A superior who works on his own development sets an almost irresistible example.

People are effective because they say 'no,' because they say, 'this isn't for me.'

Not to innovate is the single largest reason for the decline of existing organizations. Not to know how to manage is the single largest reason for the failure of new ventures.

What we are good at comes easy, and we believe that unless it comes hard, it can't be very good.

...because knowledge rapidly deteriorates unless it is used constantly, maintaining within an organization an activity that is used only intermittently guarantees incompetence.

The most critical case in a corporation, especially a big one, is when everything goes well, when you have accomplished your objectives. When the temptation is to work twice as hard instead of saying, "We have accomplished our objectives, we have to think again."

It is easier to raise the performance of one leader than it is to raise the performance of a whole mass.