Tom Peters
Accept change as a friend. And don't take yourself too seriously.Collection: Change
Authority never matches responsibility. That's one of the great myths and delusions of all times. Winning managers and individual performers at all levels know that effectiveness means building your own network and creating your own authority. Those who succeed always reach far beyond formal deputation, take initiatives, and take the heat when things go awry. That's true in the military in times of war, true for 200 person manufacturing firms, and true at giant automakers or software companies.Collection: Military
Lists simplify, clarify, edify.Collection: Lists
Leaders' careers will usually be determined by their handling of one or two critical events that no one could possibly anticipate or plan for.Collection: Leadership
Momentum is a fragile force. Its worst enemy: procrastination. Its best friend: a deadline (think Election Day). Implication no. 1 (and there is no no. 2): Get to work! NOW!Collection: Procrastination
My real bottom-line hypothesis is that nobody has a sweet clue what they’re doing. Therefore you better be trying stuff at an insanely rapid pace. You want to be screwing around with nearly everything. Relentless experimentation was probably important in the 1970s-now it’s do or die.Collection: Sweet
I'm fundamentally not interested in the Fortune 500 companies - in US, Mexico, anywhere. The real backbones of economic growth are small and medium businesses.Collection: Real
Transforming leadership, [is defined as] leadership that builds on man's need for meaning, leadership that creates institutional purpose ... he is the value-shaper, the exemplar, the maker of meanings ... he is the true artist, the true pathfinder.Collection: Artist
I found myself declaiming, full flower, for an hour on the "utmost importance and urgency" of Blogging, telling him in no uncertain terms that, especially in a high-end niche business, Blogging is "the premier way" to have "intimate conversations" with his Clients. Funny thing, I believe it!Collection: Funny
The principal reason, invariably, most "successful" giant companies rather quickly become also-rans, or just amorphous blobs on the competitive landscape, is their failure to re-tool in anything like a fundamental way. In fact, the worse things get, typically, the more they dig in their heels and defend yesterday's turf.Collection: Change
Remember: You are the only human being in the world who can help this particular customer at this particular moment in time.Collection: Remember You
Many flagship state universities have wonderful digital libraries that are accessed by people around the world. In future, if not current, budget crises, trustees, board members, and administrators may wonder why these state institutions - with an articulated primary clientele of students, faculty, and staff members and a secondary clientele of all citizens of the state - should be spending resources on a digital library that is used by many people beyond the primary and secondary service populations.Collection: People
The dominant culture in most big companies demands punishment for a mistake, no matter how useful, small, invisible.Collection: Mistake
Power lies in the details, and the tenacious pursuit of such hidden levers can pay off enormously. While you don't want to get a reputation as a prissy worrywart, worrying about the details in private is important. You may think you are the world's greatest speaker, but if the auditorium's sound system is singing static - well, forget it.Collection: Inspirational
Stellar teams are invariably made up of quirky individuals who typically rub each other raw, but they figure out - with the spiritual help of a gifted leader - how to be their peculiar selves and how to win championships as a team...at the same time.Collection: Motivational
We often hear that the digital age has resulted in a devaluing of time, space, and place. But I wonder if theseclaims are exaggerated.Collection: Space
Make an extensive table of project 'deliverables'. Label one column 'as requested'. Create another column labeled 'could be'. Make each 'could be' wild and woolly!Collection: Impact
It may be primarily property taxes in the case of a public library, or state taxes and tuition in the case of an academic library at a public university, but the funding sources of most libraries continue to have a strong geographic component.Collection: Strong
We all know of the dangers and inequities of the traditional digital divide: People who have good access tocomputer networks have a distinct advantage - in terms of both life opportunities and quality of life, I wouldargue - over the vast majority of the world's population that does not yet have good access to computernetworks. The "other" digital divide points to an increasingly unstable situation that has developed inlibrarianship as digital libraries have evolved and matured.Collection: Opportunity
One potential long-term problem with many current digital libraries is that they grew out of and aresupported by bricks-and-mortar libraries. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with that arrangement, inreality it creates a potentially dangerous situation that I call "the other digital divide."Collection: Dangerous Situations
Because nearly all digital libraries are tied to bricks-and-mortar institutions, the funding base tends to be quite localized.Collection: Bricks And Mortar
I believe in the age of the Internet, Facebook and Twitter, that relationships are everything.Collection: Believe
Forget all the conventional 'rules' but one. There is one golden rule: Stick to topics you deeply care about and don't keep your passion buttoned inside your vest. An audience's biggest turn-on is the speaker's obvious enthusiasm. If you are lukewarm about the issue, forget it!Collection: Passion
Gandhi and Mandela and Churchill and JFK and Reagan and Thatcher and Sarkozy and Franklin and Washington set the tone to an incredible degree-their "personal style" was their "brand." ("It" starts with personal style of the tip-top leadership team. Sorry to be politically insensitive, but who would give a hoot about Tibet if it weren't for the look and style of the Dalai Lama?) Boss at any level: You're either on the "it" boat-or not.Collection: Leadership
Think about the market, think about the design, and think about who is going to design for that market. Hit the mark.Collection: Thinking
When you choose a managerial path, you are choosing to devote your life to people. Period.Collection: People
Musing on the phrase 'waste of time.' So much more complex than it appears. Many 'wastes of time' small talk, daydreaming are imperatives.Collection: Phrases
If the other guy is getting better, then you'd better be getting better faster than the other guy is getting better... or you're getting worse.Collection: Business
You are your projects!Collection: Execution
My half-baked reading of history is that we continue to go through these waves of entrepreneurial explosion followed by merger mania and consolidation. Out of that come big sluggish companies that eventually collapse under the weight of what they've created, and are killed off by the next wave of entrepreneurs.Collection: Business
The number one premise of business is that it need not be boring or dull. It ought to be fun. If it's not fun, you're wasting your life.Collection: Fun
The unthinkable is thinkable. No: likely.Collection: Unthinkable
Skill at creating, exploiting, and exiting crucial alliances beats ownership of fixed assetsCollection: Skills
Leadership is about tapping the wellsprings of human motivation - and about fundamental relations with one's fellows.Collection: Leadership
Entrepreneurs have no memories. They take on the world with a completely fresh view.Collection: Memories
Treat the customer as an appreciating asset.Collection: Business
It's not enough to be close to the customer. You've got to be glued to the customer.Collection: Leadership
With most competitors moving ever faster, the race will go to those who listen (and respond) most intently.Collection: Moving
The winners stun us not by their cleverness, but by the fact that every tiny aspect of the business is just a touch better than the norm.Collection: Success
If no one is pissed-off with you then you are dead but just haven't figured it out yet.Collection: Learning
If the person you delegated to does the job twice as well as you would have done it, consider yourself a leader.Collection: Jobs
To sell is above all to master the art and science of listening.Collection: Art
Learning is a matter of intensity not elapsed time.Collection: Teaching
The good news - and it is largely good news - is that everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remarkCollection: Skills
And remember: Everything in business is a paradox. To be excellent, you have to be consistent. When you're consistent, you're vulnerable to attack. Yes, it's a paradox. Now deal with it!Collection: Business
Have you set high standards in the past that make it clear what level of performance you demand?Collection: Past
Perception is all there is. If the customer think he's right, he's right.Collection: Thinking
Lavish credit on anyone and everyone who helped you the least bit.Collection: Credit
Are you placing enough interesting, freakish, long shot, weirdo bets?Collection: Long