ROSABETH MOSS KANTER

A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.

Mindless habitual behavior is the enemy of innovation.

To stay ahead, you must have your next idea waiting in the wings.

Organizational structures that allow divisions and departments to own their turf and people with long tenure to take root creates the same hardened group distinctions as Congressional redistricting to produce homogeneous voting blocs - all of which makes it easier to resist compromise, let alone collaboration.

Confidence is contagious, but so is failure. Even the Yankees will lose if you persuade them that they will.

I've found that small wins, small projects, small differences often make huge differences.

I see the level of sophistication and knowledge about business growing dramatically. Several decades ago, only a few companies thought about international business.

Tribalism reflects strong ethnic or cultural identities that separate members of one group from another, making them loyal to people like them and suspicious of outsiders, which undermines efforts to forge common cause across groups.

Ambivalence about family responsibilities has a long history in the corporate world.

I was determined to achieve the total freedom that our history lessons taught us we were entitled to, no matter what the sacrifice.

A great idea is not enough.

Too many people let others stand in their way and don't go back for one more try.

Power is the ability to get things done.

'No' is always an easier stand than 'Yes.'

The goal of winning is not losing two times in a row.

Companies used to be able to function with autocratic bosses. We don't live in that world anymore.

We have a large pool of talented and educated women, and yet workplaces haven't necessarily changed to accommodate the reality of their lives.

When you fail at something, the best thing to do is think back to your successes, and try to replicate whatever you did to make them happen.

Friendly people are caring people, eager to provide encouragement and support when needed most.

The creative process for me doesn't work as well without an image of an audience in mind.

The Martha Stewart trial makes clear how far women have risen in the business world. America can be proud of our equal-opportunity prosecution and conviction.

Some social scientists say that in-group/out-group biases are hard-wired into the human brain. Even without overt prejudice, it is cognitively convenient for people to sort items into categories and respond based on what is usually associated with those categories: a form of statistical discrimination, playing the odds.

Leaders must wake people out of inertia. They must get people excited about something they've never seen before, something that does not yet exist.

My creative process involves that old saying: It's 90% perspiration and only 10% inspiration.

Throughout human history, people have developed strong loyalties to traditions, rituals, and symbols. In the most effective organizations, they are not only respected but celebrated. It is no coincidence that the most highly admired corporations are also among the most profitable.