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Top 15 Michael D. Watkins Quotes (2025 Update)

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Mission is about what will be achieved, vision is about why people should feel motivated to perform at a high level, and strategy is about how resources should be allocated and decisions made to accomplish the mission.”

1. “Mission is about what will be achieved, vision is about why people should feel motivated to perform at a high level, and strategy is about how resources should be allocated and decisions made to accomplish the mission.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Leadership ultimately is about influence and leverage. You are, after all, only one person. To be successful, you need to mobilize the energy of many others in your organization.”

2. “Leadership ultimately is about influence and leverage. You are, after all, only one person. To be successful, you need to mobilize the energy of many others in your organization.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “To be successful, you need to mobilize the energy of many others in your organization. If you do the right things, then your vision, your expertise, and your drive can propel you forward and serve as seed crystals.”

3. “To be successful, you need to mobilize the energy of many others in your organization. If you do the right things, then your vision, your expertise, and your drive can propel you forward and serve as seed crystals.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Secure early wins. Early wins build your credibility and create momentum.”

4. “Secure early wins. Early wins build your credibility and create momentum.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Planning to learn means figuring out in advance what the important questions are and how you can best answer them. Few.”

5. “Planning to learn means figuring out in advance what the important questions are and how you can best answer them. Few.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Build your team. If you are inheriting a team, you need to evaluate, align, and mobilize its members. You likely also need to restructure it to better meet the demands of the situation. Your willingness to make tough early personnel calls and your capacity to select the right people for the right positions are among the most important drivers of success during your transition and beyond.”

6. “Build your team. If you are inheriting a team, you need to evaluate, align, and mobilize its members. You likely also need to restructure it to better meet the demands of the situation. Your willingness to make tough early personnel calls and your capacity to select the right people for the right positions are among the most important drivers of success during your transition and beyond.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Match Strategy to Situation.”

7. “Match Strategy to Situation.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Once people perceive that change is going to happen, the game often shifts from outright opposition to a competition to influence what sort of change will occur.”

8. “Once people perceive that change is going to happen, the game often shifts from outright opposition to a competition to influence what sort of change will occur.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Don’t surprise your boss. It’s no fun bringing your boss bad news. However, most bosses consider it a far greater sin not to report emerging problems early enough.”

9. “Don’t surprise your boss. It’s no fun bringing your boss bad news. However, most bosses consider it a far greater sin not to report emerging problems early enough.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “The first task in making a successful transition is to accelerate your learning. Effective learning gives you the foundational insights you need as you build your plan for the next 90 days. So it is essential to figure out what you need to know about your new organization and then to learn it as rapidly as you can. The more efficiently and effectively you learn, the more quickly you will close your window of vulnerability.”

10. “The first task in making a successful transition is to accelerate your learning. Effective learning gives you the foundational insights you need as you build your plan for the next 90 days. So it is essential to figure out what you need to know about your new organization and then to learn it as rapidly as you can. The more efficiently and effectively you learn, the more quickly you will close your window of vulnerability.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Remember: You don’t want to be meeting your neighbours for the first time in the middle of the night when your house is burning.”

11. “Remember: You don’t want to be meeting your neighbours for the first time in the middle of the night when your house is burning.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Aim for early wins in areas important to the boss. Whatever your own priorities, figure out what your boss cares about most. What are his priorities and goals, and how do your actions fit into this picture? Once you know, aim for early results in those areas. One good way is to focus on three things that are important to your boss and discuss what you’re doing about them every time you interact.”

12. “Aim for early wins in areas important to the boss. Whatever your own priorities, figure out what your boss cares about most. What are his priorities and goals, and how do your actions fit into this picture? Once you know, aim for early results in those areas. One good way is to focus on three things that are important to your boss and discuss what you’re doing about them every time you interact.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Take 100 percent responsibility for making the relationship work. This is the flip side of “Don’t stay away.” Don’t expect your boss to reach out or to offer you the time and support you need. It’s best to begin by assuming that it’s on your shoulders to make the relationship work.”

13. “Take 100 percent responsibility for making the relationship work. This is the flip side of “Don’t stay away.” Don’t expect your boss to reach out or to offer you the time and support you need. It’s best to begin by assuming that it’s on your shoulders to make the relationship work.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Strategic direction encompasses mission, vision, and strategy. Mission is about what will be achieved, vision is about why people should feel motivated to perform at a high level, and strategy is about how resources should be allocated and decisions made to accomplish the mission. If you keep in mind the what, the why, and the how, you won’t get lost in debates about what a mission is, what a vision is, and what a strategy is.”

14. “Strategic direction encompasses mission, vision, and strategy. Mission is about what will be achieved, vision is about why people should feel motivated to perform at a high level, and strategy is about how resources should be allocated and decisions made to accomplish the mission. If you keep in mind the what, the why, and the how, you won’t get lost in debates about what a mission is, what a vision is, and what a strategy is.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Remember: simply displaying a genuine desire to learn and understand translates into increased credibility and influence.”

15. “Remember: simply displaying a genuine desire to learn and understand translates into increased credibility and influence.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Assume that the job of building a positive relationship with your new boss is 100 percent your responsibility. In short, this means adapting to his style.”

16. “Assume that the job of building a positive relationship with your new boss is 100 percent your responsibility. In short, this means adapting to his style.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Pursue good marks from those whose opinions your boss respects. Your new boss’s opinion of you will be based in part on direct interactions and in part on what she hears about you from trusted others.”

17. “Pursue good marks from those whose opinions your boss respects. Your new boss’s opinion of you will be based in part on direct interactions and in part on what she hears about you from trusted others.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Don’t stay away. If you have a boss who doesn’t reach out to you, or with whom you have uncomfortable interactions, you will have to reach out yourself.”

18. “Don’t stay away. If you have a boss who doesn’t reach out to you, or with whom you have uncomfortable interactions, you will have to reach out yourself.”

— Michael D. Watkins

Michael D. Watkins Quote: “Don’t run down your checklist. There is a tendency, even for senior leaders, to use meetings with a boss as an opportunity to run through your checklist of what you’ve been doing. Sometimes this is appropriate, but it is rarely what your boss needs or wants to hear. You should assume she wants to focus on the most important things you’re trying to do and how she can help.”

19. “Don’t run down your checklist. There is a tendency, even for senior leaders, to use meetings with a boss as an opportunity to run through your checklist of what you’ve been doing. Sometimes this is appropriate, but it is rarely what your boss needs or wants to hear. You should assume she wants to focus on the most important things you’re trying to do and how she can help.”

— Michael D. Watkins

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