Henry Mintzberg Quotes

Japanese were too loyal to companies, and young people see what happened: the loyalty was wasted. They think: 'Look at Americans. They job hop. They seem to be free. That's the way we want to live.'

For me, if I knew that I wanted to be a CEO and I set that final destination right up front, that helped me develop a career track.

People no longer have one job for life, so it is right that younger generations adapt.

There was this saying in GCHQ that, if you didn't leave after five years, you stay there for life. It was always my intention to leave before five years.

You don't choose. I just go where the work is.

Most of the good people of my generation... had offers to become editors, but the thought of going inside was just absolutely horrifying.

Careers can disappear just as quickly as they're made, so I'm in no hurry.

I can't worry about whether roles will be there for me when I'm older. They're there now, and I'm just not going to panic.

Up until like five seconds ago, I just took what jobs came along.

There's an awful lot of choices in the world as far as what one can do for a living. It's best to be familiar with as many sectors of the working world as you can be so you'll be better at your creative job anyway.

Well, I've thought many times when my career was in the toilet, that I was going to have to seriously consider getting another job, I don't know what I'd do.

I'm trying to solidify a long-term career, because I have no other skills and no other abilities.

I used to go from one job to another. I started at seven years old in theater and used to go from one job to another.

No one is born a CEO, but no one tells you that.

People have an idea that one is in control of a career, a lot more than you really are. You can engineer things to an extent. But you are at the mercy of what comes in across the desk.

Jobs follow people. People don't follow jobs.

I want to work, so I'm going where the work is.

After leaving law school, I intentionally said that I never wanted to hold a job more than six years.

You grow up a lot in terms of your understanding of the industry and how to deal with the corporate things.

Never turn down a job you haven’t been offered.

As tough as it is for many college graduates to get their planned careers on track, it could be worse: They could be trying to find a job without a college degree.

Isn't it fitting that so many of those who have contempt for the private sector will soon find themselves back in it?

I was told by my father nine times a day that you were going to get a job the minute you finish your studies.

There is something suspect, especially in America, about people who don't have ten-year plans for a career or at least a regular job.

Six years of your life is a long time to do anything, and especially in this business, where you get so used to being nomadic and moving on to different jobs.