A student of life considers the world a classroom.
— Harvey Mackay
Worrying about the past or the future isn't productive. When you start chastising yourself for past mistakes, or seeing disaster around every corner, stop and take a breath and ask yourself what you can do right now to succeed.
You do not get what you want. You get what you negotiate.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.
To me, job titles don't matter. Everyone is in sales. It's the only way we stay in business.
By my count, more business leaders have failed and derailed because of arrogance than any other character flaw.
The annals of business are filled with stories of companies that thought they had it made and could milk their enterprises without having to bother about improving their products or services. It's amazing how fast they found their markets disappearing.
An optimist understands that life can be a bumpy road, but at least it is leading somewhere. They learn from mistakes and failures, and are not afraid to fail again.
When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It's all a matter of perspective.
In a climate of tight budgets, reduced workforces and stiff competition, internal training can be a great substitute for costly offsite workshops and conferences.
Learn from the past, but don't live there. Build on what you know so that you don't repeat mistakes. Resolve to learn something new every day. Because every 24 hours, you have the opportunity to have the best day of your company's life.
The life of a startup is full of ups and downs, an emotional roller coaster ride that you can't quite imagine if you've spent your whole career in a corporation.
When advice is freely given, the receiver is free to use it as he or she sees fit.
The cost of praising someone is nil - but every psychological study shows the payoff is huge.
It's only lonely at the top if you forget all the people you met along the way and fail to acknowledge their contributions to your success.
Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be thankful. Conceit is self-given; be careful.
Pay attention to those employees who respectfully ask why. They are demonstrating an interest in their jobs and exhibiting a curiosity that could eventually translate into leadership ability.
You learn how to be book smart in school, but you better not forget that you also need to be street smart.
Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.
It's nice to be important, but more important to be nice. You don't know who your top customers will be five years from now or where you will be in 10 years. You may have a fancy title, but you will always need help from the people around you.
Ethical decisions ensure that everyone's best interests are protected. When in doubt, don't.
Remember you're not entitled to anything. You have to earn your success every day, and you will make mistakes like everyone else.
Most fears of rejection rest on the desire for approval from other people. Don't base your self-esteem on their opinions.
To be a champion, you have to learn to handle stress and pressure. But if you've prepared mentally and physically, you don't have to worry.
The sooner you accept the fact that you will have both successes and failures, the easier it will be to get your business and personal life headed in the right direction.
If you believe, as I do, that your employees truly are your most valuable asset, you will do whatever you can to help them do their jobs as well as possible.
Customers are the reason we open our doors every day, and keep the machines humming all night long. Customers determine what we eat, where we live, whether we stay in business.
A great accomplishment shouldn't be the end of the road, just the starting point for the next leap forward.
The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your relationships. The quality of your business is no different.
Never forget, the real secret of giving advice is this: Once you've given it, don't concern yourself with whether it is followed or not, and refrain from saying 'I told you so.'
A smart manager will establish a culture of gratitude. Expand the appreciative attitude to suppliers, vendors, delivery people, and of course, customers.
There is no shame in taking pride in achievements or position. But nobody gets to the top alone.
Good intentions aren't enough. People have good intentions when they set a goal to do something, but then they miss a deadline or other milestone.
When an employee asks why the company does things a certain way, and you can explain the logical reason, then the employee knows what she's doing is valid.
If you find yourself plagued by a recurrent worry, train yourself to think of something else. Your conscious mind can concentrate on only one thought at a time, and driving the negativity away will free you up to move forward again.
I believe that visualization is one of the most powerful means of achieving personal goals.
Life isn't fair. It's true, and you still have to deal with it. Whining about it rarely levels the playing field, but learning to rise above it is the ultimate reward.
No one ever wants to see his or her name linked to anything bad. Conscience is like a baby. It has to go to sleep before you can.
Don't fall in love with your wit. Your cleverly turned phrase may not, as you hope, show off how much gray matter you have, especially if the phrase is at someone else's expense.
Employee loyalty begins with employer loyalty. Your employees should know that if they do the job they were hired to do with a reasonable amount of competence and efficiency, you will support them.
Fatigue makes fools of us all. It robs you of your skills and your judgment, and it blinds you to creative solutions. It's the best-conditioned athlete, not the most talented, who generally wins when the going gets tough.
Pessimism doesn't grow your business or even maintain the status quo. The pessimists on your staff make the job harder for everyone around them. They make difficulties out of opportunities.
Your workforce is your most valuable asset. The knowledge and skills they have represent the fuel that drives the engine of business - and you can leverage that knowledge.
Like it or not, life is a series of competitions. You may be competing for a grade, a spot on a team, a job, or the largest account in town. The higher your self-esteem is, the better you get along with yourself, with others, and the more you'll accomplish.
Every morning brings new potential, but if you dwell on the misfortunes of the day before, you tend to overlook tremendous opportunities.
My Golden Rule of Networking is simple: Don't keep score.
There is a time to provide advice and offer an opinion, and there is a time not to. Don't be too quick to offer unsolicited advice. It certainly will not endear you to people.
None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging someone's help is a big part of understanding the importance of saying thank you.
Ego stops you from getting things done and getting people to work with you. That's why I firmly believe that ego and success are not compatible.
It doesn't matter whether you are pursuing success in business, sports, the arts, or life in general: The bridge between wishing and accomplishing is discipline.
