"Studies of high performers — from Nobel prize-winning scientists, to top athletes, to highly effective corporate leaders — show that their perseverance and 'bull dog determination' was a key factor in their eventual success. As the vaudeville and film star, Eddie Cantor, put it, 'it takes twenty years to make an overnight success.' "

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Blazing Our Own Unique Leadership Path"

"Following the path of least resistance is what makes individuals and rivers crooked. Few people drift to success."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Blazing Our Own Unique Leadership Path"

"Too many "change management" and improvement plans are built on the same faulty premise as strategic planning — that there is a right path, which can be determined in advance and then implemented."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Change Management Can Lead to Rigidity and Resistance to Change"

"A key difference between successful people —leaders —and those who struggle to get by is self-discipline. As Confucius wrote, 'The nature of people is always the same; it is their habits that separate them.' Successful people have formed the habits of doing those things that most people don't want to do."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Deepening Our Discipline"

"Effective learning and capability development doesn't happen just because we want it to. For example, empowering without enabling isn't just foolish it's unethical. It's like putting a complete novice at the controls of a clunky old airplane and "empowering" him or her to land in the middle of a ferocious thunderstorm."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Improvement Planning for Taking Charge of Change"

"Few things are more strategic than organizational capabilities. Competitors can match or trump capital investments, marketing campaigns, or new products and services. But few competitors have the foresight, discipline, and skill to build a strong and constantly improving organization."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Improvement Planning for Taking Charge of Change"

"We need to beware of pat formulas or off-the-shelf improvement packages. Improvement tools, techniques, and approaches must be customized to fit our unique personal, team, and organizational circumstances."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Improvement Planning for Taking Charge of Change"

"By building a highly capable organization — one that's continually learning, growing, and developing — we develop an unmatched competitive advantage. We will be able to move quickly to minimize the threats and capitalize on the opportunities change throws at us. We'll be in a position to start creating that change."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Improvement Planning for Taking Charge of Change"

"Outstanding leaders, teams, and organizations are the result of continuous and systematic improvement efforts. It's hard work. But, if we don't have structure, processes, and disciplined habits to continue improving, we won't. We'll become a change victim rather than victor."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Improvement Planning Infrastructure and Process"

"A highly effective leader can have twenty years of rich learning and experience. But many mediocre performers have one year of experience multiplied twenty times. The same learning disability afflicts organizations that haven't developed the systems and practices for transferring and communicating the rich learning that."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Improvement Planning Pathways and Pitfalls (Part One) "

"If you're not a senior manager, your organization change and improvement choices are: (1) do nothing but complain and hope "they" smarten up; (2) quit; (3) make as many changes as you can in your own area. Help others to change and try to influence the system. In other words, act like a leader!"

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Improvement Planning Pathways and Pitfalls (Part Two)"

"Faltering organizations are often beehives of activity and hard work that generate little practical return. Managers confuse 'busy work' with results. They are like pilots who say 'we're lost, but we're making great time.' "

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Keep it Simple"

"Even though they know better, most managers continue to search for quick-fix transformation and improvement programs. There aren't any. Highly successful leaders turn common sense management bromides into common practice."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Keys to Personal, Team, and Organization Transformation"

"Five thousand years ago in ancient China, Fu Hsi developed an 'and/also philosophy' that is still with us today. His concept of ying and yang taught that much of life consists of two opposite and sometimes opposing forces. As with male and female, the very existence of each may depend on its opposite."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Paradoxical Balancing Acts in Organization Improvement"

"Ensure that all your improvement and project teams' activities are ultimately linked to strategic imperatives. Intensify and concentrate your improvement process by connecting it to the important and urgent organization issues that are keeping you and your management teams awake at night."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Pathways and Pitfalls to Setting Organizational Goals and Priorities"

"A foolish cabin owner eventually lost his cabin to the rot that set in through the leaky roof. When it was raining, he couldn't fix the roof. When the sun was shining, he was too busy outside doing other things — and the roof didn't need fixing then anyway."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Successful Change and Improvement Needs Balanced Improvement Planning"

"The single most critical variable to the success of a team or organization improvement effort is the behavior of those leading it. Successful improvement efforts are led by people who are highly involved leaders. They model, use, and live the approaches they are asking their team or organization to use."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Why Most Change Programs and Improvement Initiatives Fail"