Kenneth Lay Quotes

I look for something unique, and I look for people who haven't reached their potential. I think I'm pretty good at developing talent.

Just looking at Onex: We hire almost entirely at the most bottom level and bring them through a nine-year training program. We're probably 70/30 today not requiring an MBA.

In my 35 years in the army I was in school for 6 years. I think corporations should take a look at whether they are investing enough in the development of their human capital.

The Panda mission really speaks to our philosophy. It is, 'Deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.' I'm talking about everyone who works at Panda. They're inspired to better their own lives.

My best investment, as cliched as this sounds, is the money I've spent developing myself, via books, workshops and coaching. Leadership begins within, and to have a better career, start by building a better you.

In AirAsia, we consider ourselves basically a dream factory. We deliberately decided that we wanted a company where people can pursue their passion, and we wanted to make use of all the talent that we have in-house.

The healthiest companies are always characterized by organic talent development.

Our company has to be a company that enables its people.

Even your most talented employees have room for growth in some area, and you're doing your employee a disservice if the sum of your review is: 'You're great!' No matter how talented the employee, think of ways he could grow towards the position he might want to hold two, five, or 10 years down the line.

And what I'm interested in is investing in people.

We're talking about people who've already got 3-4, if not 5-6 years' experience or more, and it's about trying to help professionals develop, using us as a resource for that development.

We, as individuals, must be responsible for our careers with the goal of reaching our highest potential. The job of a manager is to tap into that energy that's already there.

I like having young assistants in my office; they have energy, and I spend time with them to make sure they understand what we're doing. By investing in them, I'm investing in the magazine. All over 'Vogue,' 'Teen Vogue,' and 'Men's Vogue,' there are people who have been through not only my office but also many other offices at 'Vogue.'

My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too.

People need to be in charge of their development plan. They need to seek out their sponsors and their mentors and be very strategic.

I want to be known as someone who develops individuals, not just companies.

I've been lucky that I've got myself through various opportunities and platforms and people believing in me - my wife helping in a lot of different areas - and growing up a lot, I've shown I am ready now to be a top guy, to hold that position for the company and show what it is to represent a giant, publicly traded company like WWE.

I believe in giving people an opportunity to do their jobs.

One quality of leaders and high achievers in every area seems to be a commitment to ongoing personal and professional development.

Too many companies waste time trying to eliminate their employees' weaknesses when, in fact, they should concentrate on developing their strengths.

I've had to do a lot of growing quickly for my career and owning that I'm the boss. I used to play every single one of the roles and now I have to remember that I'm the boss.

Realizing your potential as a leader is your responsibility.

As always I am focused on training and coaching my team.

Leadership development is a lifetime journey, not a quick trip.