Globalization has taken a hit in that there is some sand in the gears because most of us have supply chains that are all over the world that we've had to lengthen.

People aren't the same. Business is, in my opinion, all about the team that fields the best players. It's not about an idea. An idea goes away. Somebody catches up with it. It's not about a widget.

If you managed a baseball team, would you listen more closely to the team accountant or the director of player personnel?

Failing to differentiate among employees — and holding on to bottom-tier performers — is actually the cruelest form of management there is.

You can't believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they're simple, people will think they're simpleminded. In reality, of course, it's just the reverse. Clear, tough-minded people are the most simple.

Any jerk can have short-term earnings. You squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, and the company sinks five years later.

Strong managers who make tough decisions to cut jobs provide the only true job security in today's world. Weak managers are the problem. Weak managers destroy jobs.