--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I consider it the highest compliment when…" description: "\"I consider it the highest compliment when my employees go out and start their own companies in competition with me. I always send them a plant to wish ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/norman-brodsky-266909_cactus_i-consider-it-the-highest-compliment-whe_1941435.jpg" --- # I consider it the highest compliment when my employees go… ![“I consider it the highest compliment when my employees go out and start their own companies in competition with me. I always send them a plant to wish them well. Of course, it's a cactus.” quote by Norman Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/norman-brodsky-266909_cactus_i-consider-it-the-highest-compliment-whe_1941435.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/norman-brodsky-266909_cactus_i-consider-it-the-highest-compliment-whe_1941435.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/429/norman-brodsky-266909_cactus_i-consider-it-the-highest-compliment-whe_1941435.jpg) > “I consider it the highest compliment when my employees go out and start their own companies in competition with me. I always send them a plant to wish them well. Of course, it's a cactus.” Norman Brodsky ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing employees become competitors is a high compliment; gifting a cactus symbolizes resilience and enduring support **In simple terms:** Competitors can be compliments; cactus gifts represent tough, lasting care Key Takeaway Celebrate growth and resilience in others Themes Business Mentorship Competition Resilience Symbolism Mood Respectful Encouraging Type Cactus:1 Plant:0 Highest Compliment:1 Compliment Employees:0 Plant Wish:0 When to use this quote - Start‑up ecosystems - Professional networking - Mentorship programs Key Concepts Entrepreneurship Leadership Corporate culture Questions to Reflect On - How do you view former employees as competitors? - What does a cactus symbolize in professional relationships? A Different Perspective Treating competition as threat can hinder collaboration ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) ## Related quotes > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I think a good way to get into a movie is to show up where they're making the movie, then stick a big cactus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-a-good-way-to-get-into-a-movie-is-to-show-up-where-they-re/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I'm always very interested in breeding. Raising cacti is breeding. My lotus plant collection is breeding. The insects are breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-murakami/i-m-always-very-interested-in-breeding-raising-cacti-is-breeding-my/) [Takashi Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-murakami/) > [The desert seems to be a brown wasteland of dry, prickly scrub whose only purpose is to serve as a setting for the majestic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/the-desert-seems-to-be-a-brown-wasteland-of-dry-prickly-scrub-whose/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [Key West is the place where your sickly house plant back in New York grows to 10 ft. It's also the place where an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/key-west-is-the-place-where-your-sickly-house-plant-back-in-new-york/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [“I knew there was something peculiar about you," she said. "And I mean that as the highest compliment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-knew-there-was-something-peculiar-about-you-she-said-and-i-mean/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“Flattery isn’t the highest compliment – parasitism is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-benford/flattery-isn-t-the-highest-compliment-parasitism-is/) [Gregory Benford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-benford/) > [SINCEREITY is the highest compliment you can pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nwakama/sincereity-is-the-highest-compliment-you-can-pay/) [Anne Nwakama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nwakama/) > [When a man makes a woman his wife, it's the highest compliment he can pay her, and it's usually the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/when-a-man-makes-a-woman-his-wife-it-s-the-highest-compliment-he-can-2/) [Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/) > [This girl has the spark of life. This is my primary filter for new friends (girl- and otherwise) and the highest compliment I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/this-girl-has-the-spark-of-life-this-is-my-primary-filter-for-new/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/the-highest-compliment-that-you-can-pay-me-is-to-say-that-i-work-hard/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [“yes, you are exhausting, and yes, being your friend is work. But you are also the most fascinating person I have ever known, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/yes-you-are-exhausting-and-yes-being-your-friend-is-work-but-you-are/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [When a man makes a woman his wife it's the highest compliment he can pay her – and usually it's the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/when-a-man-makes-a-woman-his-wife-it-s-the-highest-compliment-he-can/) [Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/) > [“Being present here and now is the highest compliment you can pay to a woman in your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lada-ray/being-present-here-and-now-is-the-highest-compliment-you-can-pay-to-a/) [Lada Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lada-ray/) ## More Cactus quotes > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [I had forgotten that talking to you is like trying to pet a cactus." Saiman said dryly. "Thank you for reminding me." "Always happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/i-had-forgotten-that-talking-to-you-is-like-trying-to-pet-a-cactus/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [The one thing that seems to be consistent through all my work that I like, and I experimented a lot, is the viewer is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-misrach/the-one-thing-that-seems-to-be-consistent-through-all-my-work-that-i/) [Richard Misrach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-misrach/) > [“What a surprise. That boy doesn't have the sense God gave a cactus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-peacock/what-a-surprise-that-boy-doesn-t-have-the-sense-god-gave-a-cactus/) [Kathleen Peacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-peacock/) > [Texas is a hell hole, man. Dirt, cactus, lizards, dirt, cactus, the Bush family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/texas-is-a-hell-hole-man-dirt-cactus-lizards-dirt-cactus-the-bush/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [I bought a cactus. A week later it died. And I got depressed, because I thought, Damn. I am less nurturing than a desert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-bought-a-cactus-a-week-later-it-died-and-i-got-depressed-because-i/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [John flung himself into a pseudo-karate stance, one hand poised behind him and one in front, posed like a cartoon cactus. I thought for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-flung-himself-into-a-pseudo-karate-stance-one-hand-poised-behind/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [Key West is the place where your sickly house plant back in New York grows to 10 ft. It's also the place where an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/key-west-is-the-place-where-your-sickly-house-plant-back-in-new-york/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/she-was-elusive-she-was-today-she-was-tomorrow-she-was-the-faintest/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“Well what I was going to say was that it reminds me of us because a cactus can grow and thrive without a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-bloom/well-what-i-was-going-to-say-was-that-it-reminds-me-of-us-because-a/) [Rebecca Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-bloom/) > [The desert seems to be a brown wasteland of dry, prickly scrub whose only purpose is to serve as a setting for the majestic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/the-desert-seems-to-be-a-brown-wasteland-of-dry-prickly-scrub-whose/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [I'm always very interested in breeding. Raising cacti is breeding. My lotus plant collection is breeding. The insects are breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-murakami/i-m-always-very-interested-in-breeding-raising-cacti-is-breeding-my/) [Takashi Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-murakami/) > [“So I came down here, to breathe dust and walk with the dogs-- to look at a rock or a cactus and know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/so-i-came-down-here-to-breathe-dust-and-walk-with-the-dogs-to-look-at/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [I remember very clearly someone saying, 'Don't shake hands with the cactus,' and I thought, 'Well, why not? What could possibly go wrong?' Shaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-remember-very-clearly-someone-saying-don-t-shake-hands-with-the/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) Browse all 96 Cactus quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I consider it the highest compliment when my employees go out and start their own companies in competition with me. I always send them a plant to wish them well. 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