A while back, I came across a line attributed to IBM founder Thomas Watson. If you want to achieve excellence, he said, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.

In McKinsey's world, all of life is one of two things: strategy or organization.

The widespread availability of information is the only basis for effective day-to-day problem solving, which abets continuous improvement programs.

Treat the customer as an appreciating asset.

I am my clients. I am defined by who I do business with.

People of all demographic categories and geographic regions will access a good digital library.

My half-baked reading of history is that we continue to go through these waves of entrepreneurial explosion followed by merger mania and consolidation. Out of that come big sluggish companies that eventually collapse under the weight of what they've created, and are killed off by the next wave of entrepreneurs.