Seeing people in person is a big part of how you drive any change process. You have to show people a positive view of the future and say "we can do it"

I was Chairman for two days. I had an airplane with my engines, hit a building I insured, was covered by a network I owned and I still have to increase earnings by 11 percent.

The reason people come to work for GE, they want to be apart of something bigger than themselves, they want to work for a company that makes a difference, a company that is doing great things in the world.

In business as in life, sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good things happen to bad people. But over time, if you play long enough, everybody gets what he deserves - good and bad.

I think there's a need for somewhat of a mindset change. We need to have a consistent external focus. We've always had the research labs. We've always had the resources to be innovative, and we've been innovative in a number of businesses. But, in any big company, you have to constantly push people to look at markets and customers, rather than look internally at themselves.

Enron and 9/11 marked the end of an era of individual freedom and the beginning of personal responsibility.

The best thing you can give as a leader is a reason to trust. People want to trust. They're hungry for it. But they're selective. They'll only give it to a motivator, a communicator, a teacher, a real person. Someone who in good times and bad always does the right thing.