--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never run a public company. I…" description: "\"I have never run a public company. I spent my entire life working for a private company.\" — Michael Ovitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/michael-ovitz-27458_business_i-have-never-run-a-public-company-i-spen_1363410.png" --- # I have never run a public company. I spent my entire life… ![“I have never run a public company. I spent my entire life working for a private company.” quote by Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/michael-ovitz-27458_business_i-have-never-run-a-public-company-i-spen_1363410.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/michael-ovitz-27458_business_i-have-never-run-a-public-company-i-spen_1363410.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/michael-ovitz-27458_business_i-have-never-run-a-public-company-i-spen_1363410.png) > “I have never run a public company. I spent my entire life working for a private company.” [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experience in private sector shapes perspective; public leadership demands different skills. **In simple terms:** Private work differs from public leadership. Key Takeaway Adapt skills when moving to public roles. Themes leadership career transition experience Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - executive roles - entrepreneurship - non‑profit leadership Key Concepts organizational behavior strategic management Questions to Reflect On - What skills must you develop for public leadership? - How does private sector experience help? A Different Perspective Public expectations can be overwhelming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Businessman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businessman/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Entire life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-work/) ## Related quotes > [Everything I have is a private company. And even though a public company's a great thing, it's great for financing and all of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-blodget/everything-i-have-is-a-private-company-and-even-though-a-public/) [Henry Blodget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-blodget/) > [It is much more convenient not to be a public company. As a private company you don't have to give information to the public.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-rich/it-is-much-more-convenient-not-to-be-a-public-company-as-a-private/) [Marc Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-rich/) > [To get your name well enough known that you can run for a public office, some people do it by being great lawyers or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-glenn/to-get-your-name-well-enough-known-that-you-can-run-for-a-public/) [John Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-glenn/) > [I am really rich. All of my life I have heard a truly successful, and even a modestly successful person, cannot run for public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-am-really-rich-all-of-my-life-i-have-heard-a-truly-successful-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office...that's what Jesus would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/jesus-was-too-smart-to-ever-run-for-public-office-that-s-what-jesus/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [You don't run for public office unless you have a specific vision. You are driven by ideas and a vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-nixon-eisenhower/you-don-t-run-for-public-office-unless-you-have-a-specific-vision-you/) [Julie Nixon Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-nixon-eisenhower/) > [Honestly, if you are going to run for public office, I think it's incumbent... to speak up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-tancredo/honestly-if-you-are-going-to-run-for-public-office-i-think-it-s/) [Tom Tancredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-tancredo/) > [I don't claim any moral or ethical high ground, but I also have chosen not to run for public office. Shouldn't there be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/i-don-t-claim-any-moral-or-ethical-high-ground-but-i-also-have-chosen/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [My mother at the age of 65 decided she was going to run for mayor. She had never run for public office, and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-mathews-burwell/my-mother-at-the-age-of-65-decided-she-was-going-to-run-for-mayor-she/) [Sylvia Mathews Burwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-mathews-burwell/) > [We shouldn't leave the work of politics to people who run for public office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-shouldn-t-leave-the-work-of-politics-to-people-who-run-for-public/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I think the rules are going to have to change for me to ever run for public office. My checkered past will always keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-willis/i-think-the-rules-are-going-to-have-to-change-for-me-to-ever-run-for/) [Bruce Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-willis/) > [Anybody who runs for public office today has got to know his life or her life will be an open book. I've decided that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/anybody-who-runs-for-public-office-today-has-got-to-know-his-life-or/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [If you are prepared to run for public office, you also have to be willing to accept a debate about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-schauble/if-you-are-prepared-to-run-for-public-office-you-also-have-to-be/) [Wolfgang Schauble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-schauble/) > [Being a public company certainly doesn't stop you from taking a really long-term time horizon, but it does make it more difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-collison/being-a-public-company-certainly-doesn-t-stop-you-from-taking-a/) [Patrick Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-collison/) > [Life at a public company ain't for me. The board pays you what you're worth, then you get reamed for your compensation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-azoff/life-at-a-public-company-ain-t-for-me-the-board-pays-you-what-you-re/) [Irving Azoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-azoff/) ## More by Michael Ovitz > [I've always made my decisions based on two factors: intellectual analysis and my gut. And when they meet, that's a go from me. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-ve-always-made-my-decisions-based-on-two-factors-intellectual/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [The unknown is always interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/the-unknown-is-always-interesting/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [Football is the No. 1 sport in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/football-is-the-no-1-sport-in-america/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [A lot of drive is innate, self-perpetuated, reinforced energy. As a kid, I could always sell anything I could get my hands on -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/a-lot-of-drive-is-innate-self-perpetuated-reinforced-energy-as-a-kid/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [I'm not one to speak about myself. I like to speak about the people around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-m-not-one-to-speak-about-myself-i-like-to-speak-about-the-people/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [I'm not good at being static. I have to be climbing a mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-m-not-good-at-being-static-i-have-to-be-climbing-a-mountain/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [The human condition is not perfect. We are not perfect specimens, any of us. We're not robots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/the-human-condition-is-not-perfect-we-are-not-perfect-specimens-any/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [It's not about money. The money will flow. It's about power and influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/it-s-not-about-money-the-money-will-flow-it-s-about-power-and/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [When I was at U.C.L.A., I worked my way through school as a tour guide at Universal Studios, and I came in contact with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/when-i-was-at-u-c-l-a-i-worked-my-way-through-school-as-a-tour-guide/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [I believe sometimes I make some mistakes. And I don't think they are life-threatening mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-believe-sometimes-i-make-some-mistakes-and-i-don-t-think-they-are/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [The Internet is the greatest thing that ever happened to the entertainment industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/the-internet-is-the-greatest-thing-that-ever-happened-to-the/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [I must say that in my early years, I was incredibly aggressive. I was working as hard as I could to build a business,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-must-say-that-in-my-early-years-i-was-incredibly-aggressive-i-was/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [My whole life has been about risk and reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/my-whole-life-has-been-about-risk-and-reward/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [In student government in high school, I learned how to deal with people, and in college I studied Eastern philosophy. I'm also an avid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/in-student-government-in-high-school-i-learned-how-to-deal-with/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [All of us are probably three people. We're probably the person that we think we are, and we're probably the person that you or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/all-of-us-are-probably-three-people-we-re-probably-the-person-that-we/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) [Explore all 20 Michael Ovitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have never run a public company. 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