Managers vs Leaders

"Managers light fire under people; leaders light a fire in people." Kathy Austin

Wealth, Unhappiness and the Right goal

"People who are very high in extrinsic goals for wealth are more likely to attain that wealth, but they're still unhappy," Ryan told me.
Or as Deci put it, "The typical notion is this: You value something. You attain it. Then you're better off as a function of it. But what we find is that there are certain things that if you value and if you attain them, you're worse off as a result of it, not better off."
Failing to understand this conundrum - that satisfaction depends not merely on having goals, but on having the right goals - can lead sensible people down self-destructive paths.

One of the reasons for anxiety and depression in the high attainers is that they're not having good relationships. They're busy making money and attending to themselves and that means that there's less room in their lives for love and attention and caring and empathy and the things that truly count, " Ryan added.

Ref : Daniel Pink, Drive - The surprising truth about what motivates us.

Needle and Sword

"Do not undermine the small for the big. What a needle can do, a sword cannot"
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana

Build something great

"Get involved in something that you care so much about that you want to make it the greatest it can possibly be, not because of what you will get, but just because it can be done."

Ref: Good to Great, Jim Collins

Simple mantra of good-to-great companies

"The good-to-great companies at their best followed a simple mantra:
'Anything that does not fit with our Hedgehog Concept, we will not do. We will not launch unrelated businesses. We will not make unrelated acquisitions. We will not do unrelated joint ventures. If it doesn't fit, we don't do it. Period."

Ref : Good to great, Jim Collins

Common cause of failure

"One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another."

Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great delight in tripping one up when success is almost within reach.

Ref : "Think and Get Rich", Napolean Hill

Get more parts on the table

Challenging problems don't usually define their adjancent possible in such a clear, tangible way. Part of coming with a good idea is discovering what those spare parts are, and ensuring that you're not just recycling the same old ingredients.
The trick to having good ideas is not to sit around in glorious isolation and try to think big thoughts. The trick is to get more parts on the table.

Ref : "Where Good Ideas Come From", Steven Johnson