31 Quotes by Edward Whitacre, Jr.

We commend the commission, under the leadership of Chairman Martin, for recognizing the reality of today's communications marketplace and for fostering an environment where there will be greater choice in communications services and providers.

I was brought in by the White House as GM's chairman in 2009, around the time of the bankruptcy, and became CEO later that year. As a company, we were grateful for the government's support. But as GM's financial health began to improve, I could detect no real sense of urgency, or even interest, on the part of the government to relinquish control.

At AT&T, I learned an awful lot about people, and how important it is to have the right people in the right jobs. And when I say 'right people,' I'm not talking about their college degree or work history; I'm talking about things like bearing - How does this person interact with other people? Can he or she talk to you and not tick you off?

Be willing to step outside your comfort zone once in a while; take the risks in life that seem worth taking. The ride might not be as predictable if you’d just planted your feet and stayed put, but it will be a heck of a lot more interesting.

I’m a pretty average guy and want to keep a low profile. I don’t want the world necessarily to know about me.

I’ve been accused many times of not talking very much, but I guess I don’t believe in talking things to death. You can talk too much on most anything and it stops being productive. There is a time for action. Eventually you have to pull the trigger.

When I got to GM they were using a matrix method of management which means everybody has more than one boss. I first heard about that system many years ago. It’s supposed to help with collaboration, but my assessment is that it’s pretty hard to get geared for action that way.

Find your passion is in life, and do what you can to integrate that into your work life. That’s not to say you won’t have occasional frustrations in your job – that just goes with the territory – but at least you’ll feel better inside, and that, over time, will mean more to you than you might think.

I don’t know anything about cars. A business is a business, and I think I can learn about cars. I’m not that old, and I think the business principles are the same.