Lisa Randall Quotes

I try not to and I don't think I ever have just jumped at any opportunity because a company wanted me. Just because there was money on the table doesn't mean that I took it.

There's no amount of money that would make me decide something for a career.

I stayed in show business to pay for my animal business.

Oh Lord, there it is again. The question;" What kind of business should I start?" Incidentially, it has a twin that also sets me off: "What should I specialize in during the second year of my MBA studies?" Sorry, but those are two of the most profoundly upsetting questions anyone can ask - upsetting because the answer should be obvious: Do what turns you on, not what the statistics say is best.

I'm a problem-solver.

I could have made a fortune in cheeseburgers, but I finally chose politics.

If a man can't manage his own life, he can't manage a business.

I've always been really picky about roles and make a point of reminding myself that it's not about the money - because, obviously, there's a lot of money to be made in this business if you're willing to do anything.

At the very beginning of my career, when I opened my business in Italy, I was also a ranked tennis player. I had won many tournaments. To be an athlete was my first choice. Second choice: designer. However! There was more money in being a designer at that time.

You learn every single day when you're running a company. You learn as you go.

In many ways, that affection is the real reward for 56 years in the business. Although the money ain't exactly bad either.

I should have just become a manager.

I considered a lot of different jobs as a kid. I thought about becoming a priest or a lawyer. My father had a big linen-supply business and I considered working for him. What dawned on me was: 'If I'm an actor, I get to do the fun parts of every job!' Without having to go to four years of law school.

If I were a strategically minded person, I think I would have a far different career.

Once you meet an entrepreneur like Jack Ma, you just want to make sure you bet on him. It's not a hard decision.

One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

I like knowing about everything, and I think that really helps me in my business.

I want to be an entrepreneur too; I like the business side of things. When I was younger I wanted to be a vet or a tightrope walker. But I have no sense of balance and I can't bear animals dying, so I abandoned both ideas.

The thorniest business problems will surface at the board meetings, and the different, sharp opinions help to better explore the poles of the arguments to make better decisions.

Our managers need to have a strong integration of managerial skills and technical understanding. One cannot substitute for the other.

I try to look at problems very clearly and think, 'How do we get out of this? What will work? What will be the consequences for the people involved?'

Probably the hardest question I get asked is, 'How do I choose between passion and practicality?' I can't answer that. I had to do both. I was passionate about pursuing a career in financial services. But I was also passionate about feeding my child.

Choosing my career was always based on job satisfaction rather than financial security. I wanted to get a job in science; I enjoyed being a surgeon and I now enjoy being an academic and having a media career.

If you are a manager at the top level, there is pressure, but you have it because you want to be there. If not, you would do something else.

Your job isn’t to make money. It’s to find a problem that needs solving.