“Following the crisis, nobody actually pinpointed its cause and hence where the deficiencies were. There were knee-jerk reactions to say hedge-funds caused it with leverage, they're bad and must be regulated…. but nobody looked at the fact that the market created a load of products that nobody understood, and then failed to manage them properly.”
— Julian Korek

The quote archive

Leadership

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

To achieve greatness means to maximise your potential at the highest possible level, and the highest possible rate. I don't really consider myself the best, but the fact that people consider me the best I take as a great honour and as testament to the hard work and what I was able to achieve.

— Shaquille O’Neal

Hall of Fame NBA Center & 4-Time NBA Champion

I have shown that anything is possible. I always tell people not to limit themselves. Find out what you are good at or interested in and work hard to be successful in that.

— Usain Bolt

Jamaican Sprinter & Olympic Gold Medalist, Fastest Human Ever

For me it is important that the kids see me for who I am – a good person who works hard but has fun.

— Usain Bolt

Jamaican Sprinter & Olympic Gold Medalist, Fastest Human Ever

Success for me has been the ability to change my life, change my family's life and help a lot of other people.

— Usain Bolt

Jamaican Sprinter & Olympic Gold Medalist, Fastest Human Ever

Sustainability is a state of mind – every day when my team are working, they must think about sustainability. We want to be 100% sustainable by 2030 – how can you talk about 2060 or 2080? The people making the promises will be dead by then. We must act now.

— Renzo Rosso

Founder and Chairman of Diesel fashion brand and Only The Brave Group

It's so important to be curious, and to have young people around you. These sources of inspiration can help you modify your vision, take different approaches, and make better business decisions.

— Renzo Rosso

Founder and Chairman of Diesel fashion brand and Only The Brave Group

Making mistakes is necessary- if you don't make mistakes, you can never grow. Every failure is a little lesson in how to be a winner. Failure is an opportunity to learn, to start again, to see problems, and find solutions. Failing may be the reason you win next time!

— Renzo Rosso

Founder and Chairman of Diesel fashion brand and Only The Brave Group

I give all of you permission whereby, if I change the way I behave, my beliefs, the way we are going, I give you permission to hit me in my face, you need to bring me back to reality.

— Hamdi Ulukaya

Founder and CEO of Chobani Greek Yogurt Company

My primary design philosophy involves putting the tools into the hands of the community, and thinking really hard about avoiding bottlenecks which require some 'top-down' intervention.

— Jimmy Wales

Co-Founder of Wikipedia & Online Encyclopedia Pioneer

Small companies will get an idea and try to scale up. Big companies have to decide when to extend, when to extend and scale, and when to do something new. They need to build capabilities in terms of insight and execution to do the new thing.

— Steve Ballmer

Former CEO of Microsoft & Owner of Los Angeles Clippers

The most important thing a leader has to have is an idea on where they want to go and the ability to bring people with them. Dangerous leaders can be charismatic and effective at mobilizing people, but take them down a wrong path.

— Steve Ballmer

Former CEO of Microsoft & Owner of Los Angeles Clippers

If people tell me, 'you're the mean shark', I say 'no I'm not, I'm the nicest shark – I tell the truth. And if you can't get past me on shark tank, wait until you get in the real world – you'll get shredded.

— Kevin O’Leary

Shark Tank investor, businessman, and former Canadian political candidate

Speed and pace are important – the circumstances that brought people to the table can change over time, nothing is forever, nothing is static.

— Stephen Schwarzman

Co-Founder & CEO of Blackstone, Global Investment Powerhouse

I believe that you have to keep asking questions, and that there's no such thing as a negative question. It's all learning.

— Stephen Schwarzman

Co-Founder & CEO of Blackstone, Global Investment Powerhouse

I don't think about legacy, that's just not me. I think about what we're doing new every single day, across all the different areas we're involved in.

— Stephen Schwarzman

Co-Founder & CEO of Blackstone, Global Investment Powerhouse

Everyone in a high functioning organisation is simultaneously a teacher and a student. They will have been taught by others, and will be teaching others.

— Stephen Schwarzman

Co-Founder & CEO of Blackstone, Global Investment Powerhouse