First Impression Quotes Archive
Looking for a little inspiration–or indignation? Every day FastCompany.com features a quote on our homepage that we expect will leave an impression. The quotes come from classic Fast Company articles. Besides appearing front-and-center on the homepage, First Impression is also delivered to readers via newsletter. Below is an archive of these quotes, highlighting the words of great minds, original thinkers, and insightful individuals.
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Week of January 28, 2008
- “When you test the way marketers say the world works, it falls apart.”
- Duncan Watts, Yahoo! Research
From the article: Is the Tipping Point Toast? - “Our strategy is to launch more programming that appeals to niche audiences on the internet.”
- Jim Louderback, CEO, Revision3
From the article: Revision3 Continues Social Strategy with Digg Reel - “All general managers would rather keep almost everything secret.”
- Tyler Kepner, writer, New York Times
From the article: Sports Business: The New Yankees Boss - “I’m a silent partner and an entrepreneur outside of music.”
- Chris Bridges aka, Ludacris
From the article: Ludacris — Rapper Turned Entrepreneur? - “Peer pressure, or even just peer awareness, is a powerful motivating factor.”
- Dan and Chip Heath, coauthors, “Made to Stick”
From the article: Make Goals Not Resolutions
Week of January 21, 2008
- “We need people with dirty jobs. They contribute to progress, too.”
- Mike Rowe, host, Dirty Jobs
From the article: The Dirtiest Mind in Business - “If you push for change, you better know of what you speak and why.”
- John Baldoni, leadership consultant
From the article: To Change or Not To Change? - “Predictability can be a double edged sword.”
- Valeria Maltoni, marketer
From the article: Too Much of a Good Thing? - “What’s good the for environment is very good for the economy.”
- Terry Tamminen, environmental activist
From the article: Postcards from the Year 2030 - “We’re here to bust down the door and smack some people around.”
- Michael Silver, Sports columnist, Yahoo
From the article: Yahoo’s Rally Cry
Week of January 14, 2008
- “Is straight business news too boring to sustain a cable channel?”
- Elizabeth Spiers, founding editor, Gawker.com
From the article: The Idiot Box - “Paris Hilton is some sort of branding genius. She inspires me.”
- Alex Bogusky, chief creative officer, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
From the article: What Paris Hilton Can Teach You About Branding - “Nike understands what it means to be an aspirational marketer.”
- Chamath Palihapitaya, VP of product marketing, Facebook
From the article: Will Facebook Ever Make Money? - “There is a tendency to demonize China in the global press.”
- Scott Kronick, President, Ogilvy’s China Division
From the article: Can PR Save China? - “Technology has come to the point that we can empower individuals.”
- David Agus, cofounder, Navigenics
From the article: Are There Holes In My Genes?
Week of January 7, 2008
- “The marketplace is so crowded that the consumer simply needs to exercise a little brand bigotry to make shopping comprehensible.”
- Rob Walker, columnist, Fast Company magazine
From the article: Just Say No - “Eliminating the barriers to over-using certain web sites is a sure way to breed a whole new level of computer addiction.”
- Chris Dannen, FastCompany.com intern
From the article: Are You a Loser - “There is latent power within the social network.”
- Joe Green, co-founder, Project Agape
From the article: Activist Facebooking and Virtual Gifting - “Advertising can be damn expensive, and the returns often just aren’t proportional.”
- Saabira Chaudhuri, Associate Editor, FastCompany.com
From the article: ROI? Not With Those Ads You Won’t… - “One side effect of being an innovative company is that every crackpot in the world who’s inventing things is contacting you.”
- Alex Lee, president, OXO
From the article: The Power of Shape Shifters
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Week of December 31, 2007
- “Clients are realizing that they can’t just rely on what vendors are telling them.”
- Sue DeRagon, associate director, STR
From the article: The Independent Tester - “Subordinates need to be willing to be held accountable and managers need to be willing to hold them accountable.”
- Mark Goulston, leadership coach and business psychiatrist
From the article: When Performance Reviews Underperform - “The idea that creativity is vital to success is not widely accepted.”
- Mark Dziersk, VP of Design, Herbst LaZar Bell
From the article: Connecting the Dots - “Freaking out does not fix businesses. Learning from lessons, coupled with a laser focus on finding solutions, does.”
- Karen Post, founder, Oddpodz
From the article: Shifting Gears at 105 mph — Without Flying off a Cliff - “It’s always better to know than not to know.”
- David Roberts, columnist, Fast Company magazine
From the article: Carbon Copy
Week of December 24, 2007
- “It’s not every day you find an industry that hasn’t been transformed by the Internet.”
- Shana Fisher, senior VP, IAC
From the article: Barry Diller’s Grand Acquisitor - “You can’t get out of first gear if you don’t first know what you’re trying to accomplish.”
- Shawn Graham, Associate Director, MBA Career Management Center
From the article: 7 Steps to Managing Your Brand - “Instead of being more organized or controlling in your approach, allow for serendipity.”
- Marcia L. Conner, author, “Learn More Now”
From the article: More or Less - “Ideas can come from anywhere, including outside the company.”
- Richard Watson, author, “Future Files”
From the article: Innovation Lessons From ‘The Big Apple’ - “Getting customers to visit your Web site is much tougher than it used to be.”
- Robert Scoble, VP, Podtech.net
From the article: Stars, Stripes, and Social Media
Week of December 17, 2007
- “You can’t take a Hollywood nightclub concept and drop it in the suburbs of Kansas City. When it gets to the general populace, it wears thin.”
- Eli Portnoy, chief strategist, Portnoy Group
From the article: Berry, Berry Ambitious - “The better the client the more creative freedom they give you.”
- Paul Discoe, architect
From the article: The Brains Behind Billionaire Homes - “The rules governing our wireless industry are a relic of the 1980s.”
- Senator Amy Klobuchar
From the article: Hate Your Cell Phone No More - “We are increasingly a sleep deprived nation.”
- Arshad Chowdhury, founder, MetroNaps
From the article: Out of the Bedroom and Into the Office - “Digital is the fulcrum for advertising.”
- David Doty, senior VP, IAB
From the article: A Mad Man Gets His Head Together
Week of December 10, 2007
- “Emerging shopping meccas are places such as Brazil, Mexico, China, and Russia.”
- Paco Underhill, author, “Why We Buy”
From the article: Retail Fantasyland - “We’re really a niche company, but it’s a huge niche.”
- Kip Hirschbach, CEO, Axis Technologies
From the article: Because Sunlight Is Better For Us Anyway - “I do everything I can to disrupt my comfort zone.”
- Brian Grazer, film producer
From the article: Where Do Ideas Come From? - “I believe advertising is the tax you pay for being unremarkable.”
- Robert Stephens, founder, Geek Squad
From the article: From Hip-Hop to Geek Wisdom - “Your parents say, ‘Balance your checkbook,’ but you don’t have to anymore.”
- Aaron Patzer, CEO, Mint
From the article: Easy Money
Week of December 3, 2007
- “Apple is far more overvalued than Google, Intel, or Microsoft.”
- Steve Hach, senior analyst, ValuEngine
From the article: All Eyes on Apple - “In a virtual world, communication — largely through email — is the basis on which relationships are built.”
- David Teten and Scott Allen, co-authors, “The Virtual Handshake”
From the article: One Person’s Networking Is Another’s Spam - “The needs of business travelers have not been helped by the current realities of air travel.”
- Owen N. Wild, Director of Marketing, Amadeus
From the article: Business Travel: What’s Changing? - “Achieving strategic alignment is a major undertaking for any organization, but it is worth the effort.”
- Jim Bolt, founder, Executive Development Associates
From the article: Creating Strategic Alignment through Executive Development - “There is actually the opportunity for value creation in being socially responsible.”
- Brian Walker, CEO, Herman Miller
From the article: Now the Good News…
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Week of November 26, 2007
- “We like to push the content and get the word out to as many other platforms as we can.”
- Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks
From the article: Fast Talk: Stuffing the Channel - “While it’s important to work hard, all work and no play is a recipe for diminishing returns.”
- Wendy Marx, PR Expert
From the article: Personal Branding and Work-Life Balance - “Showing gratitude, however, is a key interpersonal skill. I see it as a leadership skill.”
- Ruth Sherman, communication consultant
From the article: Getting Noticed by Giving Thanks - “I see that the media doesn’t care about that balance at all. Everything is still set up as a competition.”
- Tom Stern, author, “CEO Dad”
From the article: The One Reality Show We Really Need - “We chose a market we had no preconceived notions about, just to get us thinking.”
- Luke Williams, creative director, Frog Design
From the article: At Frog, Being Green Isn’t Easy; It’s Essential
Week of November 19, 2007
- “A small- to medium-size company coming here will have to break the law left, right, and center.”
- Nicholas Levenetz, director of sales and marketing, Scott Holland
From the article: Nightmare in Boomtown - “Most corporate workers are bored and dangerously comfortable.”
- Timothy Ferriss, author, “The 4-Hour Workweek”
From the article: Seven Questions with the 4-Hour Workweek Evangelist - “New media was the underdeveloped stepchild. Now it’s first on the marketing plan.”
- Greg Trani, new media specialist
From the article: Did the Web Help Kanye Outsell 50 Cent? - “What makes any entertainment property standout is having a compelling story and a compelling universe.”
- Chris Di Cesare, director of Xbox marketing, Microsoft
From the article: Microsoft Bets Big On Halo 3 - “Girls are just as interested as boys their age in being on top of tech.”
- Reyne Rice, Toy Industry Association analyst
From the article: Hype Machines
Week of November 12, 2007
- “I’d be perfectly happy letting fans digitally download everything in the production office.”
- Ronald D. Moore, Executive Producer, Battlestar Galactica
From the article: Inside the Mind of a Cylon - “Innovation takes guts, real guts.”
- Ellen McGirt, Senior Writer, Fast Company magazine
From the article: This Post Will Eventually Be About Facebook - “Don’t just tell customers you’ve changed; show them you’ve changed.”
- Saabira Chaudhuri, Associate Editor, FastCompany.com
From the article: Rebrand Awards: An Inside Peek - “Like a good curry, becoming an entrepreneur is all about finding the right ingredients.”
- Charan Gill, entrepreneur
From the article: Entrepreneurship: Go Ahead, Be a Delicious Curry - “Who idolizes the plodding studiers of spreadsheets? Nobody.”
- Rob Walker, columnist, The New York Times Magazine
From the article: Going for the Gut
Week of November 5, 2007
- “Most people try to make things more complicated than they are.”
- Johnathan Goodwin, co-founder, SAE Energy
From the article: Motorhead Messiah - “If you treat employees like children, they will behave that way.”
- Margaret Heffernan, author, “The Naked Truth”
From the article: Ten Habits of Incompetent Managers - “Even the best are ineffective unless they can also lead.”
- Jim Bolt, founder, EDA
From the article: Developing the 3-Dimensional Leader - “That idea of consumer engagement is looking even more vapid than it did before.”
- Tim Manners, publisher, Reveries
From the article: Right By Radiohead - “You get a different view from the ground floor than from the corner office.”
- Alex Frankel, author, “Punching In”
From the article: Magic Shop
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Week of October 29, 2007
- “It’s all about storytelling. It’s about creating a connection to the audience.”
- Reginald Hudlin, President of Entertainment, BET
From the article: Matching Message and Medium - “Twitter is a form of performance art.”
- Adam Hanft, branding guru
From the article: Report From Web 2.0: More Creativity In This World Than the “CREATIVE” One - “Knowing what makes you happy will unlock the guerilla career seeker in you.”
- Lynette Chiang, Customer Evangelist, Bike Friday
From the article: If Money Can’t Buy Happiness, Try Happiness - “There is very little chance that your marketing message can cut through that clutter.”
- Nick Rice, creativity consultant
From the article: Innovation: This Post is All About You - “It’s now much more possible to live away from your computer and stay fully connected.”
- Robert Scoble, VP, Podtech.net
From the article: The New Road Warrior
Week of October 22, 2007
- “We’ll make big changes over the next couple of years and keep iterating and innovating.”
- John Donahoe, president, eBay Marketplaces
From the article: eBay’s Chaos Theory - “If your day-to-day is making you miserable, your long-term prospects are not going to be much better.”
- David Dickter, organizational psychologist
From the article: How to Quit Your Job - “It is easier to identify competitors when you have a market and market share.”
- Gilles BianRosa, CEO, Azureus
From the article: Television 2.0: Coming to a (Computer) Screen Near You - “You have to have that extra drive and effort to follow your passion.”
- Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, professional video gamer
From the article: How to Get the Job of Your Dreams - “You never know for sure how things will go.”
- Adam D’Angelo, chief technology officer, Facebook
From the article: Facebook is the “It” Company of 2007
Week of October 15, 2007
- “We must replace the name ‘beautiful’ by the name ‘good.'”
- Philippe Starck, designer, YOO
From the article: Starck Raving - “Help yourself see more by looking past your beliefs.”
- Marcia L. Conner, author, “Learn More Now”
From the article: The Seeing/Believing Gap - “Creating a clear and compelling vision statement is not a simple matter.”
- Gordon Quick, founder, CEO Mentors
From the article: Creating the Inspiration - “We shouldn’t get too hung up on technology.”
- Richard Watson, author, “Future Files”
From the article: Why the Future Keeps Catching Us Out - “The challenge is developing a brand that has sticking power.”
- Martin Schlatter, global chief marketing officer, Wrigley
From the article: Spicing Up the Gum Trade
Week of October 8, 2007
- “We are awakening to the idea that food is more than simply sustenance.”
- Maisie Greenawalt, director of strategic initiatives, Bamco
From the article: Cafeteria 2.0 - “Trust is earned; and it is earned the hard way.”
- John Baldoni, leadership consultant
From the article: Trust Matters - “Difficult people who become believers end up your biggest evangelists.”
- Lynette Chiang, Customer Evangelist, Bike Friday
From the article: Selling a dream? Don’t make returning it a nightmare - “The workplace seems to have become a ‘rent-a-relationship’ kind of world.”
- Chip Conley, CEO, Joie de Vivre
From the article: What’s the Divorce Rate in Your Company? - “You should empower the creativity of others.”
- Brad Garlinghouse, senior VP of community, Yahoo
From the article: Return of the King
Week of October 1, 2007
- “The commercial aspect of objects is something beautiful.”
- Paola Antonelli, curator of design, MoMA
From the article: Paola the Populist - “Political giving is generally a carefully considered act — it’s an act of emotional passion.”
- Matt DeBergalis, founder, ActBlue
From the article: Marketing Election ’08: Q&A with Matt DeBergalis, ActBlue - “Risk itself has a more prominent place on the corporate agenda.”
- Adrian J. Slywotzky and Karl Weber, authors, “The Upside”
From the article: How to Help Your Company Focus on the New World of Risk - “Packaging has the potential to make or break a product.”
- Richard Bates, Executive Creative Director of Brand Integration, Ogilvy and Mather
From the article: What a Packaging Makeover Can Do For Your Company - “Once you have a great idea and you blow it, you don’t get a chance to resurrect it.”
- David Novak, CEO, Yum Brands
From the article: Winging It
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Week of September 24, 2007
- “The simplest definition of design is how you treat your customer.”
- Yves Béhar, founder, fuseproject
From the article: All About Yves - “Come clean and admit to your frailties and stupidity.”
- Keith Ferrazzi, author, “Never Eat Alone”
From the article: Mistakes Were Made. Now Recover. - “When the truth is missing, people feel demoralized, less confident, and ultimately are less loyal.”
- Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, authors, “Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em”
From the article: Tell Them the Truth - “The real marketing potential of online social networks is listening, not talking.”
- Tim Manners, publisher, “Reveries”
From the article: Socialized Media - “It’s fine with me if design is regarded as nothing more than a business tool.”
- Sam Lucente, VP of design, Hewlett-Packard
From the article: Streamlining HP
Week of September 17, 2007
- “The business community has a responsibility not to contribute, even implicitly, to human-rights violations.”
- Sharon Hom, Executive Director, Human Rights In China
From the article: An Activist’s Difficult Game - “Apple screwed its customers that it professes to value so highly.”
- Ruth Sherman, communication consultant
From the article: Steve Jobs’s Non-Apology - “Workplace gossip is increasingly becoming a problem.”
- Tom Stern, author, “CEO Dad”
From the article: The Perils of Gossip in the Jerkplace - “Even when the economy remains strong, over hiring can still have negative consequences.”
- Shawn Graham, Associate Director, Kenan-Flagler Business School
From the article: Campus Recruiting Over/Under - “Americans have a long history of confusing inscrutability with genius.”
- Elizabeth Spiers, founding editor, Gawker
From the article: The Hollow Man
Week of September 10, 2007
- “The Olympics is the debutante ball for China. The rising consumer class will be an engine of growth.”
- Tom Bedecarre, CEO, AKQA
From the article: A Pioneer’s Startup Story - “Younger generations have a self-centered work ethic.”
- Cam Marston, author, “Motivating the ‘What’s In It For Me?’ Workforce”
From the article: Retaining Younger Workers in the Workplace - “We have got to start transitioning away from fossil fuels.”
- Jim Gordon, President, Energy Management Inc.
From the article: Jim Gordon May Have an Answer to our Energy Problems - “We’re doing more viral these days than television ads.”
- Laura Crawford, marketer, RNC
From the article: Q&A With Laura Crawford, The RNC’s Loaded Gun - “The Olympics will be the ultimate test when it comes to counterfeit goods.”
- Ray Tai, Assistant General Counsel, Adidas
From the article: Adidas’s Fake-Out Artist
Week of September 3, 2007
- “Developing leaders and high-potential talent has become a strategic necessity.”
- Jim Bolt, founder, Executive Development Associates
From the article: Developing Executive Education for Your Organization - “I’m ahead of Oprah! I have this audience of so many people, I can say anything I want to.”
- Ashley Qualls, founder, Whateverlife.com
From the article: Girl Power - “Boomers will be living out dreams they could have only fantasized as TV-bound kids.”
- Owen N. Wild, Director of Marketing, Amadeus
From the article: Air Travel Goes Tribal - “If you work alone, make special efforts to connect with others.”
- Keith Ferrazzi, author, “Never Eat Alone”
From the article: Relationships for the Self-Employed - “You have to work with everybody and come to a compromise.”
- Daniel Libeskind, architect, Freedom Tower
From the article: Sky Fighter
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Week of August 27, 2007
- “Anything less than being the next Yahoo, Google, or eBay is a failure.”
- Jason Calacanis, founder, Mahalo
From the article: Man vs. Machine - “The differentiating point cannot be price alone. It has to be service.”
- Valeria Maltoni, marketer
From the article: Want to Make Customers Stay? TALK to Them - “With the right marketing touch you can overcome any obstacle.”
- Shawn Graham, Associate Director, UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School
From the article: Overhaul your Job Postings - “Challenge comes from learning and doing.”
- John Baldoni, leadership consultant
From the article: Energy Boost - “Companies are getting worried that they’re not going to be able to find enough good employees.”
- Mary Cullinane, director, Microsoft’s Partners in Learning program
From the article: Microsoft’s Class Action
Week of August 20, 2007
- “I wholeheartedly believe in what Wal-Mart’s doing, which astounds me.”
- Adam Werbach, founder, Act Now
From the article: Working with the Enemy - “It’s not so easy to surpass a success.”
- Andrea Pininfarina, CEO, Pininfarina
From the article: An Oral History of the Design Behind Maserati’s 2008 GranTurismo - “The medical community wants to maintain the status quo in a system that everyone agrees is broken.”
- Michael Howe, CEO, MinuteClinic
From the article: Fast-Food Medicine - “Our mission is to change the perception of India from an outsourcer to a source.”
- Sharad Devarajan, CEO, Virgin Comics
From the article: They Sure Don’t Make Comic Books Like They Used To - “There’s a new communications revolution coming.”
- Robert Scoble, VP, PodTech.net
From the article: The Next Email
Week of August 13, 2007
- “A new, more interactive, graphical, and visceral Web is bubbling up all over.”
- Robert Scoble, VP, Podtech.net
From the article: The New Web War - “Business people always feel like they have to be learning something.”
- Tom Stern, author, “CEO Dad: How to Avoid Getting Fired by Your Family”
From the article: Podcast: A Conversation with CEO Dad - “Technology has taken a back seat.”
- Anil Dash, chief evangelist, Six Apart
From the article: Podcast: Business Blogging - “You can never really go and ask your customers how to come up with a revolutionary product.”
- James Dyson, Designer and Engineer
From the article: Podcast: Sir James Dyson On Getting It Right - “Self-promotion can be a painful and humiliating process. “
- Rob Walker, columnist, “New York Times Magazine”
From the article: Great Moments in Self-Promotion
Week of August 6, 2007
- “We’re willing to make less money than everybody else.”
- Bob Nelson, VP of financial planning, Costco
From the article: The Tiger in Costco’s Tank - “It’s the rare individual who, at the age of eighteen, knows very much about the world or even herself.”
- Margaret Heffernan, author, “The Naked Truth”
From the article: Bad Numbers - “Airports once were places that people were excited to visit.”
- Robert Buckman, airline futurist
From the article: The Airport of the Future - “Your success is driven in large part by your ability to leverage the community you build around you.”
- Scott Allen and David Teten, authors, “The Virtual Handshake”
From the article: Who Knows Who You Know: Leverage and Focus - “Most people don’t run their lives based on worst-case scenarios.”
- Vivian Steir Rabin, VP, Salovey & Associates
From the article: Open Debate
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Week of July 30, 2007
- “We look to our consumers and let their tastes drive our decisions.”
- Ann Herrick, VP, Strategic Music Alliances, Hallmark
From the article: Card Maker Tunes the Holidays - “Do you think the Big Six carriers recognize the extent of airline customer dissatisfaction?”
- Robert Buckman, Airline Futurist
From the article: Innovation: Are We Happy Yet? - “Our personality traits are amplified in the online world.”
- Adam Hanft, branding guru
From the article: The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship - “To evaluate whether someone can do the job, the best predictor of that is to have them do the job.”
- Shawn Graham, Associate Director, MBA Career Management Center
From the article: Careers: Why Traditional Job Interviews Don’t Work - “Stop-motion is sort of the redheaded stepchild of animation, but it’s incredibly beautiful.”
- Travis Knight, lead animator, Laika Entertainment
From the article: The Knights’ Tale
Week of July 23, 2007
- “The shift away from radio have limited how consumers discover new music.”
- Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks Entertainment
From the article: Coffee Maker Brews Fans - “People give up when the world seems to be against them, but that’s the point when you should push.”
- James Dyson, Designer and Engineer
From the article: Failure Doesn’t Suck - “Hybrids, clean-diesels, and emissions are going to drive the next big impulse in technology in vehicles.”
- Marty Padgett, editor, TheCarConnection.com
From the article: How Luxury Cars Drive Innovation - “There’s no question that positive thinking has a place in business.”
- David Mason, marketing strategist
From the article: Positive Thinking is Good. Having Oprah on Your Side is Even Better - “Radio and TV are mediums we grew up in. Video games and the Internet are today.”
- Steve Schnur, Music and Marketing, Electronic Arts
From the article: Gamer Controls Music 2.0
Week of July 16, 2007
- “A communications tool is only as good as the number of people it can reach.”
- David Gurle, executive VP, Reuters
From the article: Email Is Dead - “Some are so determined to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘Z’ they miss everything in the meantime.”
- Donna Karlin, Executive Coach
From the article: Leadership: Direction Defined or Not - “The truth is it’s risky to work with friends.”
- Rusty Weston, founder, My Global Career
From the article: Careers: Do You Like Working With Friends? - “Mobile GPS, mapping and this growing area of local search is a great opportunity for marketers.”
- Peter Fasano, digital media strategist
From the article: Technology: Road Tripping with Google Maps - “Anything that helps spur innovation, helps us.”
- Roberts, CEO, Comcast Corp.
From the article: Building the Cable Company of the Future
Week of July 9, 2007
- “The bigger the potential profits, the bigger the potential losses.”
- Ron Harbour, president, Harbour Consulting
From the article: Driven By Design - “Business success is all about identifying patterns.”
- Margaret Heffernan, author, “How She Does It”
From the article: Lessons from a Great Thinker - “Sometimes airports bring to mind a horde of mice on a treadmill.”
- Owen N. Wild, Director of Marketing, Amadeus North America
From the article: Business Trips Don’t Have to be All Business - “Business development and business networking are closely related.”
- David Teten and Scott Allen, authors, “The Virtual Handshake”
From the article: Business Trips Don’t Have to be All Business - “I thought water was water. But our customers know what they want.”
- Christian Boyens, director of food and beverage, Peninsula hotel
From the article: Message in a Bottle
Week of July 2, 2007
- “Smart people are choosing to live near smart people.”
- Carol Colletta, president, CEOs for Cities
From the article: Fast Cities 2007 - “I had new media in mind since the onset.”
- Quincy Jones III, CEO, QD3 Entertainment
From the article: Quincy Jones III Builds a Digital Entertainment Brand - “There’s no limitations, no expectations.”
- Brent Nolasco, urban artist
From the article: The Artists of Urban Vinyl - “People are seeking meaningful vacations.”
- Ross Wehner, managing director, Volunteer Adventures
From the article: Do Good, Get a Tan - “The business world rewards a long-term perspective more than the political world does.”
- Al Gore, Founder, Generation Investment Management
From the article: Al Gore’s $100 Million Makeover
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Week of June 25, 2007
- “People can now accept more complex brands.”
- Mike Hughes, president, Martin Agency
From the article: Clan of the Caveman - “India is by far the highest new jobs creator in the world.”
- Anupam Mukerji, marketing strategist
From the article: India – The Super Job Creator - “We’re not out to kill Google. We’re out to make a great new interface.”
- Mike McCue, cofounder, Tellme Networks
From the article: Finding His Voice - “We’ve now entered the silly season politically speaking.”
- Wendy Marx, PR Expert
From the article: Careers: Personal Branding Miss by Hillary Clinton - “The conundrum for companies is that good products or services aren’t enough.”
- Chip and Dan Heath, authors, “Made to Stick”
From the article: Give ’em Something to Talk About
Week of June 18, 2007
- “You can’t find out if you’re right until you take the risk.”
- Greg Papadopoulos, CTO, Sun Microsystems
From the article: Dawn of the Dead - “Technology can only take you so far.”
- Zach Nelson, CEO, NetSuite
From the article: Fresh Ideas, Global Focus - “Americans cherish free speech as a birthright.”
- Bruce Barry, Professor, Vanderbilt University
From the article: Open Debate - “Most open source projects are total failures.”
- Richard Watson, CEO, Global Innovation Network
From the article: Open Innovation and Other Foolish Ideas - “Our ability to control or fight back against media narratives is much stronger.”
- Markos Moulitsas, Blogger, Daily Kos
From the article: Fast Talk: The Blogosphere’s Kingmaker
Week of June 11, 2007
- “CEOs and their boards are having a tough time figuring out what they want.”
- Donovan Neale-May, executive director, CMO Council
From the article: The Most Dangerous Job in Business - “Could you change when change really mattered?”
- Alan Deutschman, author, “Change or Die”
From the article: The Three Keys to Change - “There are no political rules anymore.”
- Russ Schriefer, Media Director, John McCain Campaign
From the article: Fast Talk: John McCain’s Pacemaker - “You have to demonstrate judgment and courage in making resource allocation decisions.”
- Ram Charan, author, “Know-How”
From the article: Judgment and Strength of a Leader - “We’re challenging the nature of capitalism.”
- Chris Van Dyke, CEO, Nau
From the article: Leap of Faith
Week of June 4, 2007
- “I see us as a Silicon Valley startup within a big company.”
- Albert Cheng, executive VP of digital media, Disney
From the article: Brave New Mouse - “Has buying an album become like the voluntary entrance fee at a museum?”
- Greg Spotts, Creative Director, Shortlist Music Prize
From the article: Indie Bands Reach New Sales Heights Through iTunes - “User-generated content is going to force candidates to go positive with campaign advertising.”
- Laura Crawford, Media Consultant, Republican National Committee
From the article: Fast Talk: The RNC’s Loaded Gun - “Sapporo has a silhouette primed for trendiness.”
- Sasha Issenberg, author, “The Sushi Economy”
From the article: Is 22 the new 40? - “These mega-lifestyle collections don’t represent true, long-lasting design.”
- Jerry Helling, creative director, Bernhardt Design
From the article: Furniture for Keeps
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Week of May 28, 2007
- “If you have this power, you have to do something for your country.”
- Ziyi Zhang, actress
From the article: China Finds Its Muse - “When that authenticity is compromised, the brand enters decline.”
- Tim Manners, publisher, Reveries
From the article: Patagonia Values - “With the Internet, I think you have to release control.”
- Mathew Gross, Senior Adviser, John Edwards Campaign
From the article: Fast Talk: John Edwards’s Web General - “The process of cultivating leadership is dominating the thinking of many organizations.”
- James F. Bolt, founder, Executive Development Associates Inc.
From the article: How Real Leaders Identify and Develop Talent: Part 2 - “This is bigger than the Internet.”
- Elon Musk, former CEO, PayPal
From the article: The Last Green Mile
Week of May 21, 2007
- “We need to further embrace our role as an economic engine.”
- Amy Gutmann, President, University of Pennsylvania
From the article: Fast Talk: Philly Soul - “The iPhone necessarily will inspire better cell phones from other companies.”
- Jason Snell, Editorial Director, MacWorld
From the article: Why Apple’s iPhone is Not the Next iPod - “You want to be living in a space of good solutions, so when the problem changes, you’re still there.”
- Bruce Sawhill, DayJet
From the article: Flight Plan - “People get very creative if you include them.”
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor, California
From the article: Social Arnold Schwarzenegger – The Germinator - “The single most important thing a company needs to show in a crisis is that it cares.”
- Bruce Blythe, CEO, Crisis Management International
From the article: Lessons From the Tarmac
Week of May 14, 2007
- “If we see something we’re passionate about, we go after it.”
- Brent Weinstein, United Talent Agency
From the article: The Hitmen - “Leaders create conditions for people to succeed.”
- John Baldoni, Leadership Consultant
From the article: Recognition Makes Dollars and Sense - “We want the developers to make money. When they grow their business, they also grow ours.”
- Max Mancini, eBay
From the article: Disruptors Welcome - “Can one act in a socially responsible fashion without working towards social justice?”
- Chris Rabb, principal, Visceral Ventures
From the article: Social Responsibility = Social Justice? - “What I do is intentionally serendipitous.”
- Sylvia Paull, Silicon Valley public relations icon
From the article: Who is Sylvia?
Week of May 7, 2007
- “The things we savor the most are the hardest earned.”
- Jim Hardison, creative director, Character
From the article: Who Do You Love? - “That’s what you really have to be willing to do–reach outside yourself.”
- Alisa Miller, CEO, Public Radio International
From the article: Fast Talk: Testing the Edge - “The goal is to figure out the crime before the criminals.”
- Zulfikar Ramzan, Senior Principal Researcher, Symantec
From the article: Fast Talk: Threat Reduction - “Authentic leaders understand that leading is about serving others.”
- Bill George, Professor at Harvard Business School
From the article: Open Debate - “I’m here to build something for the long term. Anything else is a distraction.”
- Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO, Facebook
From the article: Hacker. Dropout. CEO.
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Week of April 30, 2007
- “Influences rush in when you invite them.”
- Michael Jager, creative director, JDK
From the article: Less Hulk, More Bruce Lee - “By treating customers well, because it’s good for your business, you’re also going to do good.”
- Pierre Omidyar, founder, Omidyar Network
From the article: Empower Seller - “The FBI has no corner on the market of people being resistant to change.”
- John Miller, assistant director of public affairs, FBI
From the article: Mission: Impossible? - “Voluntourism is for people with more time than money.”
- David Chamberlain, founder, Exquisite Safaris
From the article: Changing the World, One Luxury Vacation at a Time - “Merck used to have an attitude of, if it wasn’t created inside Merck, it wasn’t worth spending time on.”
- Heather Brilliant, analyst, Morningstar
From the article: Not Invented Here
Week of April 23, 2007
- “The world is bigger than Detroit. It’s bigger than North America.”
- Anne Asensio, executive director of advanced design, GM
From the article: Made in China - “I’m not interested in the pseudo-efficiency of trying to precisely measure poverty.”
- C.K. Prahalad, author, “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid”
From the article: Pyramid Schemer - “It’s great to know another office appreciates your work.”
- Jay Pudenz, Kimley-Horn and Associates
From the article: Grant Makers - “Google is fueled by an unsustainable business model.”
- Donna Bogatin, founder, VIPOffers.com and UrbanSavings.com
From the article: Open Debate - “Create something cool, and people will distribute your brand for you.”
- Sanaz Ahari, Lead Program Manager, Microsoft
From the article: Fast Talk: Gadget Freak
Week of April 16, 2007
- “I trust Google reasonably well, but that’s like saying you have a favorite politician.”
- Jimbo Wales, founder, Wikipedia
From the article: Is This Man Smiling? - “When there’s no sense of possessiveness or ownership in the artistic process, great things happen.”
- Paul Budnitz, owner, Kidrobot
From the article: Beyond Plastic - “As an entrepreneur, it’s exciting for me to see other people start their own business.”
- Jason Cecchettini, lender, Prosper.com
From the article: A Borrower or a Lender Be - “I wanted to nurture and mentor, but also inspire people to deliver.”
- Jill Leiderman, Executive Producer, Jimmy Kimmel Live
From the article: Fast Talk: Night Stalker - “Environment, social, and governance issues are now commanding dramatically more attention.”
- Abby Joseph Cohen, chief U.S. investment strategist, Goldman Sachs
From the article: Measured Progress
Week of April 9, 2007
- “Our job is really to be a catalyst.”
- Bérangère Magarinos, senior manager, GAIN
From the article: Fast 50: GAIN - “Some of the fastest-growing markets are in China and the Middle East.”
- Jeff Garwood, CEO, GE Water & Process Technologies
From the article: Fast 50: General Electric - “Congress needs to open this up to entrepreneurial people who are passionate about fixing problems.”
- Lori J. Steele, CEO, Everyone Counts
From the article: Fast 50: Everyone Counts - “Our aim is to get sustainability out of the tree-hugger world.”
- Stef van Dongen, director, Enviu
From the article: Fast 50: Döll / Enviu - “If you really want something, the world will conspire to help you.”
- Iftekhar Enayetullah, cofounder, Waste Concern
From the article: Fast 50: Waste Concern
Week of April 2, 2007
- “Our vision is to be the investment bank for social capital.”
- Asad Mahmood, social-investment head, Deutsche Bank
From the article: Fast 50: Deutsche Bank - “We’re trying to erase the imaginary boundary between socially positive enterprise and projects that make money.”
- Ann Rutledge, co-founder, R&R Consulting
From the article: Fast 50: R&R Consulting - “I’m 100% confident that if we don’t try, we won’t make it.”
- Mark Edlen, managing principal, Gerding Edlen Development
From the article: Fast 50: Mark Edlen - “All we’re doing is what Mother Nature does, only we do it a lot faster.”
- Cary Bullock, CEO, GreenFuel Technologies
From the article: Fast 50: GreenFuel Technologies - “You can create IT faster than you can create mental acceptance of it.”
- Greg Wyler, founder, Terracom
From the article: Fast 50: Terracom
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Week of March 26, 2007
- “We haven’t given fans a lot of options in the past. But that’s changing.”
- Michael Rapino, CEO, Live Nation
From the article: The Music Man - “Whoever said ‘all press is good press’ never had their share of bad press.”
- Karen Post, branding expert
From the article: Can Mel Gibson Bounce Back? - “I am gratified to see that we have learned something from Enron.”
- Linda Chatman Thomsen, director of enforcement, SEC
From the article: CEOs in the Slammer - “I never heard of a business relocating because the CEO loved the Super Bowl.”
- Victor Matheson, Professor, College of the Holy Cross
From the article: The Business of Hosting the Super Bowl - “No one wants to litigate if they don’t have to. It’s not a good business model.”
- Michael S. Sherman, chair, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro
From the article: YouTube’s Newfound Clout
Week of March 19, 2007
- “We’re interested in ways to go deeper than just licensing a song for a TV commercial.”
- Julie Greenwald, President, Atlantic Records
From the article: Fast Talk: Brands on the Run - “If we don’t sort out the ROI, design will continue to be viewed with skepticism.”
- Rob Wallace, managing partner, Wallace Church Inc.
From the article: No Accounting for Design? - “Now we’re seeing the emergence of mathematicians. They’re embedded everywhere.”
- Paul Horn, head of research, IBM
From the article: She’s Got Their Number - “It’s rare that you find a way to combine your profession with your avocation.”
- Stephen Oesterle, Senior VP, Medtronic
From the article: Fast Talk: Marathon Man - “People are drowning in popular culture.”
- Cathy Deely, director of marketing, Gardner museum
From the article: An Unlikely Story
Week of March 12, 2007
- “I can’t let someone else have more control over the relationship people have with my music than I do.”
- John Legend, musician
From the article: Way Behind The Music - “If it’s sustainable, it’s something we could look at.”
- Stephen Morte, Captain, British Army
From the article: Digging Out - “There is no reason in this day and age that we should be conforming to a physical device.”
- Jefferson Han, founder, Perceptive Pixel
From the article: Can’t Touch This - “We’re using Second Life to create a mentoring community.”
- Chuck Hamilton, director, IBM’s Center for Advanced Learning
From the article: Fast Talk: Getting A (Second) Life - “There are people who will pay more for fair-trade diamonds.”
- Martin Rapaport, publisher, Rapaport News
From the article: Hope Diamonds
Week of March 5, 2007
- “If you want to make something pop, you have to do it through something fun.”
- Rafi Haladjian, cofounder, Violet
From the article: Fast Talk: Wascally Wabbit - “We’re really interested in what happens when you throw a lot of brainpower at complex issues.”
- David Rejeski, director, Serious Games Initiative
From the article: The Wisdom of Gamers - “The fastest group doesn’t win if they’re running in the wrong direction.”
- Ross Willis, founder, AdvancedOnline
From the article: Amazing (But Sane) Races - “Changes now occurring within communications are one reason why we can’t afford to be silent.”
- Jeff Chester, author, “Digital Destiny”
From the article: More Recommended Reading - “Machinery has made us more efficient on one level, but it also has made more work.”
- Genevieve Bell, Director, Intel’s Digital Home Group
From the article: Fast Talk: Home Improvement
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Week of February 26, 2007
- “Good business design maximizes opportunity and resources.”
- Jeff Hamaoui, founder, Origo Inc.
From the article: A More Powerful Path - “You don’t stop. There’s no reason to be satisfied.”
- Chad Buckner, engineering manager, Toyota
From the article: No Satisfaction at Toyota - “Americans, I would say, are very label conscious.”
- J.R. Battipaglia, manager, Garnet Wines & Liquors
From the article: Bottled Up - “We have never been interested in being the Next Big Thing.”
- Karen Walker, Fashion Designer, Karen Walker LTD.
From the article: Fast Talk: Kiwi Fashion - “Everywhere you find innovation today, a community is involved.”
- Patricia Seybold, author of “Outside Innovation”
From the article: Ears Wide Open
Week of February 19, 2007
- “In Europe, people have always had an appreciation for design.”
- Paola Antonelli, architecture and design curator, MOMA
From the article: The Future of Design - “Business is the biggest jet engine out there.”
- Kyle Zimmer, President, First Book
From the article: Prime Partners: First Book - “It is not enough to have a talented designer.”
- Bernard Arnault, chairman, LVMH
From the article: Tough Love - “Electric cars could be something people desire.”
- Gildo Pallanca-Pastor, CEO, Fétish
From the article: A Electric Power - “I wanted to create an experience that I and my friends could enjoy.”
- Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group
From the article: The Enlightenment of Richard Branson
Week of February 12, 2007
- “We’re at war with ourselves, and we don’t know it.”
- Douglas K. Smith, author, “On Value and Values”
From the article: The Starbucks Effect - “You should look for all the evidence that goes against your view.”
- James Montier, strategist, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein
From the article: Prophet Among Pinstripes - “Regulation that flies in the face of reality…decreases respect for regulation, and fails.”
- Steven Hyman, former director, National Institute of Mental Health
From the article: The Body: Bulletproof - “The conversation isn’t really about ‘going organic’–it should be about how we change the world.”
- Gene Kahn, VP of sustainable development, General Mills
From the article: A Farming Fairy Tale - “I believe Wal-Mart has done a great service to the country in many ways.”
- Jim Wier, CEO, Simplicity
From the article: The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart
Week of February 5, 2007
- “Leaders manage personal relationships. They build trust.”
- Dave Ulrich, consultant
From the article: Putting the Human Into Human Resources - “We’re far more interested in being sane than we are in being vain.”
- Pat Tracy, founder, Dot Foods
From the article: The CEO Next Door - “I wouldn’t take no for an answer when I was starting out.”
- Rich Santulli, CEO, NetJets
From the article: High Fliers - “People want to work in a place where they feel inspired.”
- Ryan Wuerch, founder, Motricity
From the article: Fast Cities - “I can do my job better if I have firsthand exposure to the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
- Bob Nardelli, CEO, Home Depot
From the article: Bob Nardelli is Watching
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Week of January 29, 2007
- “There’s an advantage to being our age and at this point in our lives.”
- Kate Spade, Designer, Kate Spade
From the article: Power Couple - “We have to become a brand. There’s no other way out.”
- Will Manzer, CEO, Eastern Mountain Sports
From the article: Climbing Back Up The Mountain - “I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to do something big, or I don’t want to do it.”
- Sherri Heckenast, CEO, Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway
From the article: Driving Ambition - “You have to take the long view.”
- Bruce Mau, designer
From the article: Designer Approved - “The psychopath has no allegiance to the company at all, just to self.”
- Paul Babiak, psychologist
From the article: Is Your Boss a Psychopath?
Week of January 22, 2007
- “An entrepreneur plows the field and it weakens the idea that change isn’t possible.”
- Bill Drayton, CEO, Ashoka
From the article: A Lever Long Enough to Move the World - “You have to be willing to put your competitors through pain.”
- George Stalk, author, “Hardball”
From the article: The 10 Lives of George Stalk - “You can’t be a great leader without having someone there with the courage to support you.”
- Jon Luther, CEO, Dunkin’ Donuts
From the article: Creme of the Crop - “I don’t look at balance as an ideal.”
- John Wood, founder, Room to Read
From the article: Balance is Bunk! - “The only ideas that ultimately have impact are the ones that are right.”
- Jim Collins, co-author, “Built to Last”
From the article: Built to Last: The True Test of Timeless Companies
Week of January 15, 2007
- “It’s just as hard to make a cheap thing as it is to make an elite or expensive thing.”
- Michael Graves, designer
From the article: Target Practice - “You have to remain focused on your people. That’s the key to great service.”
- David Neeleman, CEO, JetBlue
From the article: On the Runway - “Starbucks is more than just a wonderful cup of coffee.”
- Howard Schultz, Chairman, Starbucks
From the article: Do You Hear What Starbucks Hears? - “One does not succeed by sticking to convention.”
- Garry Kasparov, chess grandmaster
From the article: The Unthinkable…and the Mundane - “Design can unlock the technological performance we build into a product.”
- A.G. Lafley, president, Procter & Gamble
From the article: Fast Talk: Better by Design
Week of January 8, 2007
- “Scientists have a habit of telling the truth.”
- Jarir K. Chaar, director, IBM services research
From the article: Brains For Sale - “We’ve had throwaway clothes, throwaway cars, and now we have throwaway people.”
- Joan Pounds, former IT representative, Agilent
From the article: Into Thin Air - “I don’t seek balance. I want to work, work, work.”
- Ann Livermore, executive VP, Hewlett-Packard
From the article: Where Are the Women? - “Isn’t it becoming a little bit sexier to be older?”
- Crawford Hollingworth, director, Headlightvision
From the article: Where The Bucks Are - “Wal-Mart is more powerful than any retailer has ever been.”
- Edward Fox, head, J.C. Penney Center for Retailing Excellence
From the article: The Wal-Mart You Don’t Know
Week of January 1, 2007
- “Successful people spontaneously do things differently.”
- K. Anders Ericsson, author, “Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance”
From the article: The Expert on Experts - “Our number-one advantage is agility.”
- Thomas McInerney, CEO, Guba
From the article: Fast Talk: Now Playing - “Investing can be like giving on steroids if you structure it right.”
- Kevin Jones, serial entrepreneur
From the article: New Profit - “Making magic is a lot of hard work.”
- Eric Witt, director of legislative affairs for the governor of New Mexico
From the article: Do You Believe In Magic? - “There’s a need for drastic experimentation.”
- Jan Schaffer, director, J-Lab at University of Maryland
From the article: Hyper-Local Hero
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Week of December 25, 2006
- “A lot depends on whether managers listen for the brilliance in their employees’ ideas.”
- Shari Ballard, VP of human resources, Best Buy
From the article: Fast Talk: Best Brains - “Viral marketing is so not trusted by people.”
- Lee Ann Daly, former VP of marketing, ESPN
From the article: Down the Rabbit Hole - “Ten years from now, your phone will be your wallet.”
- Bob Wesley, CEO, MobileLime
From the article: Whither the Checkout Girl? - “To find innovation, companies and leaders need to bring their whole persons.”
- Andrew Zolli, curator, Pop!Tech
From the article: Pop! Till You Drop - “Technology is going to massively enhance our cognitive abilities.”
- Martin Conway, psychologist, University of Leeds
From the article: A Head For Detail
Week of December 18, 2006
- “The impression is that if you’re having fun at work, you’re not working hard enough.”
- Ron Culberson, corporate speaker
From the article: Laughing Your Way to Success - “The work that we do is not only important, but highly morally justified.”
- Dr. George Q. Daley, professor of pediatrics, Harvard School of Medicine
From the article: On the Cutting Edge of Science - “Often the most important people in our network are those who are acquaintances.”
- Keith Ferrazzi, author, “Never Eat Alone”
From the article: Connecting with Connectors - “The insular focus on short-term earnings per share can have disastrous impacts.”
- Jamie Gorelick, member, 9/11 Commission
From the article: Embracing the Hard Part of the Job - “Creativity is organic. You can’t plan for it.”
- Richard Florida, author, “The Flight of the Creative Class”
From the article: Creative-Class Struggle
Week of December 11, 2006
- “We want to broaden hybrids’ appeal beyond the early adopter or tech fan.”
- Cindy Knight, environmental communications administrator, Toyota
From the article: Design Intervention - “If employees have to click more than three times to get to information, they give up.”
- Steve Bridges, IT manager, La Agencia de Orci
From the article: Working Together Made Easy - “Branding is about leveraging all the senses.”
- Karen Post, branding consultant
From the article: James Bond: An Everlasting Brand - “Certain films cannot be contained by the space in front of a TV set.”
- Jeff Frank, co-founder, Drexel Theatres
From the article: Cinema Ohio - “The strength of the PlayStation 3 versus the competition lies in its ‘future-proof’ technologies.”
- Kaz Hirai, CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America
From the article: Sony’s Risky Game
Week of December 4, 2006
- “People aren’t just looking for a designer or a programmer anymore.”
- Jason Fried, co-founder, 37Signals
From the article: The Jobs of Web 2.0 - “In many ways, an office job is like a prison sentence.”
- Michael Malice, co-creator, OverheardintheOffice.com
From the article: Office Life — On the Record - “Everyday Americans lead extremely busy lives.”
- Robert Rodriguez, brand officer, Dunkin’ Donuts
From the article: Dunkin’ Donuts — Reinventing America’s Cup of Coffee - “It’s very easy for an IT person to make you dependent on them.”
- Nelly Yusupova, New York City chapter, Webgrrls
From the article: Getting Technical - “Blogs enable you to have a relationship with your public, whatever that public is.”
- Jeff Jarvis, author, Buzz Machine
From the article: How to Launch a Career With Your Blog
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Week of November 27, 2006
- “Design helps us to bridge the gap between the present and the future.”
- Gerard Kleisterlee, CEO, Philips
From the article: Design Intervention - “Creating a multicultural outlook is part of our effort to truly leverage the power of globalization.”
- Bikramjit Maitra, HR manager, Infosys Technologies
From the article: We’re Not In Palo Alto Anymore… - “First in is not always the last out.”
- Marshal Cohen, analyst, NPD Group
From the article: The Catalyst - “Our core values are individuality, strength, determination, and empowerment.”
- Seth Horowitz, CEO, Everlast
From the article: When Brand Extensions Go Bad - “Fifty percent of doing good work is actually having it made.”
- Paula Scher, partner, Pentagram
From the article: The Wordsmith
Week of November 20, 2006
- “Design decisions are made by most everyone, everyday.”
- Joe Duffy, Founder, Duffy and Partners
From the article: Open Debate - “It’s all about taking what people are jaded about and making that next step.”
- Jon Deitelbaum, President and CEO, Planet 10 Spirits
From the article: Fast Talk: Shake and Stir - “Improvisation frees us from being perfect, being in control, thinking ahead, and second guessing.”
- Linda Naiman, creativity consultant
From the article: To Extemporize Is Human - “There has always been a deep relationship between contemporary art and architecture.”
- Thelma Golden, director, Studio Museum in Harlem
From the article: Incoming! - “If you’re reactive, you’re going to be in trouble.”
- Robert Heiblim, senior VP, Altec Lansing
From the article: The iDilemma
Week of November 13, 2006
- “We simply cannot fail.”
- Steve Adams, deputy director, Strategic National Stockpile
From the article: Fast 50: Disaster Master - “We’re predicting tomorrow’s visual aesthetic.”
- Jonathan Klein, CEO, Getty Images
From the article: Fast 50: Photoshop - “After September 11, I knew there were going to be security bottlenecks.”
- Steven Brill, CEO, Verified Identity Pass Inc.
From the article: Fast 50: Gatekeeper - “Our health-care system at the moment is so fragmented.”
- Dr. Stephen Schoenbaum, executive VP, Commonwealth Fund
From the article: Fast 50: The Quick Fix - “So much has been taken away from people.”
- Douglas Ball, Designer, Herman Miller
From the article: Fast 50: Office Space
Week of November 6, 2006
- “Getting my products into a museum is not my big goal. My goal is a product to use.”
- Patricia Urquiola, Furniture designer
From the article: Fast 50: Chairvoyant - “My work is to find the new forms related to art, but with a new audience.”
- Sam Keller, founder, Art Basel Miami Beach
From the article: Fast 50: Art Macher - “We want to make smart bombs.”
- Stephen Worsley, VP of business development, Raven Biotechnologies
From the article: Fast 50: Anticancer Antibodies - “We can’t discount corporate social responsibility.”
- Marcia Brewster, sustainable-development officer, United Nations
From the article: Fast 50: Watershed - “Will Wright is essentially changing the way content is made.”
- Dave Kosak, GameSpy.com
From the article: Fast 50: Virtual Food Chain
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Week of October 30, 2006
- “The goal here is to build a brand around social relevance in media.”
- Jeff Skoll, founder and chairman, Participant Productions
From the article: Moving Pictures - “The ability to converse should be a basic building block of organizations.”
- Dr. Kerry J. Sulkowicz, author, “Shrink/Inc”
From the article: The Corporate Shrink - “New technologies are starting to rattle the foundations of online self-expression.”
- David Hyman, CEO, Mog
From the article: We’re With the Band - “Story will always be king, no matter how much we love the technology.”
- Ethan Marten, film producer
From the article: Cue the Computers - “We realize that we can influence big things.”
- Andrew Ruben, VP of sustainability, Wal-Mart
From the article: How Many Lightbulbs Does it Take to Change the World?
Week of October 23, 2006
- “The whole economy in the world is coming down to one common market.”
- Lewis Carbone, CEO, Experience Engineering
From the article: Basic Training - “Authenticity is the thing consumers respond to the most.”
- Diego Scotti, VP of global advertising, American Express
From the article: Fast Talk: Advertising Architects - “Private action in public education should be welcomed, not decried.”
- Steven F. Wilson, founder, Advantage Schools
From the article: School Days - “I think we’re at the dawn of the hospitality economy.”
- Danny Meyer, restaurateur
From the article: Hospitality. Sweet. - “I don’t think companies think about service as service. They’re worrying about whether the company’s growing.”
- Lewis Black, comedian
From the article: The Agonies of Lewis Black
Week of October 16, 2006
- “The whole economy in the world is coming down to one common market.”
- James Zheng, COO in China, PayPal
From the article: EBay Heads East - “The amplitude and velocity of change is such that companies are more at risk.”
- Paul A. Laudicina, author, “World Out of Balance”
From the article: Mastering Disaster - “We’re preparing leaders who have a systems framework for how different sectors can collaborate.”
- Blake Bible, founder, StartingBloc
From the article: New Kids on the Bloc - “Sometimes that need to put your stamp on something is a recipe for disaster.”
- Louise Mingenbach, Costume designer, “Superman Returns”
From the article: Fast Talk: Superman Returns - “People in huge corporations are afraid of being fired. They don’t dare take those risks anymore.”
- Martin Lindstrom, founder, Brandsense
From the article: A Craving For Cool
Week of October 9, 2006
- “Designers are the new rock stars.”
- Ambra Medda, director, Design Miami Basel
From the article: The Future of Design - “The biggest driver is the growing urge that when we want something, we want it now.”
- Jo Ferreira, managing director of hub-area business development, FedEx
From the article: Rise of the Aerotropolis - “Chinese companies are poised to become the ultimate source of disruptive competition.”
- Ming Zeng, Professor, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business
From the article: China Hands - “You need to go out and talk to customers to find out what they want.”
- David McQuillen, customer-experience consultant
From the article: Talk to Our Customers? Are You Crazy? - “Things that are authentic have great appeal.”
- Mary Hodder, founder and CEO, Dabble
From the article: Revenge of the Nerds
Week of October 2, 2006
- “Leadership is about doing the right thing, not the easy thing.”
- Michael Volkema, chairman, Herman Miller
From the article: Herman Miller’s Leap of Faith - “It’s gratifying how deeply people connect to our product.”
- Tom Rogers, CEO, TiVo Inc.
From the article: Fast Talk: Doing the Unthinkable - “There are three ways to a consumer’s heart–mystery, sensuality, and intimacy.”
- Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi
From the article: Screen Grab - “If we want a vibrant economic future, we need to deal with climate change.”
- Ilyse Hogue, environmental adviser to Goldman Sachs
From the article: The Greening of Goldman - “Part of being successful in doing business in China is to be viewed as sincere.”
- Kai-Fu Lee, technologist, Google
From the article: The Talent Magnet
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Week of September 25, 2006
- “If you think you can survive by standing still, you’re crazy.”
- Hildie Neuman, global business director, JWT
From the article: Rehab: An Advertising Love Story - “What would we solve if we weren’t breaking down barriers?”
- Reverend Richard Cizik, cofounder, Evangelical Climate Initiative
From the article: Moving Heaven and Earth - “Nobody knows what the next big thing is going to be.”
- Brenda Spoonemore, VP of interactive services, NBA
From the article: Nothing But Net - “The map is basically a centerfold–it’s pornographic.”
- Glenn Kelman, CEO, Redfin
From the article: Map Quest - “The spirit of social computing is the concept of leaving value in your wake.”
- Bradley Horowitz, head of technology development, Yahoo
From the article: The Network Unbound
Week of September 18, 2006
- “We see our fan-friendly culture as a secret weapon.”
- Paul Brooks, President, NASCAR digital entertainment
From the article: Fast Talk: Good Sports - “The coffee industry has just gotten a lot more difficult.”
- Mike Cahill, owner, Cahill Associates
From the article: Java Man - “Hunger in the United States is one issue that is eminently solvable.”
- Billy Shore, Founder, Share Our Strength
From the article: Feed the World - “People are afraid of silence.”
- Diane DiResta, speech pathologist
From the article: Like, Um, You Know - “Mass market has been replaced by a mass of niches.”
- Jeff Jarvis, consultant, BuzzMachine.com
From the article: My Book, by Me
Week of September 11, 2006
- “We’re changing the way humans perceive food.”
- Homaro Cantu Jr., head chef, Moto restaurant
From the article: Weird Science - “Clients don’t want to hear about the labor pains. They just want to see the baby.”
- Andy Lansing, CEO, Levy Restaurants
From the article: Catering to the Masses - “People are interested in a broader range of music now.”
- Tom Chauncey, president, Partisan Arts
From the article: The Temptation of Superfly - “We don’t train managers as if it were a profession.”
- Jeff Angus, author, “Management by Baseball”
From the article: 9 Innings with Jeff Angus - “People should have the opportunity to flex their creative muscles.”
- Rob White, president, Fallon
From the article: Join the Corporate Literati
Week of September 4, 2006
- “Out of every disaster comes an opportunity. We might as well…reinvent ourselves.”
- Scott Cowen, president, Tulane University
From the article: The Storm After the Storm - “Medicine has changed… but the exam room isn’t so different than it was in the 1800s.”
- Dr. Michael Brennan, associate chair of dept. of medicine, Mayo Clinic
From the article: A Prescription for Innovation - “I want to understand why people do what they do.”
- G. Clotaire Rapaille, founder, Archetype Discoveries Worldwide
From the article: Crack This Code - “The Internet is a black hole.”
- Van Toffler, President, MTV Networks Group
From the article: Fast Talk: Sounds of the Future
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Week of August 28, 2006
- “Delegate, simplify, and leverage IT.”
- Sophie Vandebroek, chief technology officer, Xerox
From the article: How She Does It - “Eventually, everything will be run by a dashboard on the Internet.”
- Greg Sterling, analyst, Kelsey Group
From the article: The Cable Guys - “There are clear signs that American hegemony is faltering.”
- John Zogby, pollster
From the article: Al Jazeera’s (Global) Mission - “We want to create one iconic design a year.”
- Jim Wicks, director of consumer-experience design, Motorola
From the article: Moto’s Mojo - “China either works for you or against you.”
- Dan Mintz, founder, Dynamic Marketing Group
From the article: The Mintz Dynasty
Week of August 21, 2006
- “Success in America doesn’t usually go unnoticed.”
- Michael Funk, CEO, United Natural Foods
From the article: Fast 50: Producer - “Finding good creative talent is the hardest problem.”
- Jim O’Mahony, head of Saatchi & Saatchi’s Asian Pacific region
From the article: Fast 50: Mass Marketer - “People would like to give back, but they don’t have a pathway.”
- Rakesh Khurana, associate professor, Harvard Business School
From the article: Fast 50: Blue-Hair University - “There’s a real shift to people with artistic vision.”
- Arvind Palep, cofounder, 1st Avenue Machine
From the article: Fast 50: Special Effects - “I’d rather do revolutionary than evolutionary work.”
- Robert Langer, professor, MIT
From the article: Fast 50: (Drug) Delivery Man
Week of August 14, 2006
- “What you want to learn is how to learn.”
- Alice Snell, vice president, Taleo
From the article: Creating a Gem of a Career - “We hypothesized a future where we lead extremely fast-paced and potentially stressful lives.”
- Wendy Chua, industrial-designer
From the article: Jetsons Moments: Fast Forward - “What I see unfolding is an organic culture of learning for us all.”
- John Seely Brown, Former chief scientist, Xerox Corporation
From the article: The Future’s So Bright… - “By being sustainable, you can be more profitable.”
- Franco Bianchi, president and CEO, Haworth
From the article: Resources: The Revolution Begins - “It’s time that business stood up and joined the immigration debate.”
- Malcolm Gladwell, Writer, “The New Yorker”
From the article: Fast Talk: What’s the Biggest Change Facing Business In the Next 10 Years?
Week of August 7, 2006
- “People are looking for a way to make a difference.”
- Paul Rice, CEO and Founder, TransFair
From the article: The Good Business of Social Change - “Music is a common thread through life.”
- Stephen Westman, Vibe manager, Hard Rock Hotel
From the article: Fast Talk: Clean Sheets - “Logic is the most underemphasized aspect of our society.”
- Robin Singh, founder, TestMasters
From the article: The Test Prince of Bel-Air - “Offshoring is a zero-sum game.”
- Marcus Courtney, President, WashTech/CWA
From the article: Is Offshoring Good? - “I’m trying to rework philanthropy and make it about not just giving money aimlessly.”
- Peter Diamandis, founder, X Prize Foundation
From the article: Fuel for Thought
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Week of July 31, 2006
- “The Net is not about technology, it’s about people.”
- Craig Newmark, founder, Craigslist
From the article: Are You on Craig’s List? - “We have arrived at a unique moment in history: the intersection of an unprecedented abundance of capital and an explosion of Internet-related business ideas.”
- Jim Collins, coauthor, “Built to Last”
From the article: Built to Flip - “Courage is like a muscle. The more we exercise it, the stronger it gets.”
- U.S. Senator John McCain
From the article: In Search of Courage - “I’m just trying to get people to start a conversation.”
- Malcolm Gladwell, author, “Blink”
From the article: The Accidental Guru - “Joy is a more powerful motivator than fear.”
- Dr. Dean Ornish, founder, Preventative Medicine Research Institute
From the article: Change or Die
Week of July 24, 2006
- “We live and work in a time of unparalleled opportunity and unprecedented uncertainty.”
- Alan M. Webber and William C. Taylor, founders, Fast Company magazine
From the article: Handbook of the Business Revolution - “The essence of leadership today is to make sure that the organization knows itself.”
- Mort Meyerson, chairman and CEO, Perot Systems
From the article: Everything I Thought I Knew about Leadership Is Wrong - “The fact is that people just don’t want to read much online.”
- Susan Mulcahy, editor-in-chief and publisher, Mr. Showbiz
From the article: Starwave Takes the Web … (Seriously) - “Artists are by nature entrepreneurs, they’re just not called that.”
- Bill Strickland, President and CEO, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
From the article: Genius at Work - “The computer industry is immature; it has been preoccupied with technology and driven by technologists.”
- Jonathan Ive, designer, Apple
From the article: Why We Buy
Week of July 17, 2006
- “It’s not that I’m disrespectful; it’s just a waste of energy to be fearful.”
- Anna Stassen, copywriter, Fallon Worldwide
From the article: Scenes from the Culture Clash - “The lifeblood of any company is the transactions that flow through it.”
- Rohan Champion, cofounder and CEO of eTime Capital
From the article: Time Is Money - “Repetition is important, especially when you’re trying to change the way a company thinks.”
- Bill Zollars, President, Yellow Corp.
From the article: On the Road Again - “The health-care business is so bad. Alternative models are needed.”
- Dr. Natchiar, director of business development, Aravind Eye Hospital
From the article: The Perfect Vision of Dr. V. - “We’re not obsessed with volume. We’re obsessed with having differentiated, high-end, quality products.”
- Jim Wier, CEO, Simplicity
From the article: The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart
Week of July 10, 2006
- “Design is flowing across markets.”
- Michael Silverstein, coauthor, “Trading Up: The New American Luxury”
From the article: The Gucci Killers - “Many people go into business school not knowing exactly what they’ll do when they finish.”
- Michelle LeBlanc, Marketing analyst at 3M Corp.
From the article: What They Don’t Teach You About in B-school - “We work as close as we can to the borderline and accept the risk of falling.”
- Alberto Alessi, General Manager, Alessi
From the article: Failure Is Glorious - “I want things to be done the right way — which is my way.”
- Lori Broache, VP of worldwide marketing, Eastman Kodak Co.
From the article: Here’s Your Allowance, Mom - “America’s high schools are obsolete.”
- Bill Gates, cofounder, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
From the article: The Gates Effect
Week of July 5, 2006
- “Candidates who think of themselves as employees immediately tip the scales of power.”
- Nick A. Corcodilos, headhunter
From the article: Interview with a Headhunter - “Teamwork is rarely the fastest way for a group with a capable leader to get where it’s going.”
- Jon Katzenbach, coauthor, “The Wisdom of Teams”
From the article: Team Doctors, Report to ER - “A lot of executives have lifestyles that are conducive to developing heart disease.”
- Dr. Melvyn Rubenfire, director of preventative cardiology, University of Michigan
From the article: Is Your Boss Killing You?
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Week of June 26, 2006
- “The American way of doing business…is still admired in most of the world.”
- Keith Reinhard, President, Business for Diplomatic Action
From the article: Attitude Adjustment - “Once you decide to fire somebody you should never reverse your decision.”
- Chuck House, president, Spectron Microsystems
From the article: When the Slip is Pink - “It’s easier to get over the pain of change if you do it in a lighthearted way.”
- Stephen Quesnelle, head of quality programs, Mitel
From the article: This Company Doesn’t Brake for (Sacred) Cows - Nell Merlino, founder, Broad Confidence in Women
From the article: Her Message Is What Matters - “When you take the technology and mix it with art, you always come up with something innovative.”
- Robert Rodriguez, film director
From the article: Building a Better Movie Business
Week of June 19, 2006
- “There is this monotony of business that interferes with the creative process.”
- Doo-Ri Chung, Designer, Doo.Ri
From the article: Fast Talk: Creative to the Core - “Management today is about managing change.”
- Chris Higgins, Senior VP, BankAmerica
From the article: He’s Become BankAmerica’s “Mr. Project” - “If we’re not getting better, we’re getting worse.”
- Dennis Matthies, consultant
From the article: Do-It-Yourself Mentoring - “You need to do things that you would never do otherwise.”
- Steve Zades, chairman and CEO, Long Haymes Carr
From the article: The Creative Odyssey - “The joy I feel when I discover a piece of music I love is magic. It’s my religion.”
- Tim Westergren, founder, Pandora
From the article: Algorhythm and Blues
Week of June 12, 2006
- “Everything we do signals respect for the creative process.”
- David Macy, resident director, the MacDowell Colony
From the article: Creative Confinement - “Mentoring is one of the best investments in the future.”
- David Neils, head, International Telementor Program
From the article: HP’s Mentor Connection - “The best teachers drive themselves to be continuous learners.”
- Wendy Kopp, Founder and president, Teach for America
From the article: Learning 101 - “In this new world, the medium is meaningless.”
- Jeff Jarvis, consultant
From the article: Is Print Doomed? - “Guys are trapped by an old-fashioned corporate culture.”
- James Levine, founder, Fatherhood Project
From the article: What Kind of Dad Are You?
Week of June 5, 2006
- “My role is to light a fire under people here, to give them impossible challenges.”
- David Lewis, chief designer, Bang & Olufsen
From the article: The Case for Fanaticism - “The future never unfolds the way you think it will.”
- Charles Conn, CEO, CitySearch
From the article: My Smartest Mistakes - “I am a deal maker. I make deals to get my story out.”
- Bill Leeson, co-founder, non-profit War Child
From the article: Do-Gooders Need Not Apply - “Most people don’t lie intentionally.”
- Barry Rhein, consultant
From the article: He Knows How to Be Diligent About Due Diligence - “It makes total sense to put the customer in charge.”
- Todd Wagner, film financier
From the article: Maverick Mogul
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Week of May 29, 2006
- “You need to structure the race, and you need a plan.”
- John Smith, co-founder, HSI sports agency
From the article: Trying to Stop Time - “Nature is the best designer.”
- Gordon Bruce, design consultant
From the article: The Seoul of Design - “I practice business with a social objective. That’s what’s missing from the capitalist system.”
- Muhammad Yunus, founder, Grameen Bank
From the article: Here’s a Business Plan to Fight Poverty - “Building brands used to be about creating messages that would endure for decades.”
- Johan Kramer, creative director, KesselsKramer advertising agency
From the article: Brand Reincarnation - “Hollywood is not an innovative place. It’s the biggest sheep farm east of Auckland.”
- Larry Kasanoff, CEO, Threshold Entertainment
From the article: Attack of the Baby Pixars
Week of May 22, 2006
- “Being confident means being a little egotistical.”
- John Palumbo, marketing executive
From the article: Credit Where Credit Is Due - “Let your unconscious mind make the decisions.”
- Gary Burton, Dean of Curriculum, Berklee College of Music
From the article: The Gary Burton Trio - “Politics is a necessary evil…it’s also how things get done.”
- Blaine Pardoe, author, “Cubicle Warfare”
From the article: The Bad Guy’s (And Gal’s) Guide to Office Politics - “Teamwork is a harder way of doing the work.”
- Ralph Ardill, director of marketing, Imagination Ltd.
From the article: Total Teamwork - “Your mom should be your best friend, but you don’t necessarily want to share all your photos with her.”
- Caterina Fake, co-founder and CEO, Flickr
From the article: Point, Click, Design
Week of May 15, 2006
- “Leaders need to start thinking of corporate offices like town halls.”
- Jim Ware, Co-founder, Work Design Collaborative
From the article: Workplace 1.5 - “Find a way to work career fitness into your everyday life.”
- Betsy Collard, program director, Career Action Center
From the article: How Do You Know When It’s Time To Go? - “Jobs today are really seminars.”
- Richard Nelson Bolles, author, “What Color is Your Parachute?”
From the article: What Happened to Your Parachute? - “The most important thing is to have creative, reliable people.”
- Harri Kulovaara, VP of marine operations, Royal Caribbean
From the article: Fantastic Voyage - “I believe when you show reality, the world will rise up.”
- Dmitry Shapiro, Founder and CEO, Veoh Networks Inc.
From the article: Wising Up the Idiot Box
Week of May 8, 2006
- “Understand the technology, even if you’re in management.”
- Bill Joy, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers
From the article: 60 Seconds with Bill Joy - “Work is not just about process, it’s about people.”
- Anita Ward, Anthropologist and VP, Texas Commerce Bank
From the article: Anthropologists Go Native in the Corporate Village - “Competence is the enemy of change.”
- Seth Godin, former Fast Company columnist
From the article: Change Agent - “Everyone should feel as if his signature is on the finished product.”
- Ray Evernham, NASCAR crew chief
From the article: Life in the Fast Lane - “Commerce and justice are not divorceable notions.”
- Jeffrey Swartz, CEO, Timberland Co.
From the article: Walking the Walk
Week of May 1, 2006
- “Block out the noise and really pave your own road.”
- Brian McAllister, Roadtrip Productions
From the article: Inspiration Junkies - “If you lose great people, you lose success. It’s that simple.”
- Barb Karlin, Intuit Inc.
From the article: Director of Great People - “There are as many lies in business as there are people in business.”
- Paul LaFontaine, consultant
From the article: The Five Most Common Lies in Business - “Teams work best when you get to know each other outside of work.”
- Tammy Urban, Project manager, Cambridge Technology Partners
From the article: Four Rules for Fast Teams - “I have to say no to a lot of people.”
- Marissa Mayer, director of consumer Web products, Google
From the article: The Beauty of Simplicity
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Week of April 24, 2006
- “You’ve got to get off the elevator each morning with a big smile on your face.”
- Susan Whiting, President and CEO, Nielsen Media Research
From the article: TV Guider - “We’re turning into a society that’s got far more ambiguity.”
- Albert Low, author, “Zen & Creative Management”
From the article: Zen and The Art of Managerial Maintenance - “You’ve got to be nimble. You have to respond fast.”
- Dave Cole, director of product management, Symantec
From the article: Sweating In the Hot Zone - “Women who want to be leaders have to be up-front and honest about it.”
- Linda Chavez-Thompson, Executive VP, AFL-CIO
From the article: Women and Men, Work and Power - “Consumers as a whole want simple and reliable things they understand.”
- Reed Hastings, founder and CEO, Netflix
From the article: Private Screening
Week of April 17, 2006
- “It’s great taking entrepreneurial risk, but you have to establish a track record.”
- James M. Citrin, Global leader, Spencer Stuart
From the article: Be a Track Star - “It is possible to construct a life of denial and avoidance.”
- Ray Bakke, Executive Director, International Urban Associates
From the article: Social Justice – Ray Bakke - “We are always putting a nice coat of paint on the problems.”
- Martres Brown, communications director, Teen Empowerment Commission
From the article: Writing Flint’s New Story - “Even the just man falls seven times a day.”
- Brother Callistus Crichlow, Mepkin Abbey
From the article: What’s Your Mission Statement? - “New people in an organization should augment your role, not rival it.”
- Caroll Spinney, actor, “Sesame Street”
From the article: 60 Seconds with Big Bird
Week of April 10, 2006
- “It does you no good to start bringing in ideas if a corporation can’t digest them.”
- Mike Collins, CEO, Big Idea Group
From the article: The World Is Their R&D Lab - “You do the big things by doing the little things right.”
- Stephen Cooper, chairman and CEO, Etec Systems Inc.
From the article: The Discipline of High-Tech Leaders - “I am still awed by the lengths our customers will go to show their commitment.”
- Joanne Bischmann, VP of marketing, Harley-Davidson
From the article: Fast Talk: Brands We Love - “People don’t grow if you’re soft with them.”
- Candice Carpenter, Cofounder and CEO, iVillage
From the article: Radical Mentoring - “To be built to last, you have to be built for change!”
- Jim Collins, author, “Built to Last”
From the article: Was “Built To Last” Built to Last?
Week of April 3, 2006
- “Don’t let the difficulty in finding a job drive you to accept a job that’s wrong for you.”
- David Lenze, director of MBA corporate relations, Penn State
From the article: MBA Summer Blues - “Bosses are always surprised at how much knowledge exists further down the ladder.”
- Robert Thirkell, creative director, the BBC
From the article: Down the Up Staircase - “We all want to achieve things and build something.”
- Kamram Elahian, serial entrepreneur
From the article: Starting Over … and Over … - “The biggest mistake people make is to brood or to stew over what they imagine to have been their failures.”
- Mark Bennett, casting director
From the article: Acting Up - “People innately want to be recognized for their hard work.”
- David Novak, chairman and CEO, Yum Brands
From the article: Great Job! Here’s a Seat Belt!
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Week of March 27, 2006
- “Companies have to understand human behavior.”
- Justine Foo, manager, Neurostrategies Group, BrightHouse
From the article: Fast Talk: Voices from the Creative Front Lines - “It’s never about the CEO.”
- Terri Kelly, CEO, W.L. Gore & Associates
From the article: The Un-CEO - “Branding doesn’t mean you have to be flashy or loud.”
- Julie Cottineau, executive director, Interbrand
From the article: Obsessive Branding Disorder - “If you think the stakes are higher, they are.”
- Mark Thompson, executive coach
From the article: Stepping in for Superman - “Our wrong assumptions lead to the best learning.”
- Mark Thompson, executive coach
From the article: Alex Lee, president, OXO
Week of March 20, 2006
- “Leadership is more important than strategy.”
- James Citrin, senior director, Spencer
From the article: The CEO’s New Clothes - “We easily ignore our instincts, even when they’re yelling at us.”
- Billie G. Blair, organizational psychologist
From the article: Cracking Your Next Company’s Culture - “Customers don’t want choice. They just want exactly what they want.”
- B. Joseph Pine, author, “Mass Customization”
From the article: Brick by Brick: Lego’s New Building Blocks - “Creativity in itself is temperamental, but leadership can’t afford to be so.”
- Dany Lennon, president, the Creative Register Inc.
From the article: Commercial Success - “If people get what they expect from a brand — and more — they’re going to stick with it.”
- Susan Lyne, CEO, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
From the article: Fast Talk: Leading Through Limbo
Week of March 13, 2006
- “I insist on not being the smartest guy in the room.”
- David Lubars, BBDO
From the article: Creative Class Acts - “Managers don’t just delegate. They do.”
- Michael Chasen, CEO, Blackboard
From the article: Have Desk, Will Travel - “Ageism is a constant issue.”
- Fiona Cherbak, senior recruiter, Mary-Margaret.com
From the article: Power Play - “Business can turn on you so fast that complacency can’t be in anyone’s vocabulary.”
- Tom LaSorda, COO, Chrysler
From the article: Keeping the Crisis in Chrysler - “You actually get better decisions when you work in teams and when you build consensus.”
- Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google
From the article: Class Acts
Week of March 6, 2006
- “People drift into a career usually by accident.”
- Mike Jeans, vice president, New Directions
From the article: Preparing For Act II - “Successful people let go of the past as quickly as they can.”
- Howard Morgan, leadership consultant
From the article: The Fall and Rise of David Pottruck - “To stay competitive, we have to lead the world in per-person creativity.”
- Jim Clifton, CEO, Gallup Organization
From the article: The Art of Work - “History’s real value is that it allows you to imagine what’s possible.”
- Nitin Nohria, author, “In Their Time”
From the article: The Three Ways of Great Leaders - “The more we diminish money as our chief goal, the more passion we can put into our efforts.”
- Matt Chambers, founder, Confederate Motor Co.
From the article: Rebel Yell
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Week of February 27, 2006
- “Simplicity changes the world.”
- Jonathan Schwartz, president and COO, Sun Microsystems
From the article: Sun King - “You have to be honest with yourself about where your strengths lie.”
- Kelvin Thompson, senior partner, Heidrick + Struggles
From the article: You And Your Posse - “If innovation is such a competitive weapon, why doesn’t it translate into profitability?”
- Kevin Rollins, CEO, Dell
From the article: The Wal-Mart of High Tech? - “A lot of entrepreneurs actually get their ideas for their business while working at a company.”
- Herminia Ibarra, author, “Working Identity”
From the article: Exit Strategies for Corporate Dropouts - “If you have a belief, you espouse your belief. If you don’t act on it, your belief is moot.”
- Dave Ulrich, management consultant
From the article: The Once and Future Consultant
Week of February 20, 2006
- “See the broad possibilities and take a more open-minded approach.”
- Mark Royal, senior consultant, Hay Group
From the article: Why We Hate HR - “If you are afraid of your boss, never confuse this feeling with respect.”
- Martha Stout, author, “The Sociopath Next Door”
From the article: Coping With Psychopaths at Work - “Brands are something that take a very long time to develop, a mix of science and art.”
- Paolo Timoni, CEO, Piaggio USA
From the article: Fast Talk: Brand Revivers - “We’re far more challenged by our customers than we ever are by our competitors.”
- Mark Constantine, CEO, Lush Cosmetics
From the article: How Lush Cleans Up - “The goal is to make the Internet language-independent.”
- Alan Eustace, head of research, Google
From the article: Can Google Stay Google?
Week of February 13, 2006
- “The joy and reward in my work have always been about teaching.”
- Rick Steves, Travel-guidebook author and TV host
From the article: Fast Talk: Dream Jobs - “It’s not only about design objectives, but human objectives as well.”
- Christine Astorino Del Sole, cofounder and CEO, fathom
From the article: My Dream Home - “Focus on the future, but understand the past.”
- Amy Butte, CFO, New York Stock Exchange
From the article: Bull Rider - “The way we design products is very much driven by the technology inside.”
- Henri Crohas, founder and CEO, Archos
From the article: Faster Talk: Apple in Their Eyes - “You’ve got to get up every day with a new idea, a new spin.”
- Jeff Immelt, CEO, General Electric
From the article: The Fast Company Interview: Jeff Immelt
Week of February 6, 2006
- “As businesses mature, they get more dull.”
- Mark Constantine, CEO, Lush Cosmetics
From the article: Rinse and Repeat - “Design allows things to operate more efficiently, smoothly, and comfortably.”
- James P. Hackett, CEO, Steelcase Inc.
From the article: The Case for Design - “A good conversationalist has to assume the burden of other people’s comfort.”
- Debra Fine, author, “The Fine Art of Small Talk”
From the article: 60 Seconds on Small Talk - “Design is not a plan for decoration. Design is a plan for action.”
- Brian Collins, executive creative, Ogilvy and Mather
From the article: Blowing Out Advertising’s Walls - “If you’re not confident in your own ability on day one, you’re screwed.”
- Gary Megennis, managing director, Kindred Partners
From the article: Valley of the Jobs
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Week of January 30, 2006
- “Some people get frustrated by change and get left behind.”
- Colum Slevin, ILM
From the article: Escape Your Pigeonhole - “We have to create a great experience every time you touch the brand.”
- A.G. Lafley, CEO, Procter + Gamble
From the article: What P+G Knows About the Power of Design - “Being comfortable in our business is very, very dangerous.”
- Daniel Lamarre, president, Cirque du Soleil
From the article: Join the Circus - “Design thinking is about filtering culture.”
- Yves Behar, founder, fuseproject
From the article: More from the Mentors to the Masters - “I feared regret more than I feared failure.”
- Taryn Rose, CEO, Taryn Rose International
From the article: 25 Top Women Business Builders
Week of January 23, 2006
- “Where you innovate, how you innovate, and what you innovate are design problems.”
- Tim Brown, CEO, Ideo
From the article: The Power of Design - “You’ve got to act decisively and quickly and then move on.”
- Danny Kastner, Founder and CEO, POPstick Inc.
From the article: Fast Talk: What I Learned on The Apprentice - “You have to work very hard at maintaining relationships.”
- Avery Baker, executive, Tommy Hilfiger
From the article: How to Work Extremely Well - “Goodness works.”
- Tom Chappell, CEO, Tom’s of Maine
From the article: God and Mammon at Harvard - “If you want to keep people, you will have to have a business love affair with them.”
- Gervais Tompkin, regional design director, Gensler
From the article: Death to the Cubicle!
Week of January 16, 2006
- “Joy is a more powerful motivator than fear.”
- Dr. Dean Ornish, founder, the Preventative Medicine Research Institute
From the article: Change or Die - “Humans crave predictability.”
- Howard H. Stevenson, co-author, “Make Your Own Luck”
From the article: Smart Risks - “If you’re always trying to cater to everyone, you have no soul.”
- Peter van Stolk, founder and CEO, Jones Soda
From the article: Jones Soda’s Secret - “The desire to be a lifelong learner is a huge attribute.”
- Joseph Daniel McCool, editor-in-chief, Executive Recruiter News
From the article: Scout’s Honor - “Interest groups are the new geography.”
- Steve Murphy, president and CEO, Rodale Inc.
From the article: Ambidextrous Exec
Week of January 9, 2006
- “I’ve always been skeptical of the concept of ‘the next big thing.'”
- Bob Davis, partner, Highland Capital Partners
From the article: Technorecovery - “I felt that I could make a difference. That’s the best reason to go into business.”
- Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group
From the article: Training to Work - “We won’t let ourselves be put in a box that says ‘corporate behemoth.'”
- Howard Shultz, CEO, Starbucks
From the article: Growing Smart - “Success should not include things like integrity, family, or quality of life.”
- Bonnies St. John Deane, Author, ‘Succeeding Sane’
From the article: The Secrets of Their Success — and Yours - “Measures that matter to us are the measures that our customers use.”
- Scott McNealy, CEO, Sun Microsystems
From the article: Measure What Matters
Week of January 2, 2006
- “There’s power in bringing people together instead of dispersing them.”
- Neil Isford, VP of e-Business, IBM
From the article: The Road Not Taken - “You don’t have to be a ‘person of influence’ to be influential.”
- Scott Adams, creator, Dilbert
From the article: My Greatest Lesson - “The biggest service we can sell is confidence.”
- Gary Kusin, CEO, Kinko’s Inc.
From the article: New Leaders, New Agenda - “Time is both wonderful and horrible.”
- Nicholas Hayek, CEO, Swatch Group
From the article: It’s About Time - “Teams work when they are created for the right reasons.”
- Jon Katzenbach, Senior partner, Katzenbach Partners
From the article: What Makes Teams Work?
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Week of December 26, 2005
- “Consensus can be a disaster.”
- Riane Eisler, co-director, Center for Partnership Studies
From the article: Three Myths About Partners - “You always want to be moving at the edge of your abilities without losing control.”
- Khari Villela, chief software architect, NCR Corp.
From the article: NCR’s Speed Demons - “We have to begin to understand human beings.”
- Greg Blonder, physicist, AT&T
From the article: Have You Ever Dialed a Customer from Your Lab? - “We need to have absolute security.”
- Frank Groneman, engineer, Gtech Corp.
From the article: No Security - “Don’t be a hog. Hogs get slaughtered.”
- Evelyn Ashley, founder, Red Hot Law Group
From the article: These Lawyers are Red Hot
Week of December 19, 2005
- “Build the child that will eat the parent.”
- Peter Cochrane, chief technologist, Communications Consultancy Group
From the article: No-So-Secret (Change) Agents - “Try to help when you can, and try not to hurt anybody unnecessarily.”
- Joseph Smith, Cab Driver
From the article: Yo! Taxi! - “We want to be the best listeners.”
- Greg Icenhower, Associate Director, Procter and Gamble
From the article: Don’t Shout, Listen - “Long-term rivalry is unhealthy.”
- Donna Simonides, Director of Developer Relations, Netscape
From the article: Sleeping with the Enemy - “Brands are built around stories.”
- Bill Dauphinais, PricewaterhouseCoopers
From the article: What’s Your Story?
Week of December 12, 2005
- “Whether an MBA provides value is a bigger question today than it has been at any time.”
- Tom Campbell, Dean, Haas School of Business
From the article: In the Hot Seat - “You can’t stand back and watch. You have to lead.”
- Dr. Brian Brink, Executive, Anglo American
From the article: One Man’s Drive… One Company’s Courage - “Find the niche that matches your personality.”
- Richard Geist, Author, “Investor Therapy”
From the article: Cheat Sheet - “You lead today by building teams and placing others first.”
- Jeff Immelt, CEO, General Electric
From the article: Things Leaders Do - “Creativity is not like an assembly line.”
- Simon Williams, CEO, Sterling Group
From the article: The Care and Feeding of the Creative Class
Week of December 5, 2005
- “Grassroots companies are China’s future.”
- Liyang Jin, vice director, Shenzhen Stock Exchange
From the article: Fast Talk: China Rising - “I see design as an intellectual exercise.”
- Michael Bierut, partner, Pentagram
From the article: Parsing Pentagram - “The 50- to 60-hour workweek is now the norm.”
- Allan Schweyer, executive director, Human Capital Institute
From the article: Extreme Jobs - “We all have our passions.”
- Chuck Wielgus, executive director, USA Swimming
From the article: Shirts and Skins - “My focus in business will be on trying to help people.”
- Mevan Jayawardena, IT analyst
From the article: On the Waterfront
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Week of November 28, 2005
- “You don’t just stick your head in a lion’s mouth.”
- Jason Peters, Lion Timer, Ringling Bros.
From the article: King of the Ring - “You have to try not to get stuck.”
- Earl Ward, Trail Grooming Manager, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
From the article: Snow Man - “Whatever it takes, that’s what I do.”
- David R. Mellor, Director of Grounds, Fenway Park
From the article: Field of Dreams - “How can you not smile?”
- Warren Corr, Manager of Manufacturing, Binney + Smith’s Crayola Factory
From the article: Stick Figure - “You can’t be afraid of getting dirty.”
- Chuck Guerra, Aircraft storage supervisor, Avetel Services
From the article: Plane Crazy
Week of November 21, 2005
- “‘Spirit of Service’ is not something we teach — it’s part of our DNA.”
- Richard Notebaert, CEO, Qwest Communications
From the article: Qwest Finds Itself On Hold - “Our associates tell our story better than anyone.”
- Mona Williams, VP of Corporate Communications, Wal-Mart
From the article: 60 Seconds with Mona Williams - “The difference between a good and a great company is usually the talent level.”
- David Dorman, President, AT+T
From the article: In The Hot Seat - “You can never thank people enough.”
- Jeff Zucker, president, NBC television
From the article: Think Wild, Think Crazy - “Your day is spent working, and being in a band is no different.”
- Adam Schlesinger, songwriter, Fountains of Wayne
From the article: 60 Seconds With Adam Schlesinger
Week of November 14, 2005
- “Working at a big company is the kiss of death for your career.”
- Helen K. Whelan, President, MyPrimeTime Inc.
From the article: What’s Next for the Net? - “Change doesn’t happen if you don’t work at it.”
- Anne M. Mulcahy, CEO, Xerox
From the article: Copy This - “If you use words that people don’t understand, they look at you funny.”
- Paul McFedries, neologist
From the article: More than 60 Seconds with Paul McFedries - “Growth is sexy, but it’s also dangerous.”
- Andrew Rolfe, CEO, Pret A Manger
From the article: Recipe for Reinvention - “I look for bright people with strong personalities who will argue with me.”
- Mitt Romney, Governor, Massachusetts
From the article: Fast Talk: The Business of Politics
Week of November 7, 2005
- “If you do the right thing, you’ll be rewarded.”
- Carole Black, CEO, Lifetime Entertainment Services
From the article: Fast Talk: One Shrewd Move - “There is always more to do than there is time to do it.”
- David Allen, Founder, David Allen & Co.
From the article: Don’t Manage Time, Manage Yourself - “A company can be friendly and good, but it can’t really make you happy.”
- Lawrence Kersten, Founder, Despair Inc
From the article: Soul Assassins - “CEOs are made, not born.”
- Patrick C. Kelly, CEO, Physician Sales & Service
From the article: My Struggle with Wall Street - “All arts are essentially entrepreneurial.”
- Bruce Payne, Professor, Duke University
From the article: A Cast of Leaders
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Week of October 31, 2005
- “The spotlight means standing out — and being alone.”
- Wil Calmas, Psychologist
From the article: Why Do You Resist? - “Don’t aspire to power or success. But live as those who are ambitious.”
- Larry Brilliant, CEO, SoftNet
From the article: Dr. Brilliant vs. the Devil of Ambition - “The only thing certain about any negotiation is that it will lead to another negotiation.”
- Leigh Steinberg, Sports Agent
From the article: Secrets of a Superagent - “The world craves an expert so much that they want to turn you into one.”
- Nigella Lawson, Author, “How to Be a Domestic Goddess”
From the article: Fast Talk: The Brand Called Me - “What matters most is being right. And what’s ‘right’ is determined by outcomes.”
- Eric Schmidt, CEO, Novell
From the article: How to Manage Geeks
Week of October 24, 2005
- “I’m a leader only if there are people who are willing to follow me.”
- Terri Kelly, Leader, W.L. Gore’s military-fabrics dept.
From the article: You Have No Boss - “People don’t care about cold facts. They care about pictures or stories.”
- Nancye Green, Founder, Donovan and Green
From the article: Information as if Understanding Mattered - “Leadership is a personal journey for each person.”
- Donna Riley, VP, IBM
From the article: IBM’s Management Makeover - “Time is the only unambiguous performance measure.”
- Thornton May, VP, Cambridge Technology Partners
From the article: Survival Kit for Project Managers - “The more you get, the less you feel that you have.”
- John Perry Barlow, Cofounder, Electronic Frontier Foundation
From the article: Balancing Acts
Week of October 17, 2005
- “Remarkable marketing is the art of building things worth noticing.”
- Seth Godin, author, “Purple Cow”
From the article: In Praise of the Purple Cow - “What better form of personalization is there than hearing something from a friend?”
- Scott Griffith, CEO, SoftLock.com
From the article: The New Lure of Internet Marketing - “We are on the verge of a revolution that is greater than any in the 20th century.”
- Tim Smit, Cofounder, Eden Project
From the article: Green Giant - “There’s more to life than just being successful in your career.”
- Charles A. O’Reilly, Professor, Stanford
From the article: Winning the Career Tournament - “Moving on means letting go of your old role.”
- Ella L.J. Edmondson Bell, Professor, Dartmouth
From the article: Circus Acts
Week of October 10, 2005
- “Put one dumb foot in front of the other and course-correct as you go.”
- Barry Diller, Chairman and CEO, InterActiveCorp
From the article: D Day for the Techno-Elite - “Community is a group of individuals that is greater than the sum of its parts.”
- Mark Sofield, Designer, Prospect New Town
From the article: Is This Your Beautiful House? - “Don’t be afraid to be controversial.”
- Lee Duffey, President, Duffey Communications
From the article: Are You Ready for Your Close-up? - “Figure out what behavior needs to change and how to change it.”
- David Thomson, Vice President, Hewlett-Packard
From the article: Are You Being Coached? - “Americans like reorganization. They don’t like technology.”
- Richard Morley, Founder, Modicon
From the article: The Man From CHAOS
Week of October 3, 2005
- “Keep most people engaged with their day-to-day responsibilities.”
- Kerry Killinger, Chairman and CEO, Washington Mutual
From the article: 7 Lessons From WaMu’s Playbook - “If you’re going to panic, panic early.”
- Maureen Miskovic, Senior Adviser, Eurasia Group
From the article: Risky Business - “Creativity can cause a lot of confusion.”
- Markus Mettler, Cofounder, BrainStore
From the article: Great Ideas in Aisle 9 - “Few white-collar criminals hold themselves personally accountable.”
- John King, Media Planner, Fallon Worldwide
From the article: Master of Deception - “Try a lot of things to find all the dead ends, and learn from them.”
- Bill Gross, Founder, Idealab
From the article: Innovation Scorecard
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Week of September 26, 2005
- “Change the way people think about something.”
- Barry Soloway, VP of Product Realization, Novalux
From the article: Is This Company Beyond Repair? - “It’s more important to make a decision than to worry about making the right decision.”
- Paul Weitz, Director, “In Good Company”
From the article: Fast Talk: Screen Gems - “You have to focus on the basic relationship with the consumer.”
- Chris Lowe, Chief Marketing Officer, Coca-cola
From the article: Chris Lowe: Time to Get Real - “Many people get caught up in day-to-day living and put their dreams on hold.”
- John King, Media Planner, Fallon Worldwide
From the article: Free to Innovate - “It’s a mistake to think that globalization is automatically beneficent.”
- Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Columbia’s Earth Institute
From the article: 60 Seconds With Jeffrey Sachs
Week of September 19, 2005
- “We only carry to our graves the inner integrity of our efforts.”
- Jim Collins, Author, “Built to Last”
From the article: Is the Economy Just Built to Flip? - “Personal computers are outside our bodies and brains, but just barely.”
- Ray Kurzweil, Inventor and Futurist
From the article: In Search of the Sixth Sense - “Include sustainable practices in your decisions.”
- Paul Dolan, President, Fetzer Vineyards
From the article: The Good Earth - “Accept responsibility. If you don’t, you can’t solve the problem.”
- Craig Tysdal, CEO, NetSolve Inc.
From the article: Teacher in Chief - “Assess your stress-coping resources as meticulously as you would assess your stock.”
- Carol Jack Scott, Doctor and Executive Coach
From the article: Finding Your “Best-Stress Zone”
Week of September 12, 2005
- “Technology is a tool; it’s not your job.”
- Jaron Rothkop, Industrial Designer, Lear Corp.
From the article: Lear Won’t Take a Backseat - “Never overlook the social side of work rituals.”
- Michael Begeman, Manager, 3M Meeting Network
From the article: We Have to Start Meeting Like This! - “Cut through fear and exhaustion and take the next step.”
- Arlene Blum, Author, “Annapurna: A Woman’s Place”
From the article: Here’s How to Make It to the Top - “Control is an illusion.”
- Avram Miller, VP of Business Development, Intel
From the article: Digital Competition – Avram Miller - “If you’re frightened of making a mistake, you won’t make a thing.”
- John Taylor, Director of Design, GM’s APEx
From the article: GM Has a New Model for Change
Week of September 5, 2005
- “Leadership is an unbelievably hard communications job.”
- Paul Danos, Dean, Tuck School of Business
From the article: Fast Talk: Turning the (Conference) Tables - “In a startup, you want people who can survive without structure.”
- Tony Zhang, Founder, AskMeFinance
From the article: How Do You Structure Success? - “Most wrongdoing is at the level of everyday things.”
- Carolyn Woo, Dean, Mendoza College of Business
From the article: Ethics? Ask a First Grader - “Things going on now will have a big impact over the next 20, 50, or 100 years.”
- Gordon Moore, Creator of Moore’s Law
From the article: His Word Is Law - “Heroism? It’s about doing an ordinary thing at an extraordinary time.”
- Joseph Pfeifer, Deputy Chief, New York City Fire Dept
From the article: Fast Talk: 9/11/02
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Week of August 29, 2005
- “Things that don’t quite make sense can be our most valuable tools.”
- David Wilson, Director, the Museum of Jurassic Technology
From the article: Wonder Boy - “People get trapped into thinking about just one way of doing things.”
- Erik Weihenmayer, Blind Rock Climber
From the article: 60 Seconds With Erik Weihenmayer - “Knowledge dispels fear.”
- Simon Walker, Managing Director, Challenge Business
From the article: ” I Can Only Compete Through My Crew.” - “Figure out what changes, what doesn’t change, and what you want to change.”
- Anne Hartman, Essex Partners
From the article: Home for the Holidays - “Education has to be related to life; it cannot be an abstraction.”
- Sister Joel Read, President, Alverno College
From the article: Think for a Change
Week of August 22, 2005
- “I’m all about learning from my mistakes.”
- Michael Dell, Founder, Dell Inc.
From the article: Face Time With Michael Dell - “To succeed as a team is to hold all of the members accountable for their expertise.”
- Mitchell Caplan, CEO, E*Trade Group Inc.
From the article: E*Trade’s Stop-Loss Order - “I want to make corporate America as cool as it can be.”
- Scott Lutz, CEO, 8th Continent
From the article: Deep Pockets, Open Mind - “Before you can be creative, you must be courageous.”
- Joey Reiman, CEO, BrightHouse
From the article: This Old House Is a Home for New Ideas - “Disorganization is an issue for more people than it isn’t.”
- Barbara Hemphill, Productivity consultant
From the article: She’s a Paper Tiger
Week of August 15, 2005
- “Focus clearly on what can go wrong.”
- Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Brain Surgeon
From the article: This Is Brain Surgery - “A network of equal participants doing similar things will generate lots of new ideas.”
- Tom McMakin, CEO, Great Harvest
From the article: Great Harvest’s Recipe for Growth - “The art of being bored is lost.”
- Ted Klauber, Senior Executive, FCB Worldwide
From the article: Why Johnny Can’t Play - “Live up to your potential instead of imitating someone else’s.”
- Martha Burgess, Co-founder, Theatre Techniques for Business People
From the article: How to Wow an Audience – Every Time - “The best Web sites are better than reality.”
- Jakob Nielsen, Usability consultant
From the article: Usability Makes the Web Click
Week of August 8, 2005
- “Creativity occurs at the intersection of previously unconnected planes of thought.”
- Dorothy Leonard, Professor, Harvard Business School
From the article: They Have a Better Idea … Do You? - “Money is almost always the silent subtext to stories about work and career.”
- Pamela York Klainer, Career Coach
From the article: Money – Is That What You Want? - “What’s best for the artist is best for the company.”
- Mathew Knowles, Director, Sanctuary Group
From the article: Gimme Sanctuary - “You have to reach a level of comfort with that risk.”
- Sally Ride, President, Space.com
From the article: Relaunch! - “You have to let people challe nge your ideas.”
- Tom Kasten, VP, Levi Strauss and Co.
From the article: Levi’s Changes Everything
Week of August 1, 2005
- “We do not compensate effort. We compensate results.”
- Claude Comair, Founder, DigiPen Institute of Technology
From the article: Welcome to Video Game University - “People want someone else to make the decision.”
- Larry Smith, Counselor to the Secretary of Defense
From the article: The Art of Getting Things Done - “Don’t shortchange yourself.”
- Anne Lim O’Brien, Partner, Heidrick and Struggles International
From the article: The 8 Habits of Effective Job Searchers - “You can’t force people to be creative.”
- Laurie Coots, Chief Marketing Officer, TBWA/Chiat/Day
From the article: Work Different - “There’s precious little time in today’s global economy.”
- Kelly O’Dea, Senior Executive, Ogilvy and Mather
From the article: Learn to be a GloBee
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Week of July 25, 2005, 2005
- “Being a good follower doesn’t mean sitting passively and taking orders.”
- Robert E. Kelly, Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
From the article: Are You a Star at Work? - “You simply have to lead by example.”
- Roger Dunbar, Managing Partner, Ernst and Young
From the article: Jobs for Life - “The conventional boundaries that separate industries mean less and less.”
- Mike Slade, CEO, Starwave Corp.
From the article: Unit of One Anniversary Handbook - “The thing about inventing is you have to be both stubborn and flexible.”
- Jeff Bezos, founder, Amazon.com
From the article: Inside the Mind of Jeff Bezos - “Perseverance is the greatest skill that you can have.”
- Eleanor Josaitis, Co-Founder, Focus:Hope
From the article: Hope Is a Weapon
Week of July 18, 2005
- “You can’t afford to be stupid.”
- Tom Kelly, VP, Cisco
From the article: Cisco’s Quick Study - “I’m not going to create my own economy.”
- Andrew Cuomo, Secretary, Housing and Urban Development
From the article: Andrew Cuomo, Turnaround CEO - “When do systems begin to change?”
- Bill Drayton, CEO, Ashoka
From the article: A Lever Long Enough to Move the World - “Future planning is too slow.”
- Lief Edvinsson, Director of Intellectual Capital, Skandia
From the article: How Skandia Generates Its Future Faster - “No straight lines, no linear thinking.”
- Matthew Kissner, CEO, Pitney Bowes Credit Corp.
From the article: Designed for Innovation
Week of July 11, 2005
- “I am a tiny particle on a tiny planet in a vast universe.”
- Nicholas Hayek, CEO, Swatch Group
From the article: It’s About Time - “There should be more demand for you than there is ‘you’ to go around.”
- Harvey Harrison, Talent Agent, Jim Preminger Agency
From the article: Four Questions to Ask Yourself - “Creativity is more like a quest for understanding.”
- Donna Kacmar, Principal, Architect Works Inc
From the article: Fast Talk: The Creative Impulse. - “If you’re not able to calm your fears, your fears will take over.”
- Wes Skiles, Underwater Cave Diver
From the article: (Really) Risky Business - “It don’t make any difference how much money anyone makes.”
- Jim Hunter, Yankees Pitcher, retired
From the article: Birth of a (Free-Agent) Nation
Week of July 4, 2005
- “Nothing is more practical than for people to deepen themselves.”
- Peter Koestenbaum, Philosopher
From the article: Do You Have the Will to Lead? - “Set a high bar and keep raising it.”
- Marty Garvin, Procurement Chief, Dell
From the article: Living in Dell Time - “Business people need to slow down and be more reflective.”
- Tom Durel, Consultant
From the article: Home-Style Talk Shows - “Once you see what your limited vision has created, you understand there are huge opportunities.”
- Doyle Wilson, CEO, Doyle Wilson Homebuilder Inc.
From the article: Meet the Best Little House Builder in Texas - “Most people loathe big institutions and big charities.”
- Tom Hayes, Corporate Affairs Director, Applied Materials Inc.
From the article: He’s a Model Citizen for the 21st Century
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Week of June 27, 2005
- “There’s nothing more flexible than a human being.”
- Alan VanDeMoere, Manufacturing Manager, Eastman Kodak
From the article: Fast Focus - “Working people have profound, amazing things to say.”
- Esther Cohen, Founder, Bread and Roses
From the article: Making Unseen America Visible - “Most new leaders get no formal training.”
- Mark Christensen, Consultant, Learning Point Inc.
From the article: Congratulations, You’re Promoted (Now What?) - “Every presidential campaign is a startup.”
- Joe Trippi, Campaign Manager, Howard Dean Campaign
From the article: Joe Trippi’s Killer App - “Envision the future, and you can reshape it as you go.”
- Johanna Buurman, Chief Thinker, Toyota
From the article: Collision Course
Week of June 20, 2005
- “Email is a Rorschach test.”
- John Gage, Chief Scientist, Sun Microsystems
From the article: The Network Is the Company - “You’re going to face surprises almost every day.”
- Gary Koerper, Engineer, Kyocera Wireless
From the article: Hard Cell - “Poker is about understanding human behavior and managing emotions.”
- Phil Hellmuth Jr., World Poker Champion.
From the article: The B in Business Stands for Bluff - “Too many people get into leadership for all the wrong reasons.”
- Steve Nielsen, Director, FedEx Leadership Institute
From the article: Is Management for Me? That Is the Question. - “The average American receives more than 3,000 marketing messages a day.”
- Dawn Hudson, Senior VP of Marketing, Pepsi
From the article: Advertising, Under Review
Week of June 13, 2005
- “You have to be capable of being intellectually honest about your own skill set.”
- Peter Crist, Chairman, Crist Associates
From the article: All the Right Moves - “If it’s part of the culture, it can lead to real change.”
- Rey Ramsey, CEO, One Economy Corp.
From the article: From the Digital Divide to One Economy - “Measure time by experiences rather than by deadlines.”
- Taisir Anbar, Consultant, Mercer Management Consulting Inc.
From the article: Take a Long Walk - “Attitude is more important than immediate knowledge.”
- Randy Lagman, Technical Adventurer Outfitter, Lands’ End
From the article: It’s Not a Job, It’s an Adventure! - “People aren’t going to listen to you unless you’re part of their world.”
- Wenda Millard, Chief Sales Officer, Yahoo
From the article: Commercial Success
Week of June 6, 2005
- “Kids today live in a nanosecond world.”
- Ray Farley, Superintendent, Hunterdon Central Regional High School
From the article: Fast Times at Hunterdon High - “Under fire, you need to shoot, move, and communicate.”
- Dean Hohl, U. S. Army Ranger
From the article: War Is Hell Too - “Get into situations in which failure isn’t an option.”
- Francis Ford Coppola, Film Director and Entrepreneur
From the article: Art of Darkness - “The idea of being ‘The Boss’ doesn’t turn me on.”
- Paula Sims, Plant Manager, GE/Durham
From the article: Engines of Democracy - “The world is an unlimited opportunity.”
- Bill Strickland, CEO, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
From the article: Genius at Work
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Week of May 30, 2005
- “The boundary between where a product ends and where a customer begins is changing.”
- John J. Sviokla, Vice Chairman, DiamondCluster International Inc.
From the article: Don’t Just Listen, Connect - “Legal fear has become a defining feature of our culture.”
- Philip K. Howard, Partner, Covington and Burling
From the article: One Lawyer’s Case Against the Law - “No one’s going to say, ‘Here, I’ll make you a star.'”
- Gary Baseman, Artist
From the article: More than 60 Seconds with Gary Baseman - “You need to be exposed to all aspects of your company’s operations.”
- Christopher Bartlett, Author, “Managing Across Borders”
From the article: Global Myth Manager - “Technology is not neutral.”
- Anita Borg, Cofounder, Institute for Women and Technology
From the article: Sisterhood Is Digital
Week of May 23, 2005
- “It’s hard to muster the courage to say no.”
- Roy Earle, VP, Etec Systems Inc.
From the article: How I Learned to Be a ‘No’ Man - “If you can achieve the bottom line, you can make compromises.”
- Tom Kean, Chairman, 9/11 Commission
From the article: No Other Obligation - “Only pissed-off people change the world.”
- Tom Peters, Author
From the article: Still Angry After All These Years - “We give them the authority — and then we get out of their way.”
- Thomas Weisel, Founder, Thomas Weisel Partners LLC
From the article: Talent Bank - “You have to become a rough-water navigator.”
- Robert Eichinger, Cofounder, Lominger Limited
From the article: Don’t Worry, Be Unhappy
Week of May 16, 2005
- “The family farm is the most efficient type of unit.”
- Hal Rosenbluth, CEO, Rosenbluth International
From the article: Back to the Farm - “People fall for the conventional wisdom every time.”
- Roger Cass, Economist
From the article: Roger Cass, The Last Optimist - “A singing group is the purest form of community I know.”
- Mort Meyerson, CEO, 2M Companies Inc.
From the article: My So-Called Life - “I don’t believe in ‘balance’.”
- Elizabeth Gibson-Meier, Consultant, RHR International
From the article: The Consultant - “Leadership is discovering the company’s destiny.”
- Joe Jaworski, Author, “Synchronicity”
From the article: Destiny and the Job of the Leader
Week of May 9, 2005, 2005
- “You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror every day and say, ‘I did the best I could.'”
- Bonnie Reitz, Senior VP, Continental Airlines
From the article: Business Fights Back: Continental’s Turnaround Pilot - “Challenge well-established businesses.”
- Jerry Putnam, CEO, Archipelago Holdings
From the article: Stock Futures - “There’s nothing more appealing than someone who wants to try to grow their own idea.”
- Gary Cowger, President, GM North American operations
From the article: GM Goes Off-Road - “The worst thing in the world is chasing an idea.”
- Mike Wood, CEO, LeapFrog
From the article: Leapfrog’s Great Leap Forward - “Spam is the single biggest threat to this industry.”
- Andy Sernovitz, Cofounder, Inbox Defense Task Force
From the article: The Dirty Little Secret About Spam
Week of May 2, 2005, 2005
- “The most important part of your technology is the ‘off’ button.”
- Mary O’Hara-Devereaux, Director, Institute for the Future
From the article: Q & A – Mary O’Hara Devereaux - “The day we think we’ve got it made, that’s the day we’d better start worrying.”
- Rich Teerlink, CEO, Harley-Davidson
From the article: Harley Shifts Gears - “We didn’t know enough to realize that what we were doing couldn’t be done.”
- Andrew Stanton, Director, Pixar
From the article: Out of Juice? Recharge! - “Exercising leadership generates resistance — and pain.”
- Ronald Heifetz, Director, Leadership Education Project
From the article: The Leader of the Future - “There’s no point in having a glamorous new title.”
- Daniel Rippy, Author, “Sizing Up a Start-Up”
From the article: Does Your Startup Measure Up?
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Week of April 25, 2005
- “You cannot motivate the best people with money.”
- Eric S. Raymond, Author, “The Cathedral and the Bazaar”
From the article: Inspired by Work - “We must constantly be recasting our direction.”
- Mark Albion, Founder, You and Co.
From the article: A Living or a Life? - “One of the most important options that anyone has is to abandon something.”
- Troy Tyler, Founder, smartRay Network
From the article: Soul Proprietor - “When you shift people’s perceptions, their actions follow.”
- Rayona Sharpnack, Founder, Institute for Women’s Leadership
From the article: Natural Leader - “What really defines us as a company is what we keep from our history.”
- J. Mays, VP of Design, Ford
From the article: What’s on Your Agenda?
Week of April 18, 2005
- “All employees should feel that they’re doing the most important job.”
- Raul Cicero, CLO, Pipsa
From the article: He Teaches People to Learn - “You can’t take care of your customers unless you take care of your people.”
- Paul Orfalea, Founder, Kinko’s
From the article: Free Agent, Free Spirit - “No one is big enough to be independent of others.”
- William Worrall Mayo, Founder, Mayo Clinic
From the article: The Agenda – Total Teamwork - “When you stay in your mind, you can’t tell a story.”
- Philippe Gaulier, Teacher, L’école Philippe Gaulier
From the article: Boooorrriinng!!! - “The real problem is that people do what they’re told.”
- David Maister, Author, “First Among Equals”
From the article: Are All Consultants Corrupt?
Week of April 11, 2005
- “I don’t have to know everything.”
- Mort Meyerson, CEO, Perot Systems
From the article: Everything I Thought I Knew about Leadership Is Wrong - “Everybody’s got to know how to be a leader.”
- Peter Schoomaker, Commander in Chief, U.S. Special Operations
From the article: Operation – Leadership - “If you want to improve something, start measuring it.”
- Peter Lewis, CEO, Progressive Insurance
From the article: Progressive Makes Big Claims - “A lot of people have something to say and never have the chance to say it.”
- Richard Carpenter, Author and Railway Cartographer
From the article: Making Tracks - “The pursuit of balance is a lifelong journey.”
- Barry Baker, COO, USA Networks
From the article: Enough Is Enough
