Lee Iacocca Quotes

When I was in high school, my mom gave me a paperweight. It was when I was going through my 'not that interested in doing homework or really working on anything' phase and the paperweight said "If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes." And that's sort of the same thing, if you're not always working to be in the front.

Start going the extra mile and opportunity will follow you.

If you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you don't really want it.

We always think that everybody can do a little bit more, if not a lot more.

When I first went to work... I had over me an impetuous, hustling man. It was necessary for me to be up to the top notch to give satisfaction. I worked faster than I otherwise would have done, and to him I attribute the impetus that I acquired.

Nothing's going to come to you by sitting around and waiting for it.

I'm one of those people where, the more responsibility I have, the better I become. The more I rise up to it. The less responsibility I have, the more I can easily devolve.

I'm always trying to stay above the rest, and that's by doing the extra work.

I look for challenges. I really do.

Action is what separates the do-ers from the dreamers.

If you want to get on in life get off your arse because it ain't going to come to you. And if it does come to you and you're not off your arse then you ain't going to keep it very long.

Lengthen your stride/go the extra mile

You should always give 100%. If you do that then no-one can ask any more of you. Someone once said to me when I was a kid: 'If you're asked to do ten sprints, by all means do 11 but never do nine because you're only cheating yourself'.

To be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running

The habit of doing more than is necessary can only be earned through practice.

The difference between one man and another is not mere ability it is energy.

The term 'overachiever' sort of makes it look like the person has mediocre talent and he just works so hard that he achieves beyond what you would think. 'Overachiever' is sort of a - it's sort of an incorrect term. An overachiever is someone that's just willing to pay the price to get so much more out of his performance.

There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened. To be successful, you need to be a person who makes things happen.

Action is the foundational key to all success.

Decisiveness is a characteristic of high-performing men and women. Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.

I tend to be a lazy actress, unless I'm pushed.

When you take on more than the norm, your boss can't help but think that you're capable of a bigger role. This includes showing that you're willing to take risks by making innovative suggestions.

I like to dream, but I like to make things happen.

Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all he can do.

But my observation has been, certainly in the news business, you've got to give 110 percent.