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Overstaffed organizations create work rather than performance. They also create friction, sensitivity, irritation, and concern with feelings.

Concentrate on your strengths. Place yourself where your strengths can produce performance and results.

…do not try to change yourself; it is unlikely to be successful. But work, and hard, to improve the way you perform. And try not to do work of any kind in a way in which you do not perform or perform poorly.

…knowing where one belongs makes ordinary people – hardworking, competent, but mediocre otherwise – into outstanding performers.

A boss is anyone who has the power and anyone who is likely – let alone certain – to be listened to when he or she has an opinion about you, your performance, your work, your competence and qualifications.

The first person on whom your performance depends is the boss, and the boss is thus the first person for whose performance you have to take responsibility.

Expectations tend to rise with accomplishment. The better you’re performing, the more you demand of yourself and the less you notice incremental gains.

Research demonstrates that people who are obsessed with their work put in longer hours yet fail to perform any better than their peers. They’re more likely to fall victim to both physical and emotional exhaustion.

Research demonstrates that when organizations have cultures that prize results above relationships, if they have a leader who puts people first, they actually achieve greater performance gains.

Competing priorities, limited resources, and corporate inertia can quickly swallow up even the once-highest-performing teams.