10 Quotes From Bill Hewlett and David Packard That Every Executive Should Read

Below are 10 quotes from Bill Hewlett and David Packard that I use as a periodic kick in the pants.

1. The greatest success goes to the person who is not afraid to fail in front of even the largest audience.

2. Set out to build a company and make a contribution, not an empire and a fortune.

3. The best possible company management is one that combines a sense of corporate greatness and destiny, with empathy for, and fidelity to, the average employee.

4. The biggest competitive advantage is to do the right thing at the worst time.

5. A company that focuses solely on profits ultimately betrays both itself and society.

6. Corporate reorganizations should be made for cultural reasons more than financial ones.

7. A frustrated employee is a greater threat than a merely unhappy one.

8. The job of a manager is to support his or her staff, not vice versa and that begins by being among them.

9. The best business decisions are the most humane decisions.  And, all other talents being even, the greatest managers are also the most human managers.

… and my favorite one is ….

10. Investing in new product development and expanding the product catalog are the most difficult things to do in hard times, and also among the most important.

Other quotes from David Packard? 11 Simple Rules For Getting Along

Source for the above quotes: @AskBillAndDave on twitter and “Bill & Dave” by Michael Malone (published by Portfolio/Penguin)