The Product Planning Department in the U.S. started searching for a four-door sedan that was different from the Camry. These sedans were sold in other countries, but might also be sold in the U.S. as a near-luxury four-door sedan until the all-new F3 would be...
Smart people always say smart things. But wise people know when to say nothing at all. (Ed Kang, author, speaker, advisor) Words, words, words. We even have “talking heads” on the television—newscasters, talk show hosts, discussion panels. If it were only true that it...
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. (Aristotle, 4th century B.C. Greek philosopher) Over time our habits of work, word, and activity reveal quite clearly who we really are—or, at least what our real interests are. The more we...
When your organization has a spirit that prohibits failure, you kill a spirit of innovation in that organization. (Keith Minier, minister) What would it look like in your business or organization if you could prohibit failure? We might like to think everything would...
If you could kick the person most responsible for all your problems in the behind you wouldn't be able to sit down for a long time. (J. Davis Illingworth, Sr, Presbyterian pastor) Wow, that hurts, doesn’t it (pun intended). It’s human nature, it seems, to blame...
When Chairman E. Toyoda made the decision to allow the U.S. to sell Flagship 1 in a new luxury channel, there were no plans to develop additional products. Fourteen hundred of Toyota’s best engineers had been diverted to the Flagship 1 project. There was no “kosu,”...
The more I see the less I know for sure. (The late John Lennon, co-founder of the Beetles) Many of us could say the same. Advances in technology and the discovery of both ancient and new features in our world cause us to realize that there is more and more to know but...
We are not responsible for anyone else's actions in life but our own. And that should keep us busy enough. (Mike Lee, American pastor) When we describe someone as a “busybody,” we do not mean to compliment them. Such a person is always concerned about everyone’s...
Chief Engineer Suzuki was determined that Flagship 1 would achieve its fuel mileage target of 23.5 miles per gallon and avoid the gas-guzzler tax. When I asked about the tool kit and first aid kit, I did not realize the fierce battle that was being waged to keep the...
A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. (Abraham J. Heschel, 20th century Polish-born American rabbi) How do we stand up to this standard today? We do a lot to...
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. (Martin Luther King, 20th century civil rights leader) Each decade seems to bring to light more discoveries and advances in science and technology, and we can hardly keep...
Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning. (William Arthur Ward, 20th century American writer) They say that curiosity killed the cat. We must not let that canard stop us from pursuing the unknown. After all, we’re not cats. We do have a measure of intelligence,...