It took Einstein ten years of groping through the fog to get the theory of special relativity, and he was a bright guy.

...the question, Why try for greatness? would seem almost tautological. If you're doing something you care that much about, and you believe in its purpose deeply enough, then it is impossible to imagine not trying to make it great. It's just a given.

A visionary company doesn't simply balance between idealism and profitability: it seeks to be highly idealistic and highly profitable.

You can't manufacture passion or "motivate" people to feel passionate. You can only discover what ignites your passion and the passions of those around you.

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

Great companies foster a productive tension between continuity and change.

The greatest leaders build organizations that, in the end, don't need them.