Michael Corbat Quotes

I work strategically with my management team to make all decisions.

It must be able to assist in devising the method of solution of problems and not merely solve them.

Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level.

Dad was an outstanding leader. He'd bring in top thinkers from a wide array of fields - how to fix the Detroit schools, for example. I watched him in these meetings. He listened and probed.

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?'

I'm not sure people would think of me in this light, but frankly, what I enjoyed most about Bain & Company, the consulting firm, was the analytical process of solving tough problems.

Critical thinking is the most important factor with chess. As it is in life, you need to think before you make decisions.

That is what a good manager does - you study and think and discuss, and you come up with a model of playing.

My experience in decision-making has shown that patterns are tough to break. In the military, we study an opponent, looking for gaps, flaws, or weaknesses that can be exploited. Successful leaders at all levels in all disciplines conduct this kind of analysis.

Life is very much about making the best decisions you can. So I think chess is very valuable.

Sometimes I do have something in my head. But, for me, I think it usually ends up being about considering all of the elements, and trying to understand the distance from where we are to where we want to go.

A team of giants needs giant pitchers who throw good ideas but every pitcher needs an outstanding catcher. Without giant catchers, the ideas of the giant pitchers may eventually disappear.

I have a lot of common sense. I know what needs to be done and how to approach it. I have an ability to work with people on large enterprises.

I'm a problem-solver.

I want to make smart choices.

I don't think leadership demands 'yes' or 'no' answers; I think leadership is providing the forum for making the right decision, which doesn't demand unanimity.

One of the things Mr. Kennedy taught me was that in laying out a new project, you shouldn't try to cope with every little problem.

I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future.

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.

Guys are natural problem solvers - they like to have strategies.

Effective management always means asking the right question.

The day-to-day making of policy is arguing all the time. You're trying to get the right approach and the right answer, and there are moments that aren't very pleasant. But in the end, you look at the overall product.

Every problem can be solved as long as they use common sense and apply the right research and techniques.

I am not the kind of leader who pontificates about what should be done - I don't operate on scenarios, and I am not a prophet.