2. Kenneth Chenault
CEO, American Express Co.
Dedicate yourself to a
core set of values
Determine what
constitutes success for
yourself and not based on
what other people think
Associate with the best
and brightest people
Don’t overestimate the
importance of networking“Have a strong sense of self.
Without it, you cannot lead,
you risk being consumed by all
sorts of elements that don’t
reflect what your about”
3. Kevin Clash
Principal Puppeteer, Jim Henson Company
Recognize that you have
a gift or a passion, and
go after that, even if it
takes you in a different
direction from everybody
else
To be successful, learn
from the positive and the
negative
Be generous with your
skills or experiences
Take a chance, keep
moving forward, go, go,
go “It’s not enough to have a dream or
talent. It’s working at it, and
perfecting it, that makes you a
success.”
4. Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
Partner, The Cochran Group Schenider, Kleinick, Weitz, Damashek
Get in the game in order to
demonstrate what you can do
To win, you have to be
competitive and you have to
be tough
YOU cannot quit or stop or
back up or blink
YOU have to move forward
YOU have to press the limits
YOU have to trust your gut
YOU have to pursue the
possibility of success through
failure after failure“There are wins and losses,
you have to accept them
both”
5. Ann M. Fudge
Executive Vice President, Kraft Foods, Inc.
President, Maxwell House and Post Divisions
Be you, not what you
think you should be to fit
into someone else’s
definition of what you
should be
Do not define success as
monetary success or
celebrity, but rather as
full realization of life’s
potential
Leadership Principles;
Intelligence, Credibility,
Humanity, Courage, and
Discipline
“Courage is the quiet strength
that truly separates the leaders
from the wanna-bes”
6. Sylvester Green
Executive Vice President, Chubb & Sons
In business, you only have a
few seconds to make an
impression
Learn how to assess the
situation and make the most of
it
Listen, Respond, an Adapt
quickly
Learn to live in different worlds
Be very strategic
It’s not enough to want
success, you have to want the
responsibility that comes with
it
Be Yourself
“I don’t attack people, I attack
issues”
7. Elaine R. Jones
President and Director- Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense
and Educational Fund
Do not compare yourself to
others
Expose yourself to new things
Don’t focus on what it takes t
get there, focus on the goal
Stay optimistic, Work hard, Get
the resources, and Learn from
your losses
Don’t give in to adversity and
unfairness, you won’t be able
to function
Don’t be afraid to seek help
Love what you do “Taking on the challenges in life
forces us to grow”
8. Tom Jones
Chairman and CEO, Global Investment Management
and Private Banking Group, Citigroup Inc.
Be able to be your own best critic
in terms of understanding where
you’ve gotten out of balance
Learn to work better with other
people, How to better interact
with other people, How to share
with other people
Have a good sense of your
capacity, Be able to pace yourself,
Know how to not go so hard that
you burn yourself out
A leader must help others be
strong, Have an instinct for crisis
Get centered in terms of what you
stand for
“What you think is your biggest
problem can also be your biggest
blessing”
9. Spike Lee
CEO, Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks
Surround yourself with
people Surround yourself
with people you respect
and listen to
Be who you are
Stay focused on what
you’re doing and why
you’re doing it
Be open
Learn at ALL times
“It’s not just about quantity, it’s
about creating a body of work
that will stand the test of time”
10. George R. Lewis
President and CEO, Phillip Morris Capital Corporation
The harder you work, the
more success
Knowing corporate
culture, and having great
communication skills
Being creative, Being
bold, and somewhat
political
Learn from failure and
adversity
Don’t give up
“Every time I would run into a wall I would
come at it again from a different angle”
George R.
Lewis
11. William M. Lewis Jr.
Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.
Create options; don’t limit
them
Don’t be afraid of being wrong,
learn from your mistakes
Bring solutions to the table
Lead don’t follow
Don’t be afraid to go it alone
Don’t be afraid to lose
Don’t be afraid to ask
questions
DON’T BE AFRAID
“ Nobody can predict what it’s
going to take to be successful or
who’s going to make it”
12. Joseph A. Moniz
Partner, Day, Berry & Howard
If you are going to be
good at something, you
got to deal with being
knocked down first
Don’t be afraid to make
mistakes
You have to have thick
skin and a good sense of
humor
“Whatever you do, whatever your title
is, whatever successes you have, you are
going to be questioned “
13. Joan Parrot- Fonseca
President, JPF & Associates
Do not be afraid to
make mistakes
You’ll know yourself
better and you’ll make
better choices as you
have more
experiences
Understand the power
and the value of
networking
“Well, if I can’t change
these rules, I’m going to
create another set of rules”
14. Richard D. Parsons
President, Time Warner, Inc.
A deep sense of
personal security,
believing in yourself
Don’t reference your
performance
according to what
others are doing
Who you know is just
as important as what
your know, extend
your reach “If you don’t try, you can’t
succeed”
15. A. Barry Bond
Chairman and CEO, The Avis Group
FORTITUDE
PERSISTENCE
SELF-
DETERMINATION
It’s important to
know, not just what
your doing, but why
Never operate on
other people’s
expectations
“ You have to look further than
the immediacy of what it is
you’re not getting, and you
have to focus on what you can
continue to do”
16. Robin Roberts
Sportscaster for ESPN and
ABC Wide World of Sports
To get ahead, you
have to be willing to
put yourself on the
line
It’s important to feel
within yourself
17. Joyce M. Roche
Former President, Carson Products
Hesitancy is often
viewed as ignorance
or incompetence
Each have to discover
our own purpose, our
own mission, our life’s
work, and pursue it to
the best of our ability“Respect, belief in
oneself, and service to
others will see us
successfully through
anything this new era
throw us”
18. Ruth J. Simmons
President, Smith College
Carry thyself with
extraordinary self
respect and kindness
Do your very best
You need to know,
who you are and
what you need
“Our primary task is to
teach our children
fundamental respect for
other people”
19. Frederick O. Terrell
Managing Partner and CEO,
Provender Capital Group, LLC
Get your feet on the
ground, and know
who you are
“You define you; your
character, your values,
your actions define you”
20. Lloyd D. Ward
Former Chairman and CEO, Maytag Corporation
The key to success is
DETERMINATION
The foundation of success
is preparation
The realization of success
is courage
The engine of success is
attitude
Trust in your own
individuality and go at
your purpose with all the
energy, focus, and
resolve of someone who
can see no other way
“Life’s a do-it-yourself
proposition. Don’t let
it drive you; you’ve
got to drive it”
21. Patrice Clarke Washington
Captain, UPS Airlines
Stick it out; there’s no
other choice, when trying
to reach your goal
Have a dream or a vision
of something you want to
do
Set goals for yourself
Embark upon a plan to
make your goals happen
Have patience
“I believe that what
we expect of ourselves
is what we achieve”
22. Maxine Waters
Congresswoman
Learn how to feel
good about yourself
Learn to respect
people’s differences
and the experiences
that shape those
differences
“The rewards outweigh
the sacrifices”
23. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr.
Former Chairman and CEO, Teachers Insurance Annuity
Association College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF)
You have to be who
you are
Success takes
preparedness and
persistence
Focus on what you
can do and go at it
with the utmost
integrity
Trust your instincts “If it doesn’t fit, get out, and
if you’re not enjoying it, get
out”
24. Terrie Williams
CEO, The Terrie Williams Agency
Be able to relate to
everybody
Establish a relationship
outside your inner circle
There are no excuses
(race, sex, the economy) for
not being able to do what
you want to do
Despite any statistic, you
can defy the odds if you
want it badly enough“Sometimes you have to force yourself to do
things that you don’t like doing , but
usually your life is enhanced when you do
that”
25. Deborah C. Wright
President and CEO, Carver Federal Savings Bank
You have to keep
track of who you are
because otherwise
you get lost
You’re always being
evaluated, whether
others acknowledge it
or not “Whether it’s about race, age, or gender---
cuts both ways: You can be debilitated by
it or you can be empowered by it”
