Kenneth Chenault Quotes & Sayings

“Regular feedback is one of the hardest things to drive through an organization.”

“Many people don't focus enough on execution. If you make a commitment to get something done, you need to follow through on that commitment.”

“My message to Washington is very simple. Face reality. Be leaders. Demonstrate accountability. Engage in principle compromise. And understand your job is to find solutions.”

“Companies will need to pursue a more diversified business model, but I think those companies that have what I call a focused diversified business model will be more successful.”

“At the end the day because I believe so strongly in leadership, what I look for first, what I try to assess, is integrity.”

“I moved back to Boston and joined some of my Harvard classmates at Bain & Co. I quickly realized I enjoyed business.”

“There was a strong focus on performance and respect for people. And one of the points that my father always made was that with all the challenges and obstacles and barriers, the one thing you can control is your performance. And that is one thing I have tried to adhere to throughout my career.”

“For me, one of the lessons from 9/11 is that you have to give the organization context for how you're acting, and you've got to communicate constantly, in this case particularly with all the changes that were occurring in the financial marketplace and in the economy.”

“If people support independently owned small businesses in their community, they can make a difference.”

“Small businesses create half of the jobs in the private sector.”