Quotessence
Home / Authors / Jeffrey Pfeffer
Jeffrey Pfeffer

Jeffrey Pfeffer Quotes

Professor

Filter quotes by topic

AllPeopleThinkingDoneSuccessfulWorldNeedsLeaderStrategyBelieveEmployeeManagementTryingBehaviorCompanyEconomicEnoughGivingIfsLongOrganization

Famous Jeffrey Pfeffer Quotes

“Lying is common in social life, often done for benign purposes, seldom draws severe sanctions, and many of the most notable leaders, including the late Steve Jobs, were consummate prevaricators. Told with enough persistence and conviction, what was once untrue can become true, in a self-fulfilling prophecy sort of way.”

WaySelfDoneEnoughJobsLyingPurposeSocialCommonLeaderLateDrawsIncludingConvictionPersistenceFulfillingProphecySevereSanctionsNotableSocial LifeUntrueBenignSelf Fulfilling Prophecy
Author:Jeffrey Pfeffer
Create image

“I would give Obama a "C." He gets an "A" for understanding this country's profound problems in education, health care, infrastructure, and economic competitiveness, and for surrounding himself with extremely skilled and knowledgeable people who know what to do. He probably gets an "F," ironically, in his ability to sell these ideas to the American public and to be angry enough, conniving enough, and frankly mean enough to get them implemented and understood.”

PeopleGivingMeanEnoughProblemCareUnderstandingAbilityEconomicProfoundHealth CareKnowledgeableCompetitiveness
Author:Jeffrey Pfeffer
Create image

“People clearly want to believe that the world is a just and fair place. It provides them a sense of control and makes them psychologically comfortable. But believing that the world is a just and fair place causes people to not do enough to take care of themselves and to be unprepared for when it isn't so nice. So, people need to understand their tendencies to see the world as just and fair and then be realistic about the actual conditions in which they find themselves.”

PeopleWorldBelieveEnoughCareNiceTake CareRealisticUnprepared
Author:Jeffrey Pfeffer
Create image

“One way to feel good about oneself is to not fail. The easiest way to not fail is to not try in the first place. So, I see lots of people give up before they start. That way they don't have to face uncomfortable failures. They can sort of "remain on the sideline while the game is going on." While this may make people feel good about themselves, it won't get them any power or success. As any successful salesperson will tell you, if you haven't been rejected, you haven't tried enough with enough people.”

PeopleGivingTryingEnoughSuccessfulFailingGiving UpOneselfFeel GoodUncomfortableRejected
Author:Jeffrey Pfeffer
Create image

“Typical pay increases are not enough to motivate employees, but they are enough to irritate them. … Even when companies create seemingly significant pay differentiation between low and high performers, the actual cash increase is insufficient to sustain performance – or it drives the wrong behaviors. … Effective management is a system, not a pay plan. The mistake is that companies try to solve all their problems with pay.”

TryingEnoughProblemPayMistakeCompanyPlansBehaviorLowsPerformancesIncreaseManagementSolveSignificantEmployeePerformersCashTypicalInsufficientDifferentiationMotivate Employees
Author:Jeffrey Pfeffer
Create image