“Some people achieve the top of the ladder and only then realize it was standing against the wrong wall.”
Stephen Covey, 1932-, Author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
“For progressive people the present is the beginning of the future. For conservative people the present is the end of the past.”
Karl Mannheim, 1893-1947, One of the founding fathers of classical sociology
“Seek not to know all the answers but to understand the questions.”
Kwai Chang Caine, 1972-1975, fictional television character played by David Carradine
“Distance is not a problem. It’s taking the first step that is difficult.”
Marquise du Deffand, 1697-1780, French hostess and patron of the arts
“You never know where your actions will lead to. But if you don’t do anything they will lead you nowhere.”
Mohandas Gandhi, 1869-1948, Spiritual leader of India during independence movement
“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.”
Peter F. Drucker 1909-, American management guru
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
Sun Tzŭ c. 490 BC, Chinese military strategist
Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
Peter F. Drucker, American Management Guru
Peter F. Drucker, American Management Guru
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE
It is much more difficult to measure non performance than performance.
Harold S. Geneen, former CEO of ITT
The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
Michelangelo, Italian sculptor, painter, architect & poet
It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises—but only performance is reality.
Harold S. Geneen, 1910-1997, communications executive
The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.
Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, author and pioneer in self-improvement and interpersonal skills
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860, German philosopher
There’s nothing so useless than executing a task efficiently when it actually never should have been executed at all.
Peter Drucker, 1909-, American management guru
Treat people the way they are and they will stay that way. Treat people the way they can become and they will become that way.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832, German writer and author of Faust
The value of achievement lies in the achieving.
Albert Einstein 1879-1955, German-born American theoretical physicist
An economist is someone who knows all the answers to last years’ questions.
Robert Orben, 1927-, American magician and professional comedy writer
Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.
Stephen Covey, 1932-, Author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
What’s your favorite performance management quote?
