People retire to do what I do every day.

If new ideas are the lifeblood of any thriving organisation-and, trust me, they are-managers must learn to revere, not merely tolerate, the people who come up with those ideas.

Round numbers beg to be negotiated, usually by counteroffer round numbers. Odd numbers sound harder, firmer, less negotiable.

Today, if someone showed me a five-year plan, I'd toss out the pages detailing Years Three, Four and Five as pure fantasy Anyone who thinks he or she can evaluate business conditions five years from now, flunks.

Talk less-you will automatically learn more, hear more, see more-and make fewer blunders.

The best people know that there are two phases in every crisis: the one where you manage it and the other where you learn from it. To succeed you have to do both

Concentrate on each task, whether trivial or crucial, as if it's the only thing that matters.