Lee Iacocca Quotes - Page 2

Formal learning can teach you a great deal, but many of the essential skills in life are the ones you have to develop on your own.

There's no great mystery to satisfying your customers. Build them a quality product and treat them with respect. It's that simple.

A major reason capable people fail to advance is that they don't work well with their colleagues.

My father always used to say that when you die, if you've got five real friends, then you've had a great life.

The speed of the boss is the speed of the team.

A little righteous anger really brings out the best in the American personality. Our nation was born when 56 patriots got mad enough to sign the Declaration of Independence. We put a man on the moon because Sputnik made us mad at being number two in space. Getting mad in a constructive way is good for the soul- and the country.

There's a world of difference between a strong ego, which is essential, and a large ego-which can be destructive.

What is it that you like doing? If you don't like it, get out of it, because you'll be lousy at it.

Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen.

To succeed today, you have to set priorities, decide what you stand for.

I only wish I could find an institute that teaches people how to listen. Business people need to listen at least as much as they need to talk. Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions.

What is it that you like doing? If you don't like it, get out of it, because you'll be lousy at it. You don't have to stay with a job for the rest of your life, because if you don't like it you'll never be successful in it.

Even a correct decision is wrong when it was taken too late.

The only mistake I ever made was not listening to my gut.

One of the things the government can't do is run anything. The only things our government runs are the post office and the railroads, and both of them are bankrupt.

Management is nothing more than motivating other people.

The ability to concentrate and to use your time well is everything if you want to succeed in business--or almost anywhere else for that matter.

If you want to make good use of your time, you've got to know what's most important and then give it all you've got.

Any supervisor worth his salt would rather deal with people who attempt too much than with those who try too little.

The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being.

The trick is to make sure you don't die waiting for prosperity to come.

In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product, and profits.

If I Had To Sum Up In One Word The Qualities That Make Up A Good Manager, I'd Say Decisiveness.

I have found that being honest is the best technique I can use. Right up front, tell people what you're trying to accomplish and what you're willing to sacrifice to accomplish it.

If we screw it up, start over. Try something else.