25 inspiring quotes by Michael Dell on business, life, and opportunity

Who doesn’t know Michael Dell? The Founder and CEO of Dell Inc., who is also the industry's longest serving CEO, has taken his business to remarkable heights during his time. Dell’s fascination with technology began early. As a freshman at college, he used to run a small business in his dorm room, putting together and selling upgrade kits for personal computers. Today, he is a businessman, philanthropist, investor, and author.

Image credits: www.creativecommons.com

Here are 25 quotes by Michael Dell on business, life, and opportunity to motivate and help anyone struggling to make a mark in their business.

1. “Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people…or find a different room.”
2. “There’s always an opportunity to make a difference.”
3. “If you’re happy, that’s probably the most important thing. Everyone probably has their own definition of success, for me its happiness. Do I enjoy what I’m doing? Do I enjoy the people I’m with? Do I enjoy my life?”
4. “Our business is about technology, yes. But it’s also about operations and customer relationships.”
5. “Each day that you’re moving toward your dreams without compromising who you are, you’re winning.”
6. “I do think a founder has special permission to make sweeping changes across an organization.”
7. “Ideas are a commodity. Execution of them is not.”
8.  “If you look at innovation, it doesn’t just occur in the lab.”
9. “There is no better catalyst to success than curiosity.”
10. “Regrets are born of paths never taken.”
11. “Anything that can be measured can be improved.”
12. “Whether you’ve found your calling, or if you’re still searching, passion should be the fire that drives your life’s work.”
13. “The very thing you fear could be the best thing to ever happen to you.”
14. “We are all gifts to each other, and my own growth as a leader has shown me again and again that the most rewarding experiences come from my relationships.”
15. “It’s easy to decide what you’re going to do. The hard thing is deciding what you’re not going to do.”
16. “Celebrate for a nanosecond.”
17. “Ignore the people who tell you it won’t work and hire people who embrace your vision.”
18. “The idea of being all things to all people is a thing of the past.”
19. “Collaboration equals innovation.”
20. “You can’t be afraid to fail because that’s when you learn.”
21. “As you start your journey, the first thing you should do is throw away that store-bought map and begin to draw your own.”
22. “We’ve found that customers are very open. They’ll tell you what’s going on, what’s working and what’s not. They’re looking for help.”
23. “The point is, you can’t keep doing the same thing and expect it to keep working.”
24. “It’s exciting to see how fast your kids learn and grow. I’m not too worried about them, particularly the ones who like to break rules and don’t follow instructions; those are the ones that will do just fine because they know what’s important to them.”
25. “If you have to go through life being unhappy to conform to society around you, that’s not a very good deal.”

Intelligent isn’t he?