Comparison, a great teacher once told me, is the cardinal sin of modern life. It traps us in a game that we can't win. Once we define ourselves in terms of others, we lose the freedom to shape our own lives.

Indeed, the real question is not, "Why greatness?" but "What work makes you feel compelled to try to create greatness?" if you have to ask the question, "Why should we try to make it great? Isn't success enough?" then you're probably int he wrong line of work.

Building a visionary company requires one percent vision and 99 percent alignment.

Those who build and perpetuate mediocrity...are motivated more by the fear of being left behind.

It's what you do before you are in trouble, so that you can be strong when people most need you.

Mediocrity results first and foremost from management failure, not technological failure.

Throw leaders into an extreme environment, and it will separate the stark differences between greatness and mediocrity.