Tom Perez Quotes

There is no better way to manage than by walking around. Autocracy doesn't work. Talk to people in their offices, find out what's on their minds.

A true leader has to have a genuine open-door policy so that his people are not afraid to approach him for any reason.

Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery.

If you don't understand that you work for your mislabeled 'subordinates', then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny.

That's how you get a performance - they put trust in you.

A good leader should focus on making sure everyone is being given the tools to do their job, not just expecting - poof! - that they're going to produce great work.

Great leaders help their people see how they can directly impact the company's objectives and their own personal goals.

I've got a really great team around me. They're the ones that are in the restaurants on a day to day basis. Anyone that's good can't be stifled in any way. I don't baby people.

No matter how good you think you are as a leader, my goodness, the people around you will have all kinds of ideas for how you can get better. So for me, the most fundamental thing about leadership is to have the humility to continue to get feedback and to try to get better - because your job is to try to help everybody else get better.

When you're leading, don't talk.

I think there's a lot to be learned from your teammates and older guys around you. And there are many ways to lead. You don't have to change your personality to be a leader.

And I'd say one of the great lessons I've learned over the past couple of decades, from a management perspective, is that really when you come down to it, it really is all about people and all about leadership.

An empowered organisation is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organisational success.

Most organisations do not actively seek out input from their lower echelons.

People like to be consulted.

We must lead, but we must listen.

In times of uncertainty, employees crave clarity. As a leader, you won't always have all of the answers - no one expects you to - so you must be open to listening and learning from others. Once you understand a particular challenge and outline the options, you have to be confident in making bold and optimistic decisions.

Leadership contains certain elements of good management, but it requires that you inspire, that you build durable trust. For an organization to be not just good but to win, leadership means evoking participation larger than the job description, commitment deeper than any job contract's wording.

Whether you lead a nation, an enterprise, a community, or a family, we are all in the communication business.

I think that the larger and more complex the business gets, I have to listen twice as much as I speak.

My idea is bring in good people and then get out of their way.

Just because you're the coach, you don't automatically have the authority. You have to work the people. You have to gain the trust of the people.

Being president isn't a solo position. You surround yourself with highly qualified people that are smarter about issues than you are. But that's not enough. You then have to listen to them.

You have to lead by example. You have to be the calmest person in the room. You have to be very open. I think the qualities of a director are to enable and to find the best in everybody.

Listen to clients, employees, and peers and stay open to their ideas, feedback, and answers. Doing so is vital to the success of any leader.