--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a corporation, there can only be one…" description: "\"In a corporation, there can only be one guy in the end: the CEO.\" — Lee Iacocca" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/lee-iacocca-3170_ceo_in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-g_1791118.png" --- # In a corporation, there can only be one guy in the end… ![“In a corporation, there can only be one guy in the end: the CEO.” quote by Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/lee-iacocca-3170_ceo_in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-g_1791118.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/lee-iacocca-3170_ceo_in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-g_1791118.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/lee-iacocca-3170_ceo_in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-g_1791118.png) > “In a corporation, there can only be one guy in the end: the CEO.” [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only one person can hold ultimate authority in a corporation, the CEO, emphasizing centralized leadership. **In simple terms:** The CEO is the top leader. Key Takeaway Recognize the CEO’s role in decision‑making. Themes leadership authority corporate hierarchy Mood author serious Type leadership business When to use this quote - business meetings - board presentations - strategic planning Key Concepts Management theory power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does central authority affect innovation? - Can multiple leaders share ultimate responsibility? A Different Perspective Leadership can be shared in collaborative cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Corporation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporation/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) ## Related quotes > [Imagine if someone like John Lennon or Bob Marley, Sid Vicious, Picasso, whomever, were doing their work, and some corporation, some CEO, some branding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/imagine-if-someone-like-john-lennon-or-bob-marley-sid-vicious-picasso/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [A risk-taking environment starts at the top of a corporation. If the CEO doesn't have this spirit, chances are you won't find it anywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/a-risk-taking-environment-starts-at-the-top-of-a-corporation-if-the/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [“The legal system has been designed by governments and corporations to protect them from the common people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-legal-system-has-been-designed-by-governments-and-corporations-to/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [A corporation has all the powers and privileges of an individual: all it lacks is a conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/a-corporation-has-all-the-powers-and-privileges-of-an-individual-all/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [“Her crime cost nobody their life, but she famously was escorted off to a women’s prison. Had she been a corporation instead of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/her-crime-cost-nobody-their-life-but-she-famously-was-escorted-off-to/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [The blanket assertion that corporations are people obfuscates the complex issues at play in the changing business world. Corporation are institutions. People are people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-tapscott/the-blanket-assertion-that-corporations-are-people-obfuscates-the/) [Don Tapscott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-tapscott/) > [Thirty years after drafting the US Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson warned of the dangers posed by the corporation, writing of the need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-manski/thirty-years-after-drafting-the-us-declaration-of-independence-thomas/) [Ben Manski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-manski/) > [For better or for worse, our company (The News Corporation Ltd.) is a reflection of my thinking, my character, my values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/for-better-or-for-worse-our-company-the-news-corporation-ltd-is-a/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [The definition of fascism is The marriage of corporation and state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/the-definition-of-fascism-is-the-marriage-of-corporation-and-state/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [A record company used to be a very good thing, but they ended up soul-destroyingly trapping people in the accounting department. And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [A corporation has no soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-coke/a-corporation-has-no-soul/) [Edward Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-coke/) > [Did you ever expect a corporation to have a conscience, when it has no soul to be damned, and nobody to be kicked?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-thurlow-1st-baron-thurlow/did-you-ever-expect-a-corporation-to-have-a-conscience-when-it-has-no/) [Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-thurlow-1st-baron-thurlow/) > [To equate a corporation with a person is a travesty of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/to-equate-a-corporation-with-a-person-is-a-travesty-of-justice/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [The corporation is not an independent "person" with its own rights, needs, and desires that regulators must respect. It is a state created tool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-bakan/the-corporation-is-not-an-independent-person-with-its-own-rights/) [Joel Bakan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-bakan/) > [It makes no sense to talk of the social obligations of the corporation without reference to its economic obligations. The two are intertwined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-r-raymond/it-makes-no-sense-to-talk-of-the-social-obligations-of-the/) [Lee R. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-r-raymond/) ## More by Lee Iacocca > [The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-right-decision-is-the-wrong-decision-if-it-s-made-too-late/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [“Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then...do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/apply-yourself-get-all-the-education-you-can-but-then-do-something/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [The ability to concentrate and to use time well is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-ability-to-concentrate-and-to-use-time-well-is-everything/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [There are times in everyone's life when something constructive is born out of adversity... when things seem so bad that you've got to grab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/there-are-times-in-everyone-s-life-when-something-constructive-is/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/in-a-completely-rational-society-the-best-of-us-would-be-teachers-and/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [It was emotional when Chrysler sold out to the Germans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/it-was-emotional-when-chrysler-sold-out-to-the-germans/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/we-are-continually-faced-by-great-opportunities-brilliantly-disguised/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-human-beings-can/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/no-matter-what-you-ve-done-for-yourself-or-for-humanity-if-you-can-t/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [Be creative. Use unconventional thinking. And have the guts to carry it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/be-creative-use-unconventional-thinking-and-have-the-guts-to-carry-it/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [ They're on you day and night. Their oversight is just too extreme \[. . .\] That's why our 10-year loan, we paid it back… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/they-re-on-you-day-and-night-their-oversight-is-just-too-extreme-that/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/i-hire-people-brighter-than-me-and-then-i-get-out-of-their-way/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [I have found that being honest is the best technique I can use. Right up front, tell people what you're trying to accomplish and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/i-have-found-that-being-honest-is-the-best-technique-i-can-use-right/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [Your legacy should be that you made it better than it was when you got it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/your-legacy-should-be-that-you-made-it-better-than-it-was-when-you/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [Never rest on your oars as a boss. If you do, the whole company starts sinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/never-rest-on-your-oars-as-a-boss-if-you-do-the-whole-company-starts/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) [Explore all 138 Lee Iacocca quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) ## More Ceo quotes > [When you're young and you have money, you become the CEO, automatically, of life, of your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-haim/when-you-re-young-and-you-have-money-you-become-the-ceo-automatically/) [Corey Haim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-haim/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [I learned a lesson that I don't ever want to be a CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilcox/i-learned-a-lesson-that-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-a-ceo/) [Larry Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilcox/) > [Strategy is not a solo sport, even if you're the CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/strategy-is-not-a-solo-sport-even-if-you-re-the-ceo/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [I draw the line at some things. Some things I won't do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there's a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-draw-the-line-at-some-things-some-things-i-won-t-do-for-any-amount/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [I want to share that I had and still do, and a great relationship with Angela Ahrendts. She was the CEO of Burberry. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-glaser/i-want-to-share-that-i-had-and-still-do-and-a-great-relationship-with/) [Judith E. Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-glaser/) > [If the CEO is not going to give you a fair chance, you're probably not going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/if-the-ceo-is-not-going-to-give-you-a-fair-chance-you-re-probably-not/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Governor Romney may be running for CEO, I'm running for President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/governor-romney-may-be-running-for-ceo-i-m-running-for-president/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Culture is what happens when the CEO isn't in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/culture-is-what-happens-when-the-ceo-isn-t-in-the-room/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [The deck is still stacked in favor of those already at the top. And there's something wrong with that. There's something wrong when CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-deck-is-still-stacked-in-favor-of-those-already-at-the-top-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [While they're in WWE, we absolutely have a health and wellness policy. I'll probably always say 'we,' even though I've resigned as the CEO.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcmahon/while-they-re-in-wwe-we-absolutely-have-a-health-and-wellness-policy/) [Linda McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcmahon/) > [It doesn't make much sense and it's nil premium. They're going to have co-CEOs...which is a very uncomfortable structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/it-doesn-t-make-much-sense-and-it-s-nil-premium-they-re-going-to-have/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Browse all 668 Ceo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In a corporation, there can only be one guy in the end: the CEO.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Iacocca" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-guy-in-the-end-the-ceo/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ceo" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-guy-in-the-end-the-ceo/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/lee-iacocca-3170_ceo_in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-g_1791118.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/lee-iacocca-3170_ceo_in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-g_1791118.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/lee-iacocca-3170_ceo_in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-g_1791118.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In a corporation, there can only be one guy in the end: the CEO.” — Lee Iacocca", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lee Iacocca", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In a corporation, there can only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-guy-in-the-end-the-ceo/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/in-a-corporation-there-can-only-be-one-guy-in-the-end-the-ceo/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```