Focusing solely on what you can potentially do better than any other organization is the only path to greatness.

By definition, it is not possible to everyone to be above the average.

If I were running a company today, I would have one priority above all others: to acquire as many of the best people as I could. I'd put off everything else to fill my bus. Because things are going to come back. My flywheel is going to start to turn. And the single biggest constraint on the success of my organization is the ability to get and to hang on to enough of the right people.

Leaders who led their organizations quietly and humbly, were much more effective than flashy, charismatic high profile leaders.

"Growth!" is not a Hedgehog Concept. Rather, if you have the right Hedgehog Concept and make decisions relentlessly consistent with it, you will create such momentum that your main problem will not be how to grow, but how not to grow too fast.

You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

Creative leadership impact increases in your 50's. When I turn 50 I want to say, "Nice start!"