An executive is someone who talks with visitors so the other employees can get their work done.
—Unknown
Those that despise people will never get the best out of others and themselves.
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) French Historian, Political Scientist
Effective people stay out of Quadrants III and IV because, urgent or not, they aren’t important. They also shrink Quadrant I down to size by spending more time in Quadrant II…Quadrant II is the heart of effective personal management.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
There is no class of men so difficult to be managed in a state as those whose intentions are honest, but whose consciences are bewitched.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
Every time I appoint someone to a vacant position, I make a hundred unhappy and one ungrateful.
—Louis XIV of France (1638–1715) King of France
There is an enormous number of managers who have retired on the job.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.
—Paul Hawken (b.1946) American Environmentalist
A good manager is a man who isn’t worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him. My advice: Don’t worry about yourself. Take care of those who work for you and you’ll float to greatness on their achievements.
—H. S. M. Burns (1900–71) American Businessman
I don’t know about you, but where I went to school, Money Management 101 wasn’t offered. Instead we learned about the War of 1812, which of course is something I use every single day.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
Management is the art of getting three men to do three men’s work.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
Top management is supposed to be a tree full of owls-hooting when management heads into the wrong part of the forest. I’m still unpersuaded they even know where the forest is.
—Robert C. Townsend (1920–98) American Businessman
Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. But the hardest thing is to initiate.—When people ask you to tell them what to do, resist.
—Seth Godin (b.1960) American Entrepreneur
For a manager to be perceived as a positive manager, they need a four to one positive to negative contact ratio.
—Ken Blanchard (b.1939) American Author, Management Consultant
‘Teamwork’ is the word that bosses use when they actually mean ‘Do what I say.’
—Seth Godin (b.1960) American Entrepreneur
The ability to manage well doesn’t make much difference if you’re not even in the right jungle.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
Note to salary setters: Pay your people the least possible and you’ll get from them the same.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Damn the great executives, the men of measured merriment, damn the men with careful smiles, damn the men that run the shops, oh, damn their measured merriment.
—Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) American Novelist, Short-Story Writer
The leader follows in front.
—Common Proverb
Make your top managers rich and they will make you rich.
—Robert S. Johnson (1920–98) American Military Leader
The smaller the function, the greater the management.
—C. Northcote Parkinson (1909–93) British Historian, Scholar, Novelist, Satirist
Who can direct when all pretend to know?
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
Managers thinking about accounting issues should never forget one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite riddles: How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? The answer: Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
Instead of forming new words I recommend to you any kind of artful management by which you may be able to give cost to old ones
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
Successful Project Management: PLAN, EXECUTE, EVALUATE Sounds simple, but most projects aren’t well planned nor are they evaluated well. The tendency is to jump right into execution and as soon as execution is completed (which usually isn’t soon), move on to the next project without evaluating what happen on the present project and what could have been improved. Successful project management requires more front and back end resources (and less middle) than are usually allocated.
—Unknown
To supervise people, you must either surpass them in their accomplishments or despise them.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Just a few words on time management: forget all about it.
—Tim Ferriss (b.1977) American Self-help Author
If each one does their duty as an individual and if each one works in their own proper vocation, it will be right with the whole.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
If way to the better there be, it exacts a full look at the worst.
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) English Novelist, Poet
When a management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is usually the reputation of the business that remains intact.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
As a manager the important thing is not what happens when you are there, but what happens when you are not there.
—Ken Blanchard (b.1939) American Author, Management Consultant
Leadership on the other hand, is about creating change you believe in.
—Seth Godin (b.1960) American Entrepreneur
Management by objectives works if you first think through your objectives. Ninety percent of the time you haven’t.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
The productivity of work is not the responsibility of the worker but of the manager.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
A good manager doesn’t try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people. If you’re the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong—that’s healthy.
—Robert C. Townsend (1920–98) American Businessman
Some great men owe most of their greatness to the ability of detecting in those they destine for their tools the exact quality of strength that matters for their work.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
Are you a serial idea-starting person? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person.
—Seth Godin (b.1960) American Entrepreneur
When a management team with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away.
—Tommy Lasorda (1927–2021) American Baseball Player, Coach
Organization doesn’t really accomplish anything. Plans don’t accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don’t much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.
—Colin Powell (1937–2021) American Military Leader
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Incidents should not govern policy; but, policy incidents.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself. Do that well and you’ll be ready to stop managing. And start leading.
—Unknown
When a management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
A president either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him. I never felt that I could let up for a moment.
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) American Head of State
In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.
—David Ogilvy (1911–99) British-American Advertising Executive
Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere.
—Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) American Head of State
One cannot manage too many affairs: like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other.
—Chinese Proverb
You don’t need a Harvard MBA to know that the bedroom and the boardroom are just two sides of the same ballgame.
—Stephen Fry (b.1957) English Actor, Writer, Director, Broadcaster