Leadership

We've actually gotten rid of all people managers. We don't have a single person whose job it is to manage or tell someone else what to do. Instead we've organized the entire company around work that needs to get done, and then people can have multiple roles across multiple circles, and there's a bunch of other rules and processes.

CEO of Zappos & Pioneer of Company Culture & Happiness

The old diplomatic model where only representatives of states have a formal role cannot work in today's world. We need open, democratic platforms that allow everyone to participate – it could be a young activist or a business leader, it could be a scientist or an indigenous leader.

Former President of Iceland (1996-2016)

What failure really means is that you are trying to live life, and the fact that you fail means that you are trying. As soon as you try to avoid failure, you are facing the wrong direction.

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

If you don't have some failures continually, it is a signal that you have retreated into the conservative past.

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

People should adopt a fearlessness where they are trying new things, but then accept that by doing this- a certain percentage of things will fail. Failure is not a necessary evil, but rather- it is a positive part of on-going progress.

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

What I realised was, that in studying other manufacturing companies, in particular Toyota, I could see that their mechanism for distributing responsibility and pushing it far down the organisation turned them into a creative enterprise! This is the opposite of what most people think, which is that the purpose of manufacturing is to reliably produce the same thing over and over again.

Co-Founder of Pixar & Pioneer in Computer Graphics

I personally want to throw up every time I hear some completely senseless and baseless statement like 'we need more of Europe, not less'. It means nothing, and those slogans simply drive people crazy – It goes to show the intellectual vacuousness of the people who say them.

Former President of Estonia & Cybersecurity Pioneer

Changing the mood has an economic impact superior to many measures because companies and families, when they have more confidence, they act differently.

Former Prime Minister of Portugal (2015-2024)

Uncertainty and fear are enemies of economic growth. To change motivation, it is important to give hope and make people believe. But also to give concrete results. It is important to value the positive instead of only highlighting the worst.

Former Prime Minister of Portugal (2015-2024)

I learned to problem-solve and be self-sufficient at an early age, and that has influenced how I operate my lab. I try to make sure we generate as much of our research, data and activity in house as possible, so that we own what we produce.

Nobel Prize Winner for Gene Targeting in Mice

We have to interact with everyone so no one feels left out or ashamed; these negative emotions can kill curiosity and creativity.

Neuroscientist; Nobel Prize for discovering brain's positioning system cells

If you always make one thing your excuse or let other people drag you down because of something like your gender, it will become your prophecy. You just have to keep fighting.

Neuroscientist; Nobel Prize for discovering brain's positioning system cells

I don't think about myself as a woman in these contexts, I think about myself as a human. I feel like role model for all young people who wants to do science – not only girls.

Neuroscientist; Nobel Prize for discovering brain's positioning system cells

I always thought that nothing or no one should stop me from doing what I like. If you have a passion for questions, and if you have the courage, then you don't need a model that is exactly like yourself.

Neuroscientist; Nobel Prize for discovering brain's positioning system cells

It is precisely because of all those years of anticipating and designing for failure that they are alive today.

Canadian Astronaut & International Space Station Commander

Most every decision that your team will make is independent of you as a leader. Once in a while, they may update you or ask you a question, but the vast majority of decisions are made either individually, or inside teams- and if those individuals and teams don't know what that end-game truly looks like, the odds of them making the right decision at any moment in time diminishes.

Canadian Astronaut & International Space Station Commander