Thomas J. Peters Quotes

Design that matters infuses HR and Purchasing and Finance as much as product development.

Life is too short for non-WOW projects.

someone with whom I have an intimate relationship

Superb relationships are at the heart of success. Kindness is the core of superb relationships.

What is my personal strategy for the next 10 hours? Who can I talk with or what can I volunteer for to learn something new?

An organization, no matter how ‘technologically transformed,’ is at the end of the day no more/no less than: PEOPLE SERVING PEOPLE. (And as leader, your job is: SERVE THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE THE PEOPLE.) (One last thing: The people we serve are our Customers AND our Communities.)

Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes.

R&D/good times and bad times. R&D may have to take its lumps in tough times ... But beware of cutting too much muscle.

Make the collective, professional pursuit of listening skills per se a keystone of corporate 'culture'.

Have fun/Make it fun. … All human endeavor is about emotion. Zest, joy, pride—and fun—are near the heart of any successful enterprise.

Passionate servant leaders, determined to create a legacy of earthshaking transformation in their domain create/must necessarily create organizations which are ... no less than Cathedrals in which the full and awesome power of the Imagination and Spirit and native Entrepreneurial flair of diverse individuals is unleashed ... In passionate pursuit of jointly perceived soaring purpose and personal and community and client service Excellence.

The Big Four: Out-read 'em. Out-study 'em. Out-present 'em. Out-listen 'em.

Punctuality at meetings influences culture of punctuality, i.e., promise-keeping in general, on-time deliveries, etc.

If you want to achieve Excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less than Excellent work. The first 99.9% of getting from here to there is the determination to do it and not to compromise, no matter what set of road blocks those around you erect.

As project chief you are creating a narrative, a story, a good yarn. If you look at the process-journey that way, you and your gang will … dramatically up the odds of a WOW outcome!