Isis > Isis 's Quotes

“I sit before flowers

hoping they will train me in the art

of opening up”
― Shane Koyczan

“I will love myself despite the ease with which I lean toward the opposite.”
― Shane Koyczan

“What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No. 5, of course”
― Marilyn Monroe

“Nothing about you, my dear, has ever been lost on me.”
― Katie Cotugno, How to Love

“I just did some calculations and I've been able to determine that you're full of shit.”
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

“Though she be but little, she is fierce!”
― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.

Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief - WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.

We are drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at communicating what they believe. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, to make us feel special, safe and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us.

For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not “integrity,” it’s “always do the right thing.” It’s not “innovation,” it’s “look at the problem from a different angle.” Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea - we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.

Happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders—in that order.

Leading is not the same as being the leader. Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you—not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.

You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.

Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them. People are either motivated or they are not. Unless you give motivated people something to believe in, something bigger than their job to work toward, they will motivate themselves to find a new job and you’ll be stuck with whoever’s left.

Trust is maintained when values and beliefs are actively managed. If companies do not actively work to keep clarity, discipline and consistency in balance, then trust starts to break down.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.”
― Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

“Great companies don't hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.”
― Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

“two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.”
― Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

“If there is already a market research report out there with all the information you need, it is probably too late for your new venture”
― Bill Aulet, Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup

“History repeats, but science reverberates.”
― Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

“Good leaders know that their people will only truly thrive not when they are pushed to be perfect but when they are encouraged to be their natural best.”
― Kristen Hadeed, Permission to Screw Up: How I Learned to Lead by Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." - Socrates”
― Leo Babauta, The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life

“I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this.”
― Emo Philips

“Feeling stupid is no fun. But being willing to be stupid—in other words, being willing to risk the emotional pain of making mistakes—is absolutely essential, because reaching, failing, and reaching again is the way your brain grows and forms new connections.”
― Daniel Coyle, The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills

“Your feminist premise should be: I matter. I matter equally. Not “if only.” Not “as long as.” I matter equally. Full stop.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

“The knowledge of cooking does not come pre-installed in a vagina.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

“Because you are a girl” is never a reason for anything. Ever.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

“I was made for the library, not the classroom. The classroom was a jail of other people’s interests. The library was open, unending, free.”
― Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me

“It is like the point where the rainbow touches the forest. We think that we can see it—but if we go to look for it, it isn’t there.”
― Carlo Rovelli, The Order of Time

“The human race does not have a very good record of intelligent behaviour.”
― Stephen Hawking, Brief Answers to the Big Questions

“In God we trust. All others [must] have data. - Bernard Fisher”
― Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

“Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing. —Voltaire”
― Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

“When women can decide whether and when to have children, it saves lives, promotes health, expands education, and creates prosperity—no matter what country in the world you’re talking about.”
― Melinda Gates, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

“The desire to be perfect holds us back in so many ways. We don't speak up for ourselves, as we know deep down we should, because we don't want to be seen as pushy, bitchy, or just straight-up unlikeable. When we do speak up, many of us agonize and overthink how to express ourselves, trying to hit just the right note of assertiveness without seeming too "bossy" or aggressive. We obsessively analyze, consider, discuss, and weigh every angle before making a decision, no matter how small. And if we do, heaven forbid, make a mistake, we feel as though our world is falling apart.”
― Reshma Saujani, Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder

“The smallest of implementations is always worth more than the grandest of intentions.”
― Robin Sharma, The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.