But one thing was perfectly clear: John was sacrificing himself to save the company. He was over his head and he knew it. Although it meant the end o… - Lee Iacocca

In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.

Beacham used to talk about street smarts, the things you just know, the basic lessons that can’t really be taught. “Remember, Lee,” he would say, “the only thing you’ve got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. That’s the only real advantage we’ve got over the apes. Remember, a horse is stronger and a dog is friendlier. So if you don’t know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream — and a lot of guys don’t — that’s just too bad, because then you can never really make it.

The trouble with you, Phil, is that you went to Harvard, where they taught you not to take any action until you’ve got all the facts. You’ve got ninety-five percent of them, but it’s going to take you another six months to get that last five percent. And by the time you do, your facts will be out of date because the market has moved on you. That’s what life is all about — timing.