Inventories can be managed, but people must be led.
Ross PerotRead
Business is not just doing deals; business is having great products, doing great engineering, and providing tremendous service to customers. Finally, business is a cobweb of human relationships.
Interpretation
Business encompasses much more than transactions; it involves quality products, exceptional service, and nurturing relationships.
In this quote, Ross Perot emphasizes that successful business is rooted not only in the act of making deals but also in creating high-quality products and delivering exceptional service. He highlights the importance of human connections, suggesting that relationships are the underlying framework that supports and sustains a successful enterprise.
In practice
In a business meeting about customer service improvements, this quote could inspire the team.
Inventories can be managed, but people must be led.
Never ask anyone to do what you haven't done before and wouldn't do again. That's a pretty fundamental rule in leadership... treat them like you treat yourself. Things you don't like, they don't like.
Don't run your life by what's legal or illegal. Run your life based on what's right or wrong.
Punishing honest mistakes stifles creativity. I want people moving and shaking the earth and they're going to make mistakes.
Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility and commitment.
Wherever we are seeing something getting used, that to us is an early indicator that there might be something that people want. And then let's figure out how to make that great. And then let's go figure out monetization.
I'm a believer that you accomplish much, much more with direct relationships than by using an intermediary. And that cash you keep in the bank can be the difference between staying alive as a small business, or not.
China is very entrepreneurial but has no rule of law. Europe has rule of law but isn't entrepreneurial. Combine rule of law, entrepreneurialism and a generally pro-business policy, and you have Apple.
If you deprive yourself of outsourcing and your competitors do not, you're putting yourself out of business.
If you're competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering.
If you have a business model that relies on customers being misinformed, you better start working on changing your business model.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.