The prevailing structures of personal reputation and career advancement mean the biggest rewards often follow the flashiest work, not the best.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Those who attain any excellence, commonly spend life in one pursuit; for excellence is not often gained upon easier terms.
I'm at the point in my career where to be a winner is more important than any individual things.
Naturally it is nice to be widely known for worthwhile achievements, but it forces you to do many things which you don't like to do and these things take up time you want for other things.
'In Search of Excellence' - even the title - is a reminder that business isn't dry, dreary, boring, or by the numbers. Life at work can be cool - and work that's cool isn't confined to Tiger Woods, Yo-Yo Ma, or Tom Hanks. It's available to all of us and any of us.
The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.
The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become.
The highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective - people who know to see a problem as an opportunity.
The fame and reputation part came later, and never was much of a motivator, although it did enable me to work without feeling guilty about neglecting my studies.
You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity.
When you're doing a job, you go out there and do it to the best of your ability and you don't think about awards and things like that.