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But for every company, Dell included, kaizen is an ideal rather than a reality. Success is not a straight line up. It’s fail, learn, try again, then (you hope) succeed. How successful you are is really a function of how well you deal with failure—and how much you learn from it. Many people don’t reach their greatest potential because they fear failure. In avoiding failure, they deprive themselves of a great teacher. Many others fall short because of lack of opportunity, capital, knowledge, or skills. Persistence is an all-important quality on the road to success. (And success presents its own challenges, avoiding complacency being the first and biggest. Which is why, along with kaizen, PBNS—pleased but never satisfied—has been part of our culture since the beginning.)

Play Nice but Win

Michael Dell and James Kaplan

Exercise. When I see a set of stairs, I will take them instead of using the elevator. Social skills. When I walk into a party, I will introduce myself to someone I don’t know yet. Finances. When I want to buy something over $100, I will wait twenty-four hours before purchasing. Healthy eating. When I serve myself a meal, I will always put veggies on my plate first. Minimalism. When I buy a new item, I will give something away. (“One in, one out.”) Mood. When the phone rings, I will take one deep breath and smile before answering. Forgetfulness. When I leave a public place, I will check the table and chairs to make sure I don’t leave anything behind.

Atomic Habits

James Clear

Why? It couldn’t just be Onitsuka’s decrepit factories, we all agreed, and sure enough Woodell eventually figured out that Onitsuka was satisfying its local customers in Japan first, then worrying about foreign exports. Terribly unfair, but again what could I do? I had no leverage.

Shoe Dog

Phil Knight

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