“This access has significantly altered what individuals and communities can accomplish, challenging traditional power dynamics. It's essentially a democratic revolution, wresting control from the conventional gatekeepers like intelligence agencies and the media.”
— Eliot Higgins
Founder of Bellingcat, open-source investigation journalism network

The quote archive

Leadership

A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.

Martin Luther King Jr.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights Leader Who Advanced Racial Equality Through Nonviolent Protest

I hope that the totality of what I've done, or that which Freada and I have done together, really gives people a sense of hope and possibility, in a practical way, that business can be a constructive force in the world and genuinely help make the world a better place for everyone.

— Mitchell Kapor

Founder of Lotus Development Corporation & Digital Pioneer

My wife Freada coined a phrase, distance travelled. We're very interested in where somebody started in life, and what hurdles and barriers they have already overcome in their journey – and how that grit has got them to where they are now. That's an indicator of resilience, persistence, and many other character traits that are significant in terms of entrepreneurial success.

— Mitchell Kapor

Founder of Lotus Development Corporation & Digital Pioneer

I wanted to impart this fundamental philosophy that a person should endeavour to better the world, an aspiration divorced from monetary considerations. While some might contend that financial power is a prerequisite for effecting change, I don't subscribe to this belief.

— Maurice Saatchi

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

The true measure of success, as I see it, lies in the effort to effect positive change in the world. However, this perspective isn't universally embraced. The feeling of success, it's crucial to clarify, has little to do with financial gain or even fame. These are two entirely distinct concepts.

— Maurice Saatchi

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

I think most limits are self imposed. The limits we place on ourselves are between our ears – it's our minds telling us we could never do X, or achieve Y. It's our minds deciding what is possible, or impossible. Guess what… when you go out and do something you thought was impossible, it expands your perspective on everything.

— Dean Karnazes

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

To me, the very definition of success is living up to your potential – and the very definition of failure is not living up to your potential, simple.

— Dean Karnazes

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

I realized that while others may not always do things precisely as I would, they might accomplish 80% or 90% of it, and that was acceptable. A defining moment came when I relinquished control over the marketing brochures, my annual pet project.

— Brian Smith

I believe that the more we trust the 'gold' within ourselves, the more we are able to see it in others. When we interact with others, we can either fixate on their anxieties or performance concerns, or we can attune our receptors to truly sense the genuineness, curiosity, and care within them.

— Tara Brach

Meditation Teacher & Author of "Radical Acceptance

Even if it's not your mistake, it could still be your responsibility. That's one element of maturity – owning up to things even when they weren't caused by your actions. What you should truly be striving for as an entrepreneur is creating new standards of success, redefining what success means beyond monetary wealth.

— Kevin Kelly

Founding Executive Editor of Wired Magazine & Technology Thinker

I believe wisdom can be seen as a beacon, guiding us towards the noble, beautiful, and authentic aspects of life. It's the mark of a wise individual to have a clear understanding of their path, a path that not only promotes positivity but also steers others towards it. Moreover, wisdom bears an element of compression, of brevity - a distillation of knowledge, capturing the core, the very essence of understanding.

— Kevin Kelly

Founding Executive Editor of Wired Magazine & Technology Thinker

What makes him dangerous is an unwavering determination; those who suggest potential exit strategies are overlooking a key aspect of his character. Any off-ramp simply provides an opportunity for him to seek the next on-ramp.

— General H.R. McMaster

U.S. National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump

Often, companies struggling with high turnover rates tend to overemphasise standardisation and neglect the vital role of empowerment. Standardisation devoid of empowerment can rob individuals of their dignity and prove counterproductive. It's the balance between the two that brings about optimal results.

— Zeynep Ton

MIT Professor & Author on Retail Operations & Low-Wage Work

Cross-training stands as a key mechanism to balance mastery and specialisation with flexibility and motivation. However, this doesn't mean that you should cross-train every employee in every task. Such an approach would invariably lead to mediocrity.

— Zeynep Ton

MIT Professor & Author on Retail Operations & Low-Wage Work

Top-tier companies, Toyota being a prime example known for its operational excellence, are well-acquainted with the value of slack. A fundamental lesson taught to MIT Sloan students in operations classes is that in any system with variability, it's not ideal to operate at 100% capacity utilisation.

— Zeynep Ton

MIT Professor & Author on Retail Operations & Low-Wage Work

Firstly, pay has to be high enough to give people agency in their own lives and secondly, humans have to be treated like humans. Those are the minimum conditions for good jobs – there also needs to be a career path that enables people to learn and grow in their jobs.

— Zeynep Ton

MIT Professor & Author on Retail Operations & Low-Wage Work