Governments, especially democratic ones, are short-term and nationalistic.

Trusting people to be creative and constructive when given more freedom does not imply an overly optimistic belief in the perfectibility of human nature. It is, rather, belief that the inevitable errors and sins of the human condition are far better overcome by individuals working together in an environment of trust and freedom and mutual respect than by individuals working under a multitude of rules, regulations, and restraints imposed upon them by another group of imperfect individuals.

Mastery of creative tension brings out the capacity for perseverance and patience. Time is an ally.

Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively.

When there is genuine vision(as opposed to the all-too-familiar vision statement), people excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to.

The rate at which organizations learn may soon become the only sustainable source of competitive advantage.

In the Machine Age, the company itself became a machine - a machine for making money.