Quotes About Foresight

Running a company on market research is like driving while looking in the rear view mirror.

In business, what distinguishes leaders from laggards and greatness from mediocrity is the ability to uniquely imagine what could be.

The very best financial presentation is one that's well thought out and anticipates any questions... answering them in advance.

You can't overestimate the need to plan and prepare. In most of the mistakes I've made, there has been this common theme of inadequate planning beforehand. You really can't over-prepare in business!

Most companies are built to execute today's business model, not discover tomorrow's.

I don't think you should ever start a business and move in a direction where you can't see it becoming a business.

I like to pride myself on thinking pretty long term, but not that long term.

You can drive a car by looking in the rear view mirror as long as nothing is ahead of you. Not enough software professionals are engaged in forward thinking.

Grab a chance and you won't be sorry for a might-have-been.

Today is always the result of actions and decisions taken yesterday. Man, however, whatever his title or rank, cannot foresee the future. Yesterday's actions and decisions, no matter how courageous or wise they may have been, inevitably become today's problems

Entrepreneurial management in the new venture has four requirements: It requires, first, a focus on the market. It requires, second, financial foresight, and especially planning for cash flow and capital needs ahead. It requires, third, building a top management team long before the new venture actually needs one and long before it can actually afford one. And finally, it requires of the founding entrepreneur a decision in respect to his or her own role, area of work, and relationships.

The earlier changes are discerned, the earlier the opportunities they create can be converted into innovations.

But it is meaningless to speak of short-range and long-range plans. There are plans that lead to action today—and they are true plans, true strategic decisions. And there are plans that talk about action tomorrow—they are dreams, if not pretexts for nonthinking, nonplanning, nondoing. The

The eye of the poet sees less clearly, but sees farther than the eye of the scientist.

How can we stop going faster while our ability to see further ahead is decreasing?

When our actions have consequences beyond our learning horizon, it becomes impossible to learn from direct experience.

Today's problems come from yesterday's 'solutions'.

Just because we cannot imagine our actions leading to disaster, it doesn't mean that such a disaster cannot happen.

And what good was a political strategist who couldn't look ahead to his own death? Without that he would have been merely another Hitler, who didn't want his country to survive him.

Beware the wooden horse, Agamemnon King, Conqueror, for it will roar to the skies on wings of thunder and herald the death of nations.

Never to let your enemy read your eyes. Do not think of an attack—just do it!

If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly.

Our conduct today is affected by what we know of tomorrow.

All I get is tomorrow.