In any organization, goals must always be in alignment. If goals aren’t aligned at some level, this issue must be addressed and rectified.

In a good story, everything is related somehow to the theme, and the Ordinary World is the place to make the first statement of the main idea.

Exposing negative thoughts to daylight—“It looks like you don’t want to go back to jail”—makes them seem less frightening.

The degree to which urgency drives the organization is the degree to which importance does not.

The whole dance, or drama, or pattern of this three-Personal life is to be played out in each one of us: or (putting it the other way round) each one of us has got to enter that pattern, take his place in that dance. There is no other way to the happiness for which we were made.

To beat the market, you must hold an idiosyncratic, or non-consensus, view.

The big question of our time is not Can it be built? but Should it be built? This places us in an unusual historical moment: our future prosperity depends on the quality of our collective imaginations.

The most important thing is to be aware of the limitations of our knowledge.

The need for uniformity is a sign of insecurity on the part of management. Strong managers don’t care when team members cut their hair or whether they wear ties. Their pride is tied only to their staff’s accomplishments.

8. The evolution of food production and its impact on human civilization is explored.