Thomas J. Watson
From Wikiquote
Thomas John Watson, Sr. (February 17, 1874 – June 19, 1956) was the president of International Business Machines (IBM), who oversaw that company's growth into an international force from the 1920s to the 1950s.
Contents |
[edit] Sourced
- Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.
- Article published in THINK, IBM's company magazine
[edit] Attributed
- If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.
- Quoted in Ron van Oech (1982), A Whack on the Side of the Head and several other motivational books.
[edit] Misattributed
- All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think, because thinking is such hard work.
- Actually a remark by Nicholas Murray Butler
- I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.
- Often dated to 1943. Thorough research of Watson's writings and statements have produced no example of him saying this. It appears to be a corruption of a remark by Howard Aiken that four or five computers could meet all of the United Kingdom's computing needs. See Ralph Keyes (2006), The Quote Verifier.
