Mary Kay Ash Quotes

I think, in any workplace environment, the atmosphere trickles down from the top.

The only hard-and-fast rules a Perot must operate under are getting a sound education; being honest and ethical in our business dealings; treating the people who work for us with respect and dignity; and, finally, a Perot cannot be afraid to take risks when appropriate.

It's a completely different thing, but there's so many things I learned from being an athlete that helped me in business. The only risk is not taking the risk. You've got to take that step.

Many leaders of big organizations, I think, don't believe that change is possible. But if you look at history, things do change, and if your business is static, you're likely to have issues.

Entrepreneurialism, to me, means being able to fail. And I believe that kind of leadership is not necessary only in business, but it's necessary for running countries, too. You've got to be able to believe in something strongly enough that you want to do it even if there's a risk of failure.

There are certainly more people in the business world who would score high in the psychopathic dimension than in the general population. You'll find them in any organization where, by the nature of one's position, you have power and control over other people and the opportunity to get something.

Once you're involved in a business, it's part of what you do. It's the way you are.

In the founders, I look for a person I feel is trustworthy, driven and smart. I invest in the person first, because in the event the business fails, the person and I can move forward and create another business.

The true statesman is the one who is willing to take risks.

I was one of those guys who never wanted to start their own business. I never saw myself as a leader. I saw myself as a great No. 2.

You can't regulate a soul into a business.

In every business, in every industry, management does matter.

I learned a lot from Jack Welch about how to run a business.

If the culture you have is radically different from an 'experiment and take-risk' culture, then you have a big change you going to have to make - and no little gimmicks are going to do it for you.

Public hangings are teaching moments. Every company has to do it. A teaching moment is worth a thousand CEO speeches. CEOs can talk and blab each day about culture, but the employees all know who the jerks are. They could name the jerks for you. It's just cultural. People just don't want to do it.

Industry leaders have the power to set standards.

Pardon me if I add that I think him [President James Madison] a little too much of a book politician, and too timid in his politics, for prudence and caution are opposites of timidity.

Business [compared to government] has an advantage in that we know that if we don’t take risks, it’s about survival … Business has to also stand behind government leaders who take risk.,, That’s what leadership is about.

I've spent a lot of time studying corporations and what makes them tick.

Underlings look up to the boss for behavioral cues, subtle signs, hints and gestures.

In the workplace, we're taught to worry about what happens if we don't have full, complete knowledge of every detail. But if you create a culture and an environment that rewards people for taking risks, even if they don't succeed, you can start changing behavior.

The culture or environment of a company starts from the top. The leadership. The leadership of a company sends a message to its employees of what is tolerated and what is not.

I know that I often take risks, but it is always for the purposes of the team.

It is not the manager's job to prevent risks. It is the manager's job to make it safe to take them.

Everyone in a successful organization must be willing and ready to risk. Risk is like change; it's not a choice.