Harold S. Geneen Quotes

We must not be hampered by yesterday's myths in concentrating on today's needs.

Uncertainty will always be part of the taking charge process.

The worst disease which can afflict business executives in their work is not, as popularly supposed, alcoholism; it's egotism.

Performance stands out like a ton of diamonds. Nonperformance can always be explained away.

Performance is your reality. Forget everything else.

Management manages by making decisions and by seeing that those decisions are implemented.

It's better to take over and build upon an existing business than to start a new one.

It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises-but only performance is reality.

I don't believe in just ordering people to do things. You have to sort of grab an oar and row with them.

He suffered from paralysis by analysis.

Facts from paper are not the same as facts from people. The reliability of the people giving you the facts is as important as the facts themselves.

You cannot run a business, or anything else, on a theory.

Every company has two organizational structures: The formal one is written on the charts; the other is the everyday relationship of the men and women in the organization.

The five essential entrepreneurial skills for success: Concentration, Discrimination, Organization, Innovation and Communication.

If your desk isn't cluttered, you probably aren't doing your job.

The best way to inspire people to superior performance is to convince them by everything you do and by your everyday attitude that you are wholeheartedly supporting them.

In business, words are words; explanations are explanations, promises are promises, but only performance is reality.

I think it is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises - but only performance is reality.

A true leader has to have a genuine open-door policy so that his people are not afraid to approach him for any reason.

It is much more difficult to measure nonperformance than performance.

Managers in all too many American companies do not achieve the desired results because nobody makes them do it.

Management must manage!

In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.

Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned.