THE WIT & WISDOM OF JOHN E. PEPPER Jr.
(Compiled by my former P&G colleague
and good friend, Eugen Mihai)
“Life isn’t always pretty, but you have to put up with
ugliness sometimes to get a big job done; and it only happens when very
competent people believe in something deeply and act with all their might to
make it happen.”
“Tell
me what you think and act on what you believe to be true”
“Life
is funny. It’s made up of dots that somehow connect”
“My
wife and children have been my constant and underlying source of joy, energy
and emotional stability and comfort in my life”
“You
are making differences in people’s lives today you don’t even know you are
making”
“Everyone counts!”
“When
I go to church the one thing I pray for is the wisdom to know the right thing
to do and the courage and perseverance to do it”
“None
of us are saints. All I can do and what I must do is do my best to fulfill our
responsibilities and help other people whose lives we touch do the same”
“Everybody
combines self-centered instincts and noble instincts”
“The
greatest thing we will leave behind is the influence that we have on others; most
importantly, on our family”
“It
is MY choice: do I approach this new day positively or not?”
“Don’t
stop pushing for an idea if you really believe in it”
“My
two most important mandates: to be of service to others and stand out for what
I believe is right”
“My
three North Stars are: service, leadership and growth”
“Make
sure you take vacation and long week-ends because the best ideas will come when
you have some free space”
“The
qualities of the best leaders I have met are:
-
Empowering vision
and their commitment to it. They simply won’t give up
-
Laser-like
strategy
-
A maniacal
commitment to executional excellence
-
They build great
teams. They help people grow.
-
Character; integrity
and courage. Perseverance; they
don’t give up. They do what they
think is right.
-
They always look
for a better way
-
They love what
they do
-
They have respect
for themselves and for others
-
They are genuine:
what you see is what you get
-
They have an
incredible zest to continue to learn”
“I
want to be anywhere my wife and children are. That’s where I want to be.
Nowhere else!”
“A
good strategy is:
-
Based on capability (deliverable)
-
Truly choiceful (differentiating)
-
The basis for sustained advantage vs.
competition
-
Robust”
“Be
on somebody’s ‘If it weren’t for them’ list. It means you did make a difference
in that person’s life”
“Be choiceful,
strategic and principled in deciding what to do and how to do it”
“Accept
yourself as you are even as you work to improve”
“Remember
– God will help you if you trust in Him”
“Don’t
worry about things you can’t affect”
“Respect,
not popularity is what matters”
“We
have a life to live – do it fully and authentically”
“Be
true to your purpose and values”
“Let
us never forget that we are in business to improve the lives of consumers by
offering them better performing and better value brands and by giving them
information that enables them to make the best use of these brands”
“Our
success depends on our personal leadership in all those things that produce
accelerated growth in our business and strengthen organizational capability”
“View
navigating change as a growth opportunity, not a burdensome challenge (though
at times it will seem and be that). Avoid negativism and grousing. Don’t get
discouraged”
“Never
give up on something you believe in strongly”
“Insist
on quality with maniacal commitment”
“Ask
what you can do to serve those to whom you owe service”
“Listen
carefully and pay attention to your spouse. Keep having ‘first dates’ as years
go on”
“Remember:
family comes first!”
“Personal
leadership makes things happen”
“Effective
leadership grows out of LOVE. Love for what you are doing, so you become
passionate. Love takes you out of
yourself and makes you focus on the purpose and the people of your
organization”
“Our
trust and respect are the greatest gifts we give one another. They can’t be forced.”
“Life
is all about relationships”
“Give
people the benefit of the doubt”
“Intimacy
with the consumer is critical if we are to perceive the true consumer need which
we can fill”
“Creating
holistic and highly integrated innovation and marketing strategies that make a
brand more appealing and harder to imitate is increasingly important today”
“We
need to be alert and responsive to changing situations, anchored to only one
commitment – doing the right thing to provide superior consumer value”
“We
must never give consumers a reason to switch from our brand”
“We
are in business to serve all the world’s consumers, not just the rich ones”
“We
need to be first and we need to be better in delivering what appeals to
consumers and produces greater total satisfaction for them”
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