Janet Chang > Janet's Quotes

“Ideas are easy. Execution is everything.”
― John Doerr, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

“We don’t hire smart people to tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do. —Steve Jobs”
― John Doerr, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

“Bad companies,” Andy wrote, “are destroyed by crisis. Good companies survive them. Great companies are improved by them.”
― John Doerr, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

“We must realize—and act on the realization—that if we try to focus on everything, we focus on nothing.”
― John Doerr, Measure What Matters

“When people have conflicting priorities or unclear, meaningless, or arbitrarily shifting goals, they become frustrated, cynical, and demotivated.”
― John Doerr, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

“Early on in your career, when you’re an individual contributor, you’re graded on the volume and quality of your work. Then one day, all of a sudden, you’re a manager. Let’s assume you do well and move up to manage more and more people. Now you’re no longer paid for the amount of work you do; you’re paid for the quality of decisions you make.”
― John E. Doerr, Measure What Matters

“Leaders must get across the why as well as the what. Their people need more than milestones for motivation. They are thirsting for meaning, to understand how their goals relate to the mission.”
― John Doerr, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

“Then come the four OKR “superpowers”: focus, align, track, and stretch.”
― John E. Doerr, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

“The Profit function: Individual profits cause collective growth and prosperity. It is necessary for individual people and businesses to profit in a Permaculture Economy where justice is maintained and fairly applied. Profits are earned when efficiency is mastered. With profits, individuals invest in (a) new and innovative means of production which will allow more profits, or (b) buying products and services from other individuals who are also seeking profit by providing value.

Profits also incentivize individuals to be productive participants in society to begin with. If there will be no profit in an activity, business or industry, then individuals will decline participation in that activity, business or industry. Since profits are only possible when buyers are satisfied with the productivity of sellers, then it is also true that an individuals willingness to participate in an activity, business or industry is preceded by the buyers satisfaction which allows the seller to profit. But when buyers are dissatisfied and decline participation, it forces sellers to decline participation. Inversely, if profits are eradicated through the force of price-controls by the government, then sellers will decline participation which then causes buyers to decline participation. And when both sellers and buyers decline participation, then whole industries and economies collapse.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, Principles of a Permaculture Economy

“A circular economy is a step in the right direction towards a permaculture economy.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, Principles of a Permaculture Economy

“In today's constantly evolving economy, business models cannot be static. The business model of each business must be consistently changing and evolving in order to stay relevant and to succeed.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, Principles of a Permaculture Economy

“Individual profits cause collective growth and prosperity. It is necessary for individual people, businesses, and companies to profit, in a Permaculture Economy where justice is maintained and fairly applied. Profits are earned when efficiency is mastered. With profits, individuals invest in (a) new and innovative means of production which will allow more profits, or (b) they use profits to buy products or services from other individuals who are also seeking profit by providing value. Profits also incentivize individuals to be productive to begin with. If there will be no profit in an activity, business or industry, then individuals will decline participation. Since profits are only possible when buyers are satisfied with the productivity of sellers, then it is also true that an individual's willingness to participate in an activity, business or industry is preceded by the buyers satisfaction which allows them to profit. So, when buyers decline participation it forces sellers to decline participation. Inversely, if profits are removed through force of price controls by the government, then sellers will decline participation which then causes buyers to decline participation.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, Principles of a Permaculture Economy

“Things nature is good at include - organizing matter in a way that is multi functional, mass customization, network adaptation to circumstance, responsive evolution, growth as a mechanism for construction, decentralization, data management and asset management. Regardless of what kind of business we are talking about, there's something vital to learn from nature.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, Principles of a Permaculture Economy

“Strategy is really the essence of the boards value proposition to the company. The ability to strategize well is the essence of what makes a board relevant.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“As a board, you want to be able to identify exactly what the company is succeeding at and exactly what it's failing at so that you can amplify the successes and correct the failures with surgical precision.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“A board-established and led vision is a critical element of effective corporate governance. It provides direction, inspires stakeholders, and guides the company towards a successful future.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“A high-performing board of directors is the backbone of a successful company.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Now, more than ever, the world needs transformational leaders not to cultivate change for its own sake, but to lead through the inevitable evolutions in business and human society.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Effective risk management and compliance are essential for protecting the
company's assets and reputation.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Shaping the company's future requires understanding the key drivers
of value for the company and establishing metrics to measure progress accordingly.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“There's no one-size-fits-all answer to defining business success, as different companies can and should prioritize various aspects of success.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Effective board governance hinges on the accuracy and reliability of
financial reporting, instilling investor confidence.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Effective board governance hinges on fostering a culture of ethics and
integrity throughout the organization.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“In today's competitive business landscape, a board's primary responsibility is to ensure the
long-term success and sustainability of the organization.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“As a board, you want to be able to identify exactly what the company is succeeding at and exactly what it's failing at so that you can amplify success and correct failure with surgical precision.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Critical to success in corporate governance is a vision that inspires and motivates employees at all levels.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Fortifying the company involves assessing the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure and implementing safeguards.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“To be successful, a Board of Directors must foster a culture of respect and appreciation.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“The boardroom is not merely a conference room; it's the bridge of a corporate vessel, guiding the company through the turbulent waters of the business world.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Shaping the company's future requires a board that regularly evaluates the company's performance against its value creation objectives.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance