An unsuccessful manager blames failure on his obligations; the effective manager turns them to his own advantage. A speech is a chance to lobby...a visit to an important customer a chance to extract trade information.

Corporations are economic entities, to be sure, but they are also social institutions that must justify their existence by their overall contribution to society.

Strategy is a pattern in a stream of decisions

An enterprise is a community of human beings, not a collection of "human resources".

Everyone is against micro managing but macro managing means you're working at the big picture but don't know the details.

Management is a curious phenomenon. It is generously paid, enormously influential, and significantly devoid of common sense

Basically, managing is about influencing action. Managing is about helping organizations and units to get things done, which means action. Sometimes, managers manage actions directly. They fight fires. They manage projects. They negotiate contracts.