Skip to content

Business Quote by David Rockefeller

“One cannot expect to coast along and rise automatically to the top, no matter what friends you may have in the company. There may have been a time when, in large corporations, a person could rise simply because he had a stock interest or because he had friends in top management. That's not true…” quote by David Rockefeller
Download Open image
“One cannot expect to coast along and rise automatically to the top, no matter what friends you may have in the company. There may have been a time when, in large corporations, a person could rise simply because he had a stock interest or because he had friends in top management. That's not true today. Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.”

David Rockefeller

About This Quote

Source Speech: Business Leadership Talk, 1990s

Success now depends on personal effort, training, and discipline rather than nepotism or stock ownership.

In simple terms: Hard work beats connections.

Key Takeaway

Invest in skills, work hard.

Themes

business success meritocracy

Mood

determined realistic

Type

motivational pragmatic

When to use this quote

  • career advancement
  • entrepreneurship
  • corporate promotion

Key Concepts

training discipline hard work

Questions to Reflect On

  • How will you develop your skills?
  • What habits support disciplined work?
A Different Perspective

Networking alone cannot replace competence.

4.6 out of 5 (9 ratings)

More by David Rockefeller

Explore all 76 David Rockefeller quotes

More Business quotes

Browse all 39,021 Business quotes