John Tukey Quotes

The quality of a leader cannot be judged by the answers he gives, but by the questions he asks.

Effective management always means asking the right question.

Focusing on the right question is very different from having the right answers.

Questions matter. In business, remarkable performers are brilliant at getting to the right question: the one that speeds them to the place they need to get to and offers them the missing piece they need to find.

Even for practical purposes theory generally turns out the most important thing in the end.

Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.

The experience of learning how to get straight to the core of a problem proved to be of immense value later when I had a long succession of responsibilities in large, complex government departments.

Management teams aren't good at asking questions. In business school, we train them to be good at giving answers.

Learning to fly an airplane taught me a way of thinking, an approach to problem-solving that was applicable and effective. Pilots are very methodical and meticulous, and artists tend not to be.

'How' is a great thing to know. 'Why' is the ultimate. I'm the 'why' coach. Why are we doing this? Why are we not doing that? Why is this not working? Those are the things I want to know.

What do you need to succeed in business? You need the ability to think critically and communicate, and those things you can get just as easily out of a philosophy degree.

I like to be right. I try not to miss the big ideas, forget the little ones, and try to get them right. End of job description.

Ask the right questions if you're to find the right answers.

In order for answers to become clear, the questions have to be clear.

Debates measure abilities you don't need to govern, like glibness. To govern you should be thoughtful, not glib. A debater has a sense of humor, but what's it got to do with governing? The ability to think on your feet. You make a budget sitting on your tush.

Most great leaders in history that I've studied always need to get as wide a range of opinions as possible so that they can have sufficient information to make the right decisions.

Some players are wonderful hitters of the ball, but they can't figure out ways to get out of trouble. Eighty percent of the time, there is a way. You just have to know how to look for it.

I'm a pretty good problem solver.

In business, you cannot be afraid to ask questions.

My job is to be a problem-solver.

You've got to be smart about tackling.

The most difficult quality is to make the right decision. Because you can be quick, you can be strong, you can jump incredibly, you can have the best shots and you can be able to score goals from 50 yards, but if you don't know when to shoot, when to run or when to jump, you're lost.

That's all managing is: just coming up with the right questions and getting the right answers.

Most people believe that great leaders are distinguished by their ability to give compelling answers. This profound book shatters that assumption, showing that the more vital skill is asking the right questions…. Berger poses many fascinating questions, including this one: What if companies had mission questions rather than mission statements? This is a book everyone ought to read—without question.

Right answers to difficult questions are better than wrong answers to difficult questions.