I learned that, before you reach an objective, you must be ready with a new one, and you must start to communicate it to the organization. But it is not the goal itself that is important.

SAS is 'created' 50 million times a year, 15 seconds at a time. These 50 million 'moments of truth' are the moments that ultimately determine whether SAS will succeed or fail as a company. They are the moments when we must prove to our customers that SAS is their best alternative.

If anything goes wrong, the customer doesn't care whose fault it is. He's the one who's going to suffer anyway.

If you're not serving the customer, your job is to be serving someone who is.

Giving someone the freedom to take responsibility releases resources that would otherwise remain concealed.

The moral of the story: perceptions are everything. During each moment you are in contact with a customer, you are the organization.

A true leader is one who designs the cathedral and then shares the vision that inspires others to build it.

Setting a good example is truly the most effective means of communication - and setting a poor one is disastrous!

An individual without information can't take responsibility. An individual with information can't help but take responsibility.