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Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns Quotes

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Ursula Burns is a prominent figure in the business world, born on September 20, 1958. She is an accomplished business leader and engineer, known for her significant achievements in the fields of technology and manufacturing. Throughout her career, Burns has held several CEO positions in large corporations, leading to notable commercial success.

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Famous Ursula Burns Quotes

“I didn't learn to be quiet when I had an opinion. They reason they knew who I was is because I told them.”

Inspirational Business Quotes Ceo Quotes

Author:Ursula Burns

“I say to my team all the time that this is how I grew up: Always thinking that, at any minute, I could be unemployed. You have to scramble. You have to work hard and get ahead of things.”

Thinking Hard Team Minutes Hard Work Grew Grew Up Unemployed Get Ahead Always Thinking

Author:Ursula Burns

“I want to stop transforming and just start being.”

Want Transforming

Author:Ursula Burns

“Admiration takes on a whole new level when you appreciate just how complex it is to run a modern business.”

Whole Running Levels Modern Appreciate Complexes Admiration Modern Business

Author:Ursula Burns

“CEOs resign when the internal dynamics of the company and the external dynamics of the company actually come together to say it is appropriate. When the internal dynamics ask you whether you have a replacement. I think the transition from CEOships have also become cartoonish.”

Thinking Together Asks Company Appropriate Internals Transition Ceo Dynamics Replacements

Author:Ursula Burns

“I'm a black lady from the Lower East Side of New York. Not a lot intimidates me.”

Sides Black New York East Intimidating East Side

Author:Ursula Burns

“This old notion that work is drudgery is nonsense. Most days, even back when Xerox was under siege, I could not wait to get to the office.”

Waiting Office Notion Nonsense Back When Drudgery Siege Xerox Under Siege

Author:Ursula Burns

“I realized I was more convincing to myself and to the people who were listening when I actually said what I thought, versus what I thought people wanted to hear me say.”

People Said Wanted Listening I Realized Versus Convincing

Author:Ursula Burns

“Xerox is really good at managing documents, and we're definitely good at managing through a process.”

Process Documents Xerox

Author:Ursula Burns

“My mother was pragmatic, focused and extremely, exceedingly practical, and she was the ultimate self-determining person.”

Persons Self Mother Ultimate Focused Practicals Pragmatic

Author:Ursula Burns

“I don't want to overemphasize this, but not a day goes by when I don't think about my mother and what she would think about what I just did. I often adjust my approach.”

Thinking Want Mother Approach

Author:Ursula Burns

“Fresh out of college, you tend to join a company because it's a job. But, you tend to stay because it becomes a career; you start to feel at home. In the beginning of your career, you're focused on you: 'I like this place because I'm doing rewarding work; they take good care of me; the people are nice; there's runway for me,' etc.”

People Feels Home Care Jobs Company Careers Nice College Focused Etc Runway

Author:Ursula Burns

“I don't think paper will go away. I do believe that the value of paper will change, and Xerox is working on changing that value. Consider a color page. Actual life is in color, but you keep reproducing it in black and white. You remove value. It's a bad thing to do.”

Thinking Believe Life Is Values Black White Color Paper Pages Things To Do Remove Going Away Bad Things Black And White Reproducing Actual Life Xerox

Author:Ursula Burns

“My mother raised us to think that if we worked hard, and if we put our end of the bargain in, it would work out OK for us.”

Ifs Thinking Ends Hard Mother Raised Work Out Bargains

Author:Ursula Burns

“Dreams do come true, but not without the help of others, a good education, a strong work ethic, and the courage to lean in.”

Helping Dream Strong Ethics Work Ethic Dreams Do Come True Good Education Strong Work Ethic

Author:Ursula Burns

“If you go to Norway, Finland, Russia or Australia, youll see Xerox or Fuji-Xerox people, not just the name on the door. We have human beings who live and work and serve customers everywhere around the globe.”

People Ifs Humans Names Human Beings Doors Customers Russia Australia Globes Norway Finland Xerox

Author:Ursula Burns

“Find something that you love to do, and find a place that you really like to do it in. I found something I loved to do. Im a mechanical engineer by training, and I loved it. I still do. My son is a nuclear engineer at MIT, a junior, and I get the same vibe from him. Your work has to be compelling. You spend a lot of time doing it.”

Stills Found Son Training Nuclear My Son Engineers Compelling Juniors Mit

Author:Ursula Burns

“Crankiness is a human attribute that when people walk in the door of Xerox, they remain human. The best way to get the best out of people is to not force them to be something other than they naturally are. Now what do they have to be? They have to be respectful. You can't be ridiculously disrespectful.”

People Way Humans Force Walks Doors Best Way Attributes Cant Respectful Disrespectful Be Respectful Xerox Crankiness

Author:Ursula Burns

“As Ive progressed in my career, Ive come to appreciate -- and really value -- the other attributes that define a companys success beyond the P&L: great leadership, long-term financial strength, ethical business practices, evolving business strategies, sound governance, powerful brands, values-based decision-making.”

“Believe that there are no limitations, no barriers to your success --- you will be empowered and you will achieve.”

Believe Achieve Limitation Barriers Empowered

Author:Ursula Burns

“I'm an advocate for change and eager to break a little glass when needed.”

Littles Break Needed Glasses

Author:Ursula Burns

“Where you are is not who you are”

Who You Are Where You Are

Author:Ursula Burns

“You don’t have to be at every volleyball game. We can’t guilt ourselves.”

Games Guilt Volleyball

Author:Ursula Burns

“I've had many mentors, but the one that has the most impact was my mother.”

Mother Impact Mentor

Author:Ursula Burns

“My perspective comes in part from being a New York black lady, in part from being an engineer. I know I'm smart and have opinions worth being heard.”

Knows Black Opinion Heard New York Perspective Smart Engineers

Author:Ursula Burns

“The world is changing. We all know this. And as that world changes, if you don't transform your company, you're stuck.”

Ifs Knows World Company Stuck

Author:Ursula Burns

“The best way to change it is to do it. Right? And then after a while you become it, and it's easy.”

Way Easy Best Way

Author:Ursula Burns

About the Author

Born: September 20, 1958
Known for: Author
Quotes: 27

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