The question that faces the strategic decision maker is not what his organisation should do tomorrow. It is, what do we have to do today to be ready for an uncertain tomorrow?

We all have a vast number of areas in which we have no talent or skill and little chance of becoming even mediocre. In those areas a knowledge workers should not take on work, jobs and assignments. It takes far more energy to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to excellence.

Look at government programs for the past fifty years. Every single one - except warfare - achieved the exact opposite of its announced goal.

As to the idea that advertising motivates people, remember the Edsel.

There are only two things in a business that make money - innovation and marketing, everything else is cost.

The only real difference between one organization and another is the performance of its people.

Do first things first, and second things not at all.