There are countless ways of achieving greatness, but any road to achieving one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity.

The ultimate compliment a customer can make to an organization about one of its marketing people is: I'm not sure whether your sales rep works for me or for you.

While every body wants it, most don't want to give it.

Leadership is the ability of a single individual through his or her actions to motivate others to higher levels of achievement.

IBM doesn't want its people to get frustrated and restless because it has them reaching for carrots they can't quit

You can't talk about leadership without talking about responsibility and accountability...you can't separate the two. A leader must delegate responsibility and provide the freedom to make decisions, and then be held accountable for the results.

Don't make misrepresentations to anyone you deal with. If you believe the other person may have misunderstood you, correct any misunderstanding you find exists. Honesty is integral to ethical behavior, and trustworthiness is essential for good, lasting relationships.

. . . top management should spend 40 to 50 percent of its time educating and motivating its people . . .

. . . the world is filled with the kind of customers who deserve the care and attention I advocate, and I'd be willing to jump through hoops to win and keep them.