James Cash Penney Quotes (60 Quotes)

No serious-minded man should have time for the mediocre in any phase of his living.

The surest way for an executive to kill himself is to refuse to learn how, and when, and to whom to delegate work.

We get real results only in proportion to the real values we give.

Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk. (J. C.

Luck is always the last refuge of laziness and incompetence.

Success will always be measured by the extent to which we serve the buying public.

Theory is splendid but until put into practice, it is valueless.

There has never been a time when a career in the Penney Company was not a challenge that brought out the best in a man.

The well-satisfied customer will bring the repeat sale that counts.

Golden rule principles are just as necessary for operating a business profitably as are trucks, typewriters, or twine.

Men are not great or small because of their material possessions. They are great or small because of what they are.

I cannot remember a time when the Golden Rule was not my motto and precept, the torch that guided my footsteps.

A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition.

The men who have furnished me with my greatest inspiration have not been men of wealth, but men of deeds.

Salesmanship, too, is an art; the perfection of its technique requires study and practice.

The five separate fingers are five independent units. Close them and the fist multiplies strength. This is organization.

I was long brought up to think that it was nothing short of a crime to miss a sale.

The Golden Rule finds no limit of application in business.

I am grateful for all my problems. After each one was overcome, I became stronger and more able to meet those that were still to come. I grew in all my difficulties. (J. C.

No business can succeed in any great degree without being properly organized.

Honor bespeaks worth. Confidence begets trust. Service brings satisfaction. Cooperation proves the quality of leadership.

Do not primarily train men to work. Train them to serve willingly and intelligently.

Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.

Geniuses themselves don't talk about the gift of genius, they just talk about hard work and long hours. (J. C.

Clock watchers never seem to be having a good time.

I will have no man work for me who has not the capacity to become a partner.

The greatest teacher I know is the job itself.

There's no better friend to any merchant than a fair competitor.

I do not believe in excuses. I believe in hard work as the prime solvent of life's problems.

A store's best advertisement is the service its goods render, for upon such service rest the future, the good-will, of an organization.

The keystone of successful business is cooperation. Friction retards progress.

The disciplined are free.

I never trust an executive who tends to pass the buck. Nor would I want to deal with him as a customer or a supplier.

I believe a man is better anchored who has a belief in the Supreme Being.

The thought in my mind was that I must be a good merchant. If I were a good merchant, the rest would probably take care of itself.

The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.

I believe in trusting men, not only once but twice - in giving a failure another chance.

Too many would-be executives are slaves of routine.

Success cannot come from standstill men. Methods change and men must change with them.

My definition of an executive's job is brief and to the point. It is simply this: Getting things done through other people.

As a rule, we find what we look for; we achieve what we get ready for.

I would never have amounted to anything were it not for adversity. I was forced to come up the hard way. (J. C.

Determine to do some thinking for yourself. Don't live entirely upon the thoughts of others. Don't be an automaton.

No company can afford not to move forward. It may be at the top of the heap today but at the bottom of the heap tomorrow, if it doesn't.

No matter what his position or experience in life, there is in everyone more latent than developed ability; far more unused than used power.

Every business is built on friendship. (J. C.

Responsibilities are given to him on whom trust rests. Responsibility is always a sign of trust.

Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.

We can serve our customers well only if our buying jobs are right. You cannot sell if you haven't ordered wanted goods into your store.

Every man must decide for himself whether he shall master his world or be mastered by it.