“The real mechanism for corporate governance is the active involvement of the owners.” RealActiveCorporateOwnersMechanismGovernanceInvolvement Author:Lou Gerstner
“What I'm trying to do is deliver results, not promises; results, not vision; results, not concepts. The world is cynical about IBM's promises.” WorldTryingResultsVisionPromiseConceptsCynicalIbm Author:Lou Gerstner
“I initially wanted to be a teacher and then I was going to become an engineer and build bridges and highways but pretty soon I went into the business world. I never did get to be a teacher except in a different way.” WorldWayDifferentWantedTeacherBridgesDifferent WaysEngineersHighwaysBusiness World Author:Lou Gerstner
“I've been accepted at Cambridge University. I want to study Chinese history and archaeology. I want to become a student. I want to read Chinese history and go on a dig.” WantStudyStudentsGoes OnUniversityAcceptedChineseArchaeologyCambridgeCambridge University Author:Lou Gerstner
“Quite frankly, I am not very comfortable in chitchat. When I go to board meetings, I arrive two minutes before and leave when it's over. I don't stay for lunch or go early and have coffee.” TwoMinutesComfortableMeetingsCoffeeBoardsLunchBoard Meetings Author:Lou Gerstner
“The fundamental issue is: In the world of the Internet, is there a place for a packager of services? Does the customer want to go surf the Net and go to every one of 50,000 Web sites? Or will people pay a reasonable amount for somebody to go out and preselect and package what they want? My guess is they will both coexist.” PeopleWorldWantDoePayIssuesAmountInternetFundamentalsCustomersReasonableSitePackagesSurfCoexist Author:Lou Gerstner
“The Internet is ultimately about innovation and integration, but you don't get the innovation unless you integrate Web technology into the processes by which you run your business.” RunningProcessTechnologyInternetInnovationIntegrationIntegrating Author:Lou Gerstner
“The networked world offers the promise that maybe the information technology industry will start to, for the first time in a decade or so, address CEO-level issues.” WorldFirstsLevelsTechnologyIssuesInformationIndustryPromiseOffersFirst TimeDecadesAddressesCeoInformation Technology Author:Lou Gerstner
“The world is full of CEOs that think that just because they write a memo or they write a letter inside an annual report or they give a little video speech that gets sent around the company, they think that's what's really going to affect employees.” ThinkingWorldGivingWritingLittlesCompanySpeechLettersVideoReportsEmployeeCeoAnnualsMemosAnnual Reports Author:Lou Gerstner
“We do not need Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Education; we need a single Department of Skills that will promote an integrated approach to global competitiveness.” NeedsSkillsApproachLaborDepartmentCommerceIntegratedCompetitiveness Author:Lou Gerstner