Alan Mulally

I had a great life at Boeing. I'd been there for 37 years and contributed to all the Boeing airplanes as a designer: the 707, 727, 37, 47, 57, 67 and 'triple 7' and the 87. ”

If you have a common purpose and an environment in which people want to help others succeed, the problems will be fixed quickly. ”

The purpose of business is to make a reasonable return by making products and services that people want and value. If you are not, you are wasting resources. ”

The purpose of life is to love and be loved... what could possibly be more energizing than that? ”

Leadership is having a compelling vision, a comprehensive plan, relentless implementation, and talented people working together. ”

The more senior your management position is, the more important it is to connect the organization or the project to the outside world. You know, how does this fit in with what we're doing? What is the real goal, the real mission? ”

What I've learned is the power of a compelling vision. ”

At the most fundamental level, it is an honor to serve - at whatever type or size of organization you are privileged to lead, whether it is a for-profit or nonprofit. It is an honor to serve. Starting from that foundation, it is important to have a compelling vision and a comprehensive plan. ”

What I found over the years is the most important thing is for a team to come together over a compelling vision, a comprehensive strategy for achieving that vision, and then a relentless implementation plan. ”

The most important thing is to simultaneously deal with reality - really the way it is, not the way you wished it could be or you hoped it could be - but also have a vision about where you want to go. ”