Thomas J. Watson Quotes

If you get criticized, good - I don't think people get criticized enough. People talk behind your back and they criticize you, but they don't often come up and say it to you.

I want people who will stand up to me. People who are not afraid to say exactly what's on their minds, even though that's probably not what I want to hear. That's what I want.

My father and I have a very good relationship. We always got along. But I always scold him.

If there is no criticism, you become lazy. But it should be constructive, and it should be the truth. If it's biased and there's no truth in it, then I don't care about it. If it's true, it helps me grow.

My mom has a good way of engaging me in a conversation about the choices I make, listening, being objective and open-minded, and respecting those choices so long as they don't put me in danger.

I feel that the critic and music director should have such a good relationship they can pick up the phone and call each other any time.

I don't care what people are saying about me, good or bad, in blogs or on Twitter or in the media. There will always be people who don't like you and don't like your books. Ignore them.

In the end, you have to write like you're not afraid of the critics.

Most companies don't have a good mechanism to give the CEO real, honest feedback.

'Speak truth unto power'. What does this mean? It means giving your best advice to superiors based on the best information available and objective analysis even when you know it may not be music to their ears

You need to set a tone at the top that inspires trust - and encourages open and honest 2-way communication. So you hear the brutal facts, and you listen to the good news and the bad news - so that, in the spirit of continuous improvement, you can make changes.

Companies make a big point of how their culture is all about 'bad news first,' but when it comes to people, they are suddenly scared to communicate bad news out of some mistaken feeling of politeness or political correctness.

I always tell Brock Lesnar the truth. I don't appease Brock Lesnar. I don't placate Brock Lesnar. When Brock Lesnar asks me for an opinion, I give to him an honest opinion that I'm willing to back up with facts, with theory.

My working style is democratic and I want people to be honest with me. Reputation makes everyone agree with your point, which is dangerous for any filmmaker.

When team members trust each other and know that everyone is capable of admitting when they're wrong, then conflict becomes nothing more than the pursuit of truth or the best possible answer.

Every organization should tolerate rebels who tell the emperor he has no clothes

Bosses and leaders everywhere should cherish the people who bring them bad news, disappointing data or hard problems.

I hire people who can do their jobs and who will advise me of things they don't agree with. The worst thing you can do is get in a room with 14 people who say, "OK!" Then you really are making decisions about engineering and finance and other areas.

Criticism even should not be without its charms. When quite devoid of all amenities, it is no longer literary.

A good leader encourages followers to tell him what he needs to know, not what he wants to hear.

People want the truth, even if they disagree.

You really have to try and find a way to communicate [in the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp], to respect each other's opinions and ideas, to be able to fight for something you feel is better than somebody else's idea.

Good leadership requires you to surround yourself with people of diverse perspectives who can disagree with you without fear of retaliation.

As a top manager, you have to not just reward truth-telling, you've got to beg for it, and you've got to demand that everyone around you gives you constructive criticism, constantly. You've got to get out of the bubble, so that you can get direct feedback from everybody who's being affected.

If you pay attention to good critics, you have to listen to the bad. So you have to ignore them all really. You can't just cherry pick the glowing ones.