Home › Authors › Greg McKeown
Greg McKeown Quotes
born 1977 England
Greg McKeown, (born in London, England, in 1977) is a public speaker, business thought leader, consultant, and a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. He is also the founder and CEO of THIS, Inc., a leadership and strategy design agency in Silicon Valley.
England Non-fiction authors Also known as: Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Random Greg McKeown quote
34 quotes
“If you are too busy to think then you are too busy.”
"To discern what is truly essential we need space to think, time to look and listen, permission to play, wisdom to sleep, and the discipline to apply highly selective criteria to the choices we make."
“Everything changes when we give ourselves permission to be more selective in what we choose to do.”
“By abolishing any chance of being bored we have also lost the time we used to have to think and process.”
“There should be no shame in admitting to a mistake; after all, we really are only admitting that we are now wiser than we once were.”
* "...the pursuit of success can be a catalyst for failure. Put another way, success can distract us from focusing on the essential things that produce success in the first place."
"...only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter."
“The bottom line is this: if you want to engage your employees at a whole new level, if you want to become a person of greater influence, and if you want to discover a new kind of power — listen.”
“Simply put, when you invite people’s best thinking and lead like a multiplier, your team will give you more—more discretionary effort, more mental and physical energy, and more of the fresh ideas critical for long-term success.”
"Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life. Instead of asking, “What do I have to give up?” they ask, “What do I want to go big on?"
“If success is a catalyst for failure because it leads to the “undisciplined pursuit of more,” then one simple antidote is the disciplined pursuit of less. Not just haphazardly saying no, but purposefully, deliberately, and strategically eliminating the nonessentials.”
“Here is the #1 myth that kills people's productivity: 'if you fit it all in, you can have it all.'”
“It never ceases to amaze me how often I ask people, “What do you really want?” and they look at me blankly, unable to articulate the answer. It’s not that they don’t want things, it’s just that they don’t have a high level of clarity regarding the matter.”
“There is value in NOT doing a thing.”