The single most important thing to remember about any enterprise is that results exist only on the outside.The result of a business is a satisfied customer. The result of a hospital is a satisfied patient. The result of a school is a student who has learned something and puts it to work ten years later. Inside an enterprise there are only costs.

Promotion should not be more important than accomplishment, or avoiding instability more important than taking the right risk.

Profitability is the sovereign criterion of the enterprise.

Unless strategy evaluation is performed seriously and systematically, and unless strategists are willing to act on the results, energy will be used up defending yesterday.

Important decisions are risky. They should be controversial. Acclamation means that nobody has done the homework.

Systematic change requires a willingness to look on change as an opportunity.

Do what you do best, and outsource the rest.