The best way to sell yourself to others is first to sell the others to yourself. Check yourself against this list of obstacles to a pleasing personality: interrupting others; sarcasm; vanity; being a poor listener; insincere flattery; finding fault; challenging others without good cause; giving unsolicited advice; complaining; attitude of superiority; envy of others' success; poor posture and dress.

In the business world, everyone is always working at legitimate cross purposes, governed by self interest.

You read a book from beginning to end. You run a business the opposite way. You start with the end, and then you do everything you must to reach it.

Facts from paper are not the same as facts from people. The reliability of the people giving you the facts is as important as the facts themselves.

Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned.

You can know a person by the kind of desk he keeps. If the president of a company has a clean desk then it must be the executive vice president who is doing all the work.

When I come upon a man who has a gleaming, empty, clear desktop, I am dealing with a fellow who is so far removed from the realities of his business that someone else is running it for him.