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Indra Nooyi

Chief executive of PepsiCo, 2006–2018

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here
In order to grasp every opportunity, you cannot — you must not — decide your "career path" in advance. Don't have a job fixed in your sights and work backwards — it can be the road to disappointment because you risk passing up opportunities that might take you "off-course."

Wake Forest University commencement, 2011 source ↗

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Magnus Carlsen Norwegian chess grandmaster; World Chess Champion 2013–2023
Not very well. I try to win the next one. I've always been told that you should win and lose with a smile, but since I became a professional, I've thought the best way of learning to deal with defeat is not to lose.
Recorded On-stage interview, Milken Institute Global Conference, Los Angeles, Chess.com, 5 May 2017 source ↗
Muhammad Yunus Founder of Grameen Bank; Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 2006
I am in favor of strengthening the freedom of the market. At the same time, I am very unhappy about the conceptual restrictions imposed on the players in the market. This originates from the assumption that entrepreneurs are one-dimensional human beings, who are dedicated to one mission in their business lives − to maximize profit.
Recorded Nobel Peace Prize lecture, Oslo City Hall, The Nobel Foundation, 10 December 2006 source ↗
Tony Fadell Engineer and designer; led the iPod and iPhone teams at Apple, founder of Nest Labs
every time I heard the word “smart” attached to anything, it means it’s pretty dumb, because no one knows what it really does. They just add “smart” as a prefix to say, “Oh, you must buy this, because it’s smart.” If they can’t tell you what it does and why it does it, don’t buy it just because it says “smart.”
Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, 5 February 2016 source ↗
John Lewis U.S. Representative from Georgia, 1987–2020; Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee 1963–1966
I would come home and ask my mother, my father, my grandparents, my great-grandparents, 'Why?'. And they would say, 'That's the way it is. Don't get in the way, don't get in trouble!'
Recorded Emory University Quadrangle, Atlanta, Speakola (speech transcript archive), 12 May 2014 source ↗

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Question What counsel would you give your twenty-year-old self — and what should they ignore? Time & hindsight
Never give up your passion for learning. And zoom out of your field before you zoom in. Some of my very best business insights have come from reading around subjects. They have come from approaching questions at a strange angle, from thinking about them from a different point of view. A lot of the knowledge that has really given me an edge in business has come from history, psychology, even chemistry. Connecting seemingly unconnected dots is what has served me well.
Recorded Wake Forest University commencement, 2011 source ↗
Question What is one of the best investments you have made — of money, time, or energy? Money & investment
So I decided I was going to invest my time. I spent Monday through Thursday at Frito-Lay, commuting from New York to Texas. Then Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I did my regular job in New York. It was an incredible commitment of time but it was an amazing developmental experience. It was challenging, broadening, and helped me reach the position I have today.
Recorded Wake Forest University commencement, 2011 source ↗

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