Philosophy

On pioneering a new venture

Machiavelli

Nicolo Machiavelli (Italy, 1469 – 1527)

From "The Prince", Chapter 6, 1513

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand,
More perilous to conduct,
Or more uncertain in its success,
Than to take the lead in the introduction
of a new order of things

On patents and intellectual property:

Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling (UK, 1865-1936)

A very popular author and poet

From "The Mary Gloster" written in 1894 about a shipowner competing in world trade.

Steel and the first expansions. It paid, I tell you, it paid,

When we came with our nine-knot freighters and collared the long-run trade!

And they asked me how I did it; and I gave 'em the Scripture text,

"You keep your light so shining a little in front o' the next!"

They copied all they could follow, but they couldn't copy my mind,

And I left 'em sweating and stealing a year and a half behind.

On American competitiveness

Vince Lombardi

Vince Lombardi (USA, 1913-1970)

A U.S. professional football coach for the Green Bay Packers, 1959-1967. In two seasons he transformed a losing team into consistent league winners. An inspiring leader, never had a losing season in his career.

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit.

“Unfortunately, so is losing. There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that's first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don't ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.

On Risk

Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers (USA, 1938-2020)

An American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur.

From his song "The Gambler"

You got to know when to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run . . .

On Sticking with it

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill (UK, 1874-1965)

Revered national leader

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Never, never, never give up.

On Imagination

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (USA, 1879-1955)

Renowned international physicist

From "What Life Means" (1920)

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution

On Keeping On Keeping On

Harry Lauder

Harry Lauder (1870-1950)

Widely popular singer and entertainer with a common touch, almost equivalent to a U.S. country singer, widely known in the UK, travelled and entertained in USA about 25 times during 1920s and 1930s

From his best selling song: “Keep right on to the end of the road”

Every road through life is a long, long road,
Filled with joys and sorrows too,
As you journey on how your heart will yearn
For the things most dear to you.
With wealth and love ’tis so,
But onward we must go.

Chorus:

Keep right on to the end of the road,
Keep right on to the end,
If the way be long, let your heart be strong,
Keep right on round the bend.

If you’re tired and weary still journey on,
Till you come to your happy abode,
Where all you love that you’re dreaming of
Will be there at the end of the road.
With a big stout heart to a long steep hill,
We may get there with a smile,
With a good kind thought and an end in view,
We may cut short many a mile.
So let courage every day
Be your guiding star always.