Comments

I love "Innovate or Die." I can just imagine sitting at my next meeting with that mug next to me!

My own saying would be Diversity = Excellence.

Posted by Nancy R. at February 13, 2006 9:17 AM

Make It So.

Patrick Stewart as Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Always delivered after LISTENING as an empowerment rather than an order. Seems to me the ESSENCE of leadership.

Posted by Tom Troland at February 13, 2006 9:21 AM

ok heres my talk

1) "Facing it- always facing it-thats the way to get through. Face it !! "
2) "Passion for Facing IT"
3) "Qaulity is not Job the #1 job. Being frigging Amzaing is Job#1 "
4) "Tell the truth-the unvarishned truth always"
5) "be not afarid to walk alone-your born to die- so take the risk -its a hecka good ride"

ok the last one is mine.. the rest are made up from others peeps too :)-

Posted by /pd at February 13, 2006 10:13 AM

Intention

Intentionality

Passionate Intention

Commitment to the cause

Presence

Posted by Dan at February 13, 2006 10:20 AM

1. Priorities
2. Set Tolerence Levels
3. Stewardship

Posted by Chris Tapken at February 13, 2006 10:46 AM

"You are your own caffeine!!!"

Posted by Francisco Fernández at February 13, 2006 12:16 PM

Back in 2001, I had coffee cups designed for a new team of software localizers in the west of Ireland. I went to a local lad, affectionately known as Fast Eddie. The theme was Excellence!, with our logo above the word. (note: this was before I had the fortune of knowing about Tom Peters!)

Days later, Fast Eddie was proud as he pulled one of the mugs out of the box before I took them away:

"image of logo"
Exellence!

"uhh, Eddie, isn't there a 'c' in 'exellence'?" I felt more embarrased for him than upset for myself, and had a great laugh that day!

Anyway, here are my contributions:

People Power!
Embrace the Moment!
Fearless!
Make Mistakes!
Communicate!
Be True!
Transparency!
I Dare You!
Act Local!
What's Your Customer's Name?
Listen!
Be Compassionate!
Be Real!
Have Fun!
Be Constructive!
It's Possible!
I'm Wrong Sometimes! That's OK.
Don't Watch the Clock!
Invest in Yourself!
Don't Forget Your Family!
Balance Life.
It is Personal!

....

Posted by Tom O'Leary at February 13, 2006 12:41 PM

Hi

I kind of agree with the slogans and the comments but feel they are "value free". By that I mean that it appears that it is great to be great at being an arms supplier or a oil giant that ignores global warming - or to be a brilliant a PR company that tries to persuade people that corporate misdoings are OK really - it was just a bit mis-understood.

The world is in quite a state and it is important at least to me that we do good things well - so how about -

Above all do no harm (Hippocratic Oath for doctors- recently popular in the US!)
Listen to the nice guys - not the thugs
Leave a legacy of goodness
People before profit
"American Civil War after trade talks collapse" (Asian World Times 2035 AD)
Be green not mean
The poor in Africa are the real measure of our greatness as a civilzation.
The money-maddened simpletons - I kill them again and again - Upanishads
What does it benefit a man if he gain the whole world but loses his soul?

Cheers

Mike

Posted by Mike Bennett at February 13, 2006 1:05 PM

Stay healthy!
Be wealthy!
Be happy!
Manage seratonin, endorphin, oxytocin and related chemistry!
Privacy!
Tweak DNA to rad advantage!
Minimalism!

Posted by Sean at February 13, 2006 1:38 PM

"Stop Drinking! Go Do Some Stuff!"

"Drinking stuff gets you to a dead end" (at the bottom of the cup from the inside"

Posted by Elias Dabbas at February 13, 2006 2:51 PM

I think mine would be:

1. Make your own luck!
2. Yesterday's Gone. Think forward.
3. Drink coffee. Then think.
4. There's always an Archillion battlecruiser or an intergalactic plague (taken from Men in Black)
5. Dream. Believe. Work. Achieve. Repeat.
6. Ideas, like coffee, are good when hot.

Posted by Bruce at February 13, 2006 2:58 PM

Potential is discovered.
Greatness is uncovered.
Don't 'train', DEVELOP!
Talent & knowledge are retiring
Do you recycle talent & knowledge?
Wed yourself to values
Divorce tactics
Concentrate on ideas, not opinions!
Customers talk.
Give them something to talk about.
Learn from customers!
Learn from your salespeople!
Selling isn't beneath ANYBODY!
Excellence beats perfection.

Posted by DUST!N at February 13, 2006 3:28 PM

Whoa!
Plenty enough for many mugs, cups, plates and the whole china set.

Posted by Gabriel Salcido at February 13, 2006 4:13 PM

Be the caffeine your employees need!!

Posted by Carlos Gutierrez at February 13, 2006 5:12 PM

_________________________________________________

For the coffee cup message entry, I nominate my favorite Asian proverb:

"Even the gods cannot help those who lose opportunities."

Source:
This is a close rephrasing of a version found in the Guy A. Zona (1997) collection of Chinese proverbs,
If You Have Two Loaves of Bread, Sell One and Buy a Lily. NY: Touchstone, p. 29.

_________________________________________________

Posted by Jay Gillette--Center for Information and Communication Sciences at February 13, 2006 7:59 PM

A few of mine would be:

"Lead by example"
"Decide now"
"Relax"
"Say Yes then Act"
"Get back to work" ;-)
"What's next?"
"Get to the point"
"You are the pointy end"
"Make fast mistakes"

Posted by Michael Vanderdonk at February 13, 2006 8:09 PM

My random thoughts…

1. “Never settle for less”
2. “DON’T be perfect. Just BE EXCELLENT”
3. “Provide non-linear solutions to linear problems!”
4. “Be different. DO DIFFERENT. Period.”
5. “God did not create you without a purpose. FIND IT. LIVE IT.”
6. “You are a manifestation of your thoughts”
7. “KILL mediocrity – Be the Best”
8. “Excellence in Execution”
9. “Never say die”
10. “Dream BIG!”
11. “Visualize positively”
12. “Change the world – Change for the good”
13. “Change is the only thing that is constant”
14. “Live life to the FULLEST!”
15. “Conquer greater heights”
16. “Hear me out!”
17. “Emancipate yourself from the mundane!”
18. “Are you living LIFE on the edge?”
19. “Always GET OUT of your comfort zone!”
20. “Confront out of your comfort zone!”

Posted by K.Sriram at February 14, 2006 12:03 AM

Bigger isn't Better!

Posted by Steve Yastrow at February 14, 2006 12:54 AM

In the context of leading people, you're a leader only if you're elected. If not, you are a dictator. Period.

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Posted by Chetan Dhruve at February 14, 2006 2:50 AM

Idea. Action. Persistence.

Posted by Phil Gott at February 14, 2006 3:17 AM

Words for business leaders to live by?

"Get Out of the Way, D*ckhead"

Posted by Ian Smith at February 14, 2006 5:34 AM

Listen! Listen! Listen!
Tell stories
Front line staff know eveything
Leave the desk every hour
Sit opposite someone opposite
There is only 'difference'
Simplicity is the Key :-)
Paint pictures with your words
Scrap plans longer than one side
Don't write mission statements
Strategic Plans change every day
Steal one idea every day

Posted by Trevor Gay at February 14, 2006 10:49 AM

OODA! or OODA Faster! Or OODA Wins!

Posted by Brian Moore at February 14, 2006 11:59 AM

Did you mention ...

... "yagottaloveit"

Posted by Al at February 14, 2006 12:32 PM

here are a couple of my "dailies"

say yes WITHOUT thinking

if not NOW, when?

is the student ready?

taken from buddhist saying which in its entirety is "the teacher arrives when the student is ready" meaning until the student is ready to learn nothing will change

why why why why why answer

Posted by damian at February 14, 2006 4:36 PM

Great list Tom.

My additions:

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-Got an idea? Pull the trigger.
-Nothing beats activity.
-Coffee is for closers. (sorry, couldn't resist)
-Not sure? Ask your kids.
-Go against the grain.
-Be original. Re-invent the rules.

Lastly:

-No ideas? Pour another cup.

Posted by Jordan at February 14, 2006 6:44 PM

On reading the laundry list of core values, maxims and so forth, Well that's the problem, there are too many good ideas to list at once. As novelty value will wear thin fast, how about printing a black rectangle on the mug, so you can write your own value adding objectives on the side. Make each mug different, or have the design of the mug reflect common values, e.g. a mug that changes colour with heat (revealing a word) could symbolize innovation, an upside down cup handle 'think different' etc... Playful invention + Personal meaning vs uninspired top-down shoehorning!!! message + medium wins the day.

Posted by Edwin Riggs at February 14, 2006 8:41 PM

For some odd reason
Integrity is the question,Honesty is the answer
Never say Never
Just smile and nod

Posted by Rocky at February 14, 2006 11:00 PM

How 'bout:

"Women Rule. Really... "

Great list. And couldn't resist about the women thing. I mean, it's true, isn't it?!

:)

Posted by Debbie Weil at February 14, 2006 11:58 PM

I like the way you think Edwin! That's thinking outside of the cup! Bravo!

Posted by Tom O'Leary at February 15, 2006 5:22 AM

Wow! This is great stuff. Not sure what I'll do with it--something (BIG).

Posted by tom peters at February 15, 2006 8:43 AM

Show (different) ways.
Show beauty.
Listen.
Help.
Break prejudices.

Great ideas above.

Posted by Felix Gerena at February 15, 2006 9:14 AM

Truth is the new TRUTH!

Posted by Lars Olufsen at February 15, 2006 9:24 AM

Last but not the least - "Deserve before you Desire"

Posted by K.Sriram at February 15, 2006 11:28 PM

Interested to see what becomes of this.

Just as important, let me know what you don't use Tom. I'm writing this stuff down. :)

Posted by DUST!N at February 16, 2006 2:07 PM

Explore the new science of memetics! Read:

Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership an change

By Don Beck and Christopher Cowan

Spiral Dynamics reveals the hidden codes that shape human nature, create global diversities and drive evolutionary change. These magnetic forces attract and repel individuals, form the webs that conect people within organizations, and forge the rise and fall of nations and cultures. The book tracks the historic emergence from clans to tribes to networks and holograms; identifies seven Variations on Change and adds power and precision to th edesign of human systems and 21st century leadership.

Posted by Albert Klamt at February 25, 2006 9:55 AM