Common mission trap for companies: trying to be all things to all people at all times.

You can't behave in a calm, rational manner. You've got to be out there on the lunatic fringe.

You can't grow long-term if you can't eat short-term. Anybody can manage short. Anybody can manage long. Balancing those two things is what management is.

Nobody is too important to lead the initiative you say is important.

You measure your people and you take action on those that don't measure up.

Strategy is simply resource allocation. When you strip away all the noise, that's what it comes down to. Strategy means making clear cut choices about how to compete. You cannot be everything to everybody, no matter what the size of your business or how deep its pockets.

The thing it taught me was that winning's a helluva lot more fun than losing. It also taught me that the team with the best players that worked together the best wins.