New York, NY…Thomas John Watson Sr., February 17, 1874 – June 19, 1956 was the chairman and CEO of IBM. He oversaw the company’s growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956.

“You can be discouraged by failure, or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes, make all you can. Because, remember that’s where you’ll find success – on the far side of failure.”

“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity.”

“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.”

“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.”

“Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.”