It takes five years to design a new car in this country. Heck, we won World War II in four years.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Progress
There is no accountability in the public school system – except for coaches. You know what happens to a losing coach. You fire him. A losing teacher can go on losing for 30 years and then go to glory.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Teaching
Business is not just doing deals; business is having great products, doing great engineering, and providing tremendous service to customers. Finally, business is a cobweb of human relationships.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Engineering, Business
If someone is blessed as I am is not willing to clean out the barn, who will?
—Ross Perot
Topics: Ego, Egotism
The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Action
Failures are like skinned knees—painful, but superficial.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Failure
If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create something the size of N.A.S.A. to make one.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Bureaucracy
When building a team, I always search first for people who love to win. If I can’t find any of those, I look for people who hate to lose.
—Ross Perot
Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility, and commitment.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Commitment, Balance, Success, Discipline, Humility
If we decide to take this level of business creating ability nationwide, we’ll all be plucking chickens for a living.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Business
Which one of the three candidates would you want your daughter to marry?
—Ross Perot
Topics: Elections, Voting
Spend a lot of time talking to customers face to face. You’d be amazed how many companies don’t listen to their customers.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Customers
If you can’t stand a little sacrifice and you can’t stand a trip across the desert with limited water, we’re never going to straighten this country out.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Politics, Politicians
Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.
—Ross Perot
Eagles don’t flock—you have to find them one at a time.
—Ross Perot
Topics: Leaders, Leadership
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Neil Armstrong American Astronaut
Bill Clinton American Head of State
Ralph Nader American Activist
George H. W. Bush American Head of State
Sheryl Sandberg American Executive, Author
Steven Spielberg American Film Director
Gerald Ford American Head of State
Sam Walton American Entrepreneur
Sandra Day O’Connor American Jurist
Dolores Huerta American Labor Activist