Marissa Mayer Quotes

When in 1969 I became publisher of the 'Washington Post' as well as president of the company, my plate was fuller than ever. I had partly worked myself into the job but not, except for rare occasions, taken hold. I had acquired some sense of business but still relied on others more than most company presidents did.

I've developed a much greater respect for our politicians and every high-tech CEO. It's very easy to read about the things they did that you, of course, would have avoided in hindsight.

When I wear the hat of management, it is important that our management behaves and conducts as management accountable to the board.

I'm the CEO; I'm the one who should be looking out for risk.

When you're the CEO, you take responsibility.

I'm the non-executive chairman of nine or so major companies, and on the nine companies, it's a little trying because you jump from one industry to another, as the case might be. But one had the reasonable knowledge of those nine activities, and it's been an exciting job.

As the CEO, I have to take care of the short term, mid term and the long term.

Most of the time nothing much is required of directors, which is a pity.

A man to carry on a successful business must have imagination. He must see things as in a vision, a dream of the whole thing.

CEOs make hard decisions; sometimes, the least worst is the right one.

When you're C.E.O., you have to have two conditions: first, shareholders need to trust you and want you to head your company. The second is that you need to feel the motivation to do the job. So, as long as both are reunited, you continue to do the job. And today, they are reunited.

Don't blame the marketing department. The buck stops with the chief executive.

Early in my career, I sometimes found it difficult to make the tough people decisions - I had to learn that. In business, you want to listen. You want to learn. You want to make sure you're not proceeding without information. But if you wait too long, you can actually hurt an organization even more.

I feel like I'm part of history being made. I leave Apple board meetings thinking, 'I've got to do a better job.'

In life, you don't have a level of confrontation and the nonsense you run into when you're a CEO. CEOs aren't born.

The chief strategist of an organization has to be the leader - the CEO.

When I was president of the company, I said, 'Okay, I can do this - piece of cake.' Then when you are the CEO, the responsibilities multiply enormously because you worry about everything.

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.

I'm really more of an executive.

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.

You're kind of taught that the role of a business person is the decision making.

You shut the door, you tell the boss exactly what you think. But when the door opens, the job of the vice president is to stand right next to the president and implement the policy that he's decided. And I'm prepared to do that.

As one grows their company and brand, you have to learn to be a leader, and there's no formula.

The goal isn't just to make transactions: it's to make better decisions in the way you run your business. If that's not at the top of every executive's priorities, then they shouldn't be an executive.

To be the best CEO you can be, you have to be passionate about the business you're running. And I have true passion for the financial markets and the financial industry.