The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Volume IV: Symbol of the Movement, January 1957-December 1958. Susan Carson, Adrienne Clay, Kieran Taylor, and Virginia Shadron, eds. University of California Press, 2000)
“I think any time you move into a new organization, it's just so important that you respect the history. You respect the people. You learn as much as you can about it. You seek to understand before you seek to be understood. And then you move very, very decisively but very sure-footedly into a new world. Because you know there is nothing worse than somebody coming in and acting like they know everything when you know they don't. They start handing out all of the assignments… It's just not the way I approach it.”
(Alan Mulally, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, in “Conversations From The Corner Office: Ford Motor Company President and CEO Alan Mulally.” with Kai Ryssdal. www.marketplace.org. January 15, 2008)
“The mantra of change often for change's sake is increasingly commonplace... Change simply for the sake of change is an abdication of leadership.”
(John Luke Jr., Chairman and CEO of MeadWestvaco, in “MeadWestvaco's John Luke: Change Simply for the Sake of Change Is an Abdication of Leadership.” Knowledge@Wharton. April 2, 2008)
“When we talk about discipline, what we mean is the ability to choose the truth over convenience."
(Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG, in “Driving Lessons: Dieter Zetsche's Experiences behind the Wheel of Daimler-Chrysler and Beyond.” Knowledge@Wharton. March 19, 2008)
“My grandfather, who worked as a butcher, a salesman, and even in the coal mines, did whatever it took to get the job done. He subscribed to the basic theory that whatever is next is what you do next. Whatever you did, it was always a matter of staying with it, because that was what you were supposed to do.”
(Larry Stapleton, President and CEO of United Southeast Federal Credit Union, in “CEO Keeps On Truckin'.” Credit Union Magazine: March 2008. Vol. 74, Iss. 3; pg. 20)
“If everybody thought we were only here to make the most money for ourselves, who the hell would want to be on the other side of us?”
(Loyd Blankfain, CEO of Goldman Sachs, in “The Man Who Must Keep Goldman Growing.” by Bethany McLean. Fortune: March 17, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 5; pg. 130)
“Letting people go [is] the toughest thing you ever do in life. I try to tell people who are learning to do it that we're all going to be faced with it inevitably. Often it's because the business outgrows an employee, or their personal situation changes and makes them less motivated. You can justify why someone who's not performing ought to be moving on, that it's better for them. But more importantly, if you don't eliminate that one person, nine others will suffer... So you have to let them go without destroying their ego, but by actually telling them some of the reasons this is not working out, and try to help them financially as best you can.”
(James Hackett, CEO of Anadarko Petroleum, in “'Too Nice To Get Ahead'?; The CEO of Anadarko Petroleum proves otherwise.” by Richard M Smith. Newsweek: March 24, 2008. Vol. 151, Iss. 12)
"If all you want is to screw this company down tight and get double-digit earnings growth and nothing else, then I'm the wrong person. Companies today are bigger than many economies. We are little republics. We are engines of efficiency. If companies don't do [responsible] things, who is going to? Why not start making change now?"
(Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of Pepsico, in “The Pepsi Challenge.” by Betsy Morris. Fortune: March 3, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 4; pg. 54)
“I don't operate just on logic. I'm practical, but I also have enthusiasm, which is the side of me that's not practical. If you have that in addition to a strong will to achieve your goals, then you can overcome any adversity. For example, I used logic to rationally make the decision to quit HD DVD, but my enthusiasm allows me to move forward.”
(Atsutoshi Nishida, CEO of Toshiba, in “Boss Talk: Toshiba's Plan for Life After HD DVD; Nishida Says Firm Will Target Consumers With TVs, PCs and Standard Disc Players.” by Yukari Iwatani Kane. Wall Street Journal: March 3, 2008. pg. B.1)
“I know there are some people who have this sort of twisted concept that they can’t do it without me, but that would obviously be the worst legacy one could possibly leave.”
(Robert Ulrich, Chairman and CEO of Target, in “Target’s Inner Circle.” by Jennifer Reingold. Fortune. March 31, 2008. pg. 74)
“The toughest thing is to see your convictions fail. That's when you really have to deal with your personality and grow as a person. Those are the cases that are more important than the successes you have."
(Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG, in “Driving Lessons: Dieter Zetsche's Experiences behind the Wheel of Daimler-Chrysler and Beyond.” Knowledge@Wharton. March 19, 2008)
“The key is that if you can understand your abilities and be happy with what you've got, you are a winner. What leadership should be doing is providing more winners – not winning themselves, but making provision for more winners. Providing a platform for others.”
(Angad Paul, CEO of Caparo Group, in “Angad Paul.” by Richard Cree. Director: January 2008. Vol. 61, Iss. 6; pg. 40)
“Everyone is looking for a formula in business like E=MC². But it’s not a formula. It’s got to be emotional, spontaneous, and from the heart.”
(Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines, in “Wheels Up.” Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine, by Joseph Guinto. June 2006)
“My three most important rules of business: Honesty -- what you see is what you get. A promise is a promise -- a handshake is a promise. And finally: Don't wallow in the past. It's nice to talk about it, but you've got to look to the future. Shake it off if you've made some mistakes. Don't look back.”
(Jack Wayman, founder of the International Consumer Electronics Show, in “What They're Thinking.” by Janet Pinkerton. Dealerscope: January 2008. Vol. 50, Iss. 1; pg. 34)
"I believe that in life, first and foremost, the only reason for your existence is if you are going to add value. Otherwise you are a waste of space."
(Angad Paul, CEO of Caparo Group, in “Angad Paul.” by Richard Cree. Director: January 2008. Vol. 61, Iss. 6; pg. 40)
"It's very easy to stop learning. It has to be a discipline."
(Michael Lee-Chin, Executive Chairman of AIC, Ltd., in “Michael's Eye.” by Alex Mlynek. Canadian Business: Winter 2007/2008. Vol. 80, Iss. 24; pg. 73)
"It's only by going through tough experiences that you can grow."
(Robert Polet, CEO of Gucci Group, in “Galvanizing Gucci.” by Peter Gumbel. Fortune: January 21, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 1; pg. 80)
"You are only limited by your imagination and your ability to execute.”
(Angad Paul, CEO of Caparo Group, in “Angad Paul.” by Richard Cree. Director: January 2008. Vol. 61, Iss. 6; pg. 40)
“There are some things that you can’t quantify — intangible things that are exceedingly valuable and that are, in some cases, more valuable than the tangibles. The difference being you can’t buy the intangibles.”
(Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines, in “Wheels Up.” Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine, by Joseph Guinto. June 2006)
“People respect you if you have good ideas and bring something to the table... Each of us will succeed or fail based on the value we bring to the table.
“That said, relationships mean a lot, and activities like sports or charity work can really help people get to know you at a deeper level.”
(Marshall Lynn Bass, founder GasRock Capital, in “Meet Lynn Bass.” by Stephen Payne. Oil & Gas Investor: February 2008. Vol. 28, Iss. 2; pg. 110)
"I don't think of myself as a very clever person. I'm a basic blocker and tackler."
(Mark Donegan, CEO of Precision Castparts Corp., in “Zero Tolerance.” by Stephane Fitch. Forbes: January 28, 2008. Vol. 181, Iss. 2; p. 50)
"Adversity has made me stronger in my business and personal life. I don't doubt what we are trying to do."
(Edward S. Lampert, Chairman of Sears Holdings Corp., in “Business: The testing of long-term Eddie; Face value.” The Economist: February 2, 2008. Vol. 386, Iss. 8565; pg. 74)
“You've got to understand that you achieve more by having confidence and shedding the ego than vice-versa."
(Angad Paul, CEO of Caparo Group, in “Angad Paul.” by Richard Cree. Director: January 2008. Vol. 61, Iss. 6; pg. 40)
"You can organise all the away-days and training sessions you want. But at the end of the day, people will only work together on the basis of mutual respect."
(Peter Scott, CEO of Engine Group, in “The Engine Driver.” by John Tylee. Campaign: January 19, 2007. pg. 22)
“Humor is closely related to the creativity and invention that we're born with. It's that spirit of thinking out something a little bit different; making up your own jokes…
"Allowing some level of mild pranks -- with a rule that it's not going to harm anyone -- would be a good policy.”
(Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, in “Steve Wozniak on Apple, Steve Jobs and the Value of a Good Prank.” Knowledge@Wharton. February 20, 2008)
"We talk about breakthroughs, we want to do things better, but we need to talk about how to deal with breakdowns, which are inevitable and occur daily. In order to get to breakthroughs, you have to learn to deal with breakdowns. In a constructive fashion, it's worked very well in our organization and previous companies that I've worked with... solving problems, resolving issues, and exploiting opportunities rather than getting caught up in [the] mischief of pointing fingers.”
(Tom Stephens, CEO of Boise Cascade, in “Pride in Profit.” by Candi S Cross. Industrial Engineer: February 2008. Vol. 40, Iss. 2; pg. 39)
"I actually don't think keeping the culture is a goal. I think improving the culture is. We shouldn't be, like, looking back to our golden years and saying, 'Oh, I wish it was the same'."
(Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, in “Back2Back Champs.” Adam Lashinsky. Fortune: February 4, 2008. Vol. 157, Iss. 2; pg. 70)
"Change is inevitable. Those who adapt to change will survive. Those who anticipate and embrace change will be the leaders and winners."
(“CFA President Ted Kompa: A Classic Success Story.” by Sidney Rutberg. The Secured Lender: January/February 2007. Vol. 63, Iss. 1; pg. 48)
“One's ability to be a leader is directly related to the trust that people have in that individual. If you lose that trust, your ability to be an effective leader is fatally compromised.”
(Thomas Priselac, President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System, in “Honesty in Leadership.” by Thomas Priselac, Mary Grayson. Hospitals & Health Networks: October 2007. Vol. 81, Iss. 10; pg. 30)
“Be brave when others are fearful, and fearful when others are brave.”
(Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, in “The Other $1 Trillion.” Wall Street Journal: February 13, 2008. pg. A.26)
"Even when I achieve a goal, I know it's time to set my sights on something else. I don't ever feel that I've arrived. I'm always evolving."
(Kimberley Withers, President and CEO of Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union, in “Eyes On The Prize.” by Diane Franklin. Credit Union Management: December 2007. Vol. 30, Iss. 12; pg. 14)
“Our first responsibility is to our employees. If we do right by our employees, they'll help us do right by customers. If we do right by the customers, then we'll do right by the shareholders. It's got to be in that order: You can't flip it. If you optimize for shareholders then you end up screwing the other two.”
(Scott Cook, founder and Chairman of Intuit, in “Cook's Recipe.” by David Lidsky, David Whitford. FSB : Fortune Small Business: February 2004. Vol. 14, Iss. 1; pg. 76)
“Remind yourself that no matter how bad your day was, it's worth every minute of it to be part of the great work we do.”
(Dick Davidson, President of the American Hospital Association, in ” A Lifetime's Work.” by Dick Davidson. Hospitals & Health Networks: December 2006. Vol. 80, Iss. 12; pg. 32)
"If I come into a meeting room unannounced and someone is doing an impersonation of me and they're saying, 'Oh, he's going to do this, he's going to say this,' that's a positive thing. It says they understand my values. They know what I like and what I don't like. It means I don't have to be there everyday. I've exported my value set."
(Donald Guloien, CEO of MFC Global Investment Management, in “Money Man.” by Jeff Sanford. Canadian Business: January 15, 2007. Vol. 80, Iss. 2; pg. 67)
“If I lose sight of the fact that I am dealing with other people, if I turn them into objects that I service, who service me, or who I compete against, then I am dehumanizing myself in the process.”
(Richard Lancaster, President of Printing Control Graphics, in “From Dot Bomb Implosion to the Printing Industry: My Personal and Professional Journey.” by Diane L Lockwood, Colette A Frayne, Robert E Callahan. Journal of Managerial Issues: Winter 2007. Vol. 19, Iss. 4; pg. 576)
“Quality people must be managed with customized approaches. The idea is to create a hothouse where young talent is nourished by our culture and people are encouraged to think creatively, think deeply, think about the long-term client relationship - but above all, think. I want them to reflect on what they are doing and why, and then wonder, ‘Can we do better?’"
(Bruce Wasserstein, Chairman and CEO of Lazard LLC, in “The HBR Interview: Bruce Wasserstein, Giving Great Advice.” by Thomas A Stewart, Gardiner Morse. Harvard Business Review: January 2008. Vol. 86, Iss. 1; p. 106)
“While we should pursue solutions with great enthusiasm, we should also be respectful of their limitations and not oversell ourselves… on any one solution as the answer. The answer will only be found after an honest, factual and multifaceted evaluation of ourselves.”
(Thomas Priselac, President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System, in “Honesty in Leadership.” by Thomas Priselac, Mary Grayson. Hospitals & Health Networks: October 2007. Vol. 81, Iss. 10; pg. 30)
"I've always felt that the best way to create value for our shareholders is to create value for our customers and, to do that, you have to have motivated, trained and happy employees. It's important to stay focused on the common mid- and long-term interests of these three pillars of the company. That's why I've always preferred having direct contact with our people and partners."
(Remi Marcoux, founder and Excecutive Chairman of Transcontinental, in “Extraordinary Vision.” Printing Impressions: April 2007. Vol. 49, Iss. 11; pg. V)
"We wanted employees to have an outlet for telling us about rules that make no sense and inhibit our internal processes or member services. It all goes back to the idea of questioning the status quo. At the very least, it prompts employees to look more closely at our rules and procedures and question why we have them.”
(Kimberley Withers, President and CEO of Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union, in “Eyes On The Prize.” by Diane Franklin. Credit Union Management: December 2007. Vol. 30, Iss. 12; pg. 14)
“There's a proverb that I teach people in the company. It goes something like ‘Empathy is not just about walking in another's shoes. First you must remove your own shoes.’ You have to get past your own blinders and biases and assumptions before you can see with clear eyes what's really going on.”
(Scott Cook, founder and Chairman of Intuit, in “Cook's Recipe.” by David Lidsky, David Whitford. FSB : Fortune Small Business: February 2004. Vol. 14, Iss. 1; pg. 76)
“You have to have compassion when you interact with people, and you have to take it slow, listen carefully, talk carefully, and even take the time to laugh -- that, to me, is critical. It's also critical to really hear and understand the realities of what's being said, rather than just what we think we want to hear. I know all of that seems simple, but believe me, you'd be surprised at how often it's overlooked.”
(Dorothy Coleman, CEO of United-Healthcare of Southwest Ohio, in “Personal Touch.” by Bill Gillette. Managed Healthcare Executive: January 2005. Vol. 15, Iss. 1; pg. 28)
“I never reply straight on e-mail. I want to see the person, see the whites of their eyes. It makes a huge difference, seeing the whites of someone's eyes - it can really move me.”
(Chris Hyman, CEO of Serco, in “Chris Hyman.” by Chris Blackhurst. Management Today: December 2007. pg. 46)
“Be real. Be you, not what you think you should be to fit into someone else's definition of what you should be. Once you start moving away from being who you are at your core, your ability to remain truly authentic, to have real credibility, will slowly and very insidiously diminish. And one day you'll wonder what has happened to you – the real you.”
(Ann M. Fudge, CEO of Young & Rubicam, in “Memos From The CEOs.” by Caroline V. Clarke. Black Enterprise: February 2005. Vol. 35, Iss. 7; pg. 154)
"There is, particularly in global organizations, more of a need to reach out and touch in a personal way. You can make it feel more personalized through technology, but technology has its limits and nothing beats people being in a room together."
(Rona Fairhead, CEO of the Financial Times Group, in “CEOs Stand Divided On Social Media.” by Sona Hathi. Strategic Communication Management: December 2007 / January 2008. Vol. 12, Iss. 1; pg. 9)
“If I see someone who is cocky, a huge red light flashes - they will damage the company.”
(Chris Hyman, CEO of Serco, in “Chris Hyman.” by Chris Blackhurst. Management Today: December 2007. pg. 46)
