--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most obvious answer, that you can…" description: "\"The most obvious answer, that you can read in any leadership book is this - learn to say \"no\" so that you can make time for the important stuff, the st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/ronnie-apteker-19014_book_the-most-obvious-answer-that-you-can-rea_1950888.jpg" --- # The most obvious answer, that you can read in any… ![“The most obvious answer, that you can read in any leadership book is this - learn to say "no" so that you can make time for the important stuff, the stuff that is closest to your heart. And of course, as all entrepreneurs will say, "surround yourself with good people". That is the hardest thing…” quote by Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/ronnie-apteker-19014_book_the-most-obvious-answer-that-you-can-rea_1950888.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/ronnie-apteker-19014_book_the-most-obvious-answer-that-you-can-rea_1950888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/ronnie-apteker-19014_book_the-most-obvious-answer-that-you-can-rea_1950888.jpg) > “The most obvious answer, that you can read in any leadership book is this - learn to say "no" so that you can make time for the important stuff, the stuff that is closest to your heart. And of course, as all entrepreneurs will say, "surround yourself with good people". That is the hardest thing : finding good people.” [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritize by saying no to low‑value tasks and surround yourself with capable allies to focus on what matters most. **In simple terms:** Say no to less important things and choose good companions. Key Takeaway Protect your time and build a strong team. Themes prioritization team building focus Mood determined optimistic pragmatic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - startup founding - project planning - personal goal setting - team recruitment Key Concepts time management networking entrepreneurship Questions to Reflect On - What criteria do you use to evaluate potential collaborators? - How can you protect your schedule without burning out? A Different Perspective Finding trustworthy people can be costly and time‑consuming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Making time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-time/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [As all entrepreneurs will say, "surround yourself with good people". That is the hardest thing : finding good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/as-all-entrepreneurs-will-say-surround-yourself-with-good-people-that/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [More and more I'm finding that I'm reading history, I'm reading biography, I'm reading autobiography for a sense of people who've been able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-reading-history-i-m-reading/) [John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/) > [Real entrepreneurs do what they say they're going to do, wannabes ask about it and have tons and tons of coffee meetings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wong/real-entrepreneurs-do-what-they-say-they-re-going-to-do-wannabes-ask/) [Brian Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wong/) > [The thing that really sticks - and when you talk to entrepreneurs, they say the same - is just thinking about the next day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-patricia-botin/the-thing-that-really-sticks-and-when-you-talk-to-entrepreneurs-they/) [Ana Patricia Botin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-patricia-botin/) > [That's how we're going to stay innovative. We're going to continue to attract entrepreneurs who say, 'I found an idea, and I can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-mayer/that-s-how-we-re-going-to-stay-innovative-we-re-going-to-continue-to/) [Marissa Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-mayer/) > [If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/if-you-concentrate-on-finding-whatever-is-good-in-every-situation-you/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [When you choose to see the good in others, you end up finding the good in yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-choose-to-see-the-good-in-others-you-end-up-finding-the-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Finding a good band is Iike finding a good wife. You got to keep trying till you find the right one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-frehley/finding-a-good-band-is-iike-finding-a-good-wife-you-got-to-keep/) [Ace Frehley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-frehley/) > [“The ability to keep refocusing. Turning away from the bad, finding the good again. It’s there. And there’s always the temptation to let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inglath-cooper/the-ability-to-keep-refocusing-turning-away-from-the-bad-finding-the/) [Inglath Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inglath-cooper/) > [The easy part is training a horse; the hard part is finding a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-baffert/the-easy-part-is-training-a-horse-the-hard-part-is-finding-a-good-one/) [Bob Baffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-baffert/) > [“Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted – a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabbi-harold-kushner/can-you-see-the-holiness-in-those-things-you-take-for-granted-a-paved/) Rabbi Harold Kushner > [Things will go wrong or end up differently than you had imagined, and that's OK. Life isn't about being perfect. It's about being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-pullos/things-will-go-wrong-or-end-up-differently-than-you-had-imagined-and/) [Haley Pullos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-pullos/) > [“Reading, as it turned out, is the easy part. Finding a good book is the real challenge. It's a crapshoot. It's like trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-robinson/reading-as-it-turned-out-is-the-easy-part-finding-a-good-book-is-the/) Doug Robinson > [“Many switched into a field that didn’t initially interest them, but that they believed was important for the world. After developing their skills, finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-todd/many-switched-into-a-field-that-didn-t-initially-interest-them-but/) Benjamin Todd > [Finding good chilcare is a massive thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-bowman/finding-good-chilcare-is-a-massive-thing/) [Edith Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-bowman/) ## More by Ronnie Apteker > [Entrepreneurs need to be positive. Always. Entrepreneurs need to be brave, often. And lastly, entrepreneurs need to be obsessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/entrepreneurs-need-to-be-positive-always-entrepreneurs-need-to-be/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [When things go right (and they go right a lot - you just got to keep trying) there is nothing to really laugh about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/when-things-go-right-and-they-go-right-a-lot-you-just-got-to-keep/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [Entrepreneurs need to listen. They don't need to be good listeners (although it can only help) but they need to know when to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/entrepreneurs-need-to-listen-they-don-t-need-to-be-good-listeners/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [Business, like life, is funny. We all go through difficult times, and we all have to face curve balls and challenges, each and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/business-like-life-is-funny-we-all-go-through-difficult-times-and-we/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [Creating art (music, books, films, etc.) can be beautiful and liberating, but trying to sell art, well, that is the movie business. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/creating-art-music-books-films-etc-can-be-beautiful-and-liberating/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [An entrepreneur needs to have values. Values that are wholesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/an-entrepreneur-needs-to-have-values-values-that-are-wholesome/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [No one looks for pots of gold, it just happens. Sure, some people are born with an incredible financial ability, and some people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/no-one-looks-for-pots-of-gold-it-just-happens-sure-some-people-are/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [You follow a passion, a dream, a belief, a vision, and before you know it, you are an entrepreneur. Once though, when you start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/you-follow-a-passion-a-dream-a-belief-a-vision-and-before-you-know-it/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [I am a bit of a workaholic, and I am still not sure what a "weekend" is all about. I love what I do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/i-am-a-bit-of-a-workaholic-and-i-am-still-not-sure-what-a-weekend-is/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [You can't put passion and obsession into someone's employment contract - either you are or you aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/you-can-t-put-passion-and-obsession-into-someone-s-employment/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [Hire slowly and fire fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/hire-slowly-and-fire-fast/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [Business is full of pain and hardship and with that, laughter and release.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/business-is-full-of-pain-and-hardship-and-with-that-laughter-and/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [Today, where you come from seems less and less important, as globalization is the new order. I prefer the old world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/today-where-you-come-from-seems-less-and-less-important-as/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [The movie industry is brutal. It is dangerous. It is, for most, soul destroying. Creating art (music, books, films, etc.) can be beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/the-movie-industry-is-brutal-it-is-dangerous-it-is-for-most-soul/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [There are differences in the businesses themselves, but the fundamentals are the same: give customers a good experience, charge them a reasonable price, listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/there-are-differences-in-the-businesses-themselves-but-the/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) [Explore all 33 Ronnie Apteker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most obvious answer, that you can read in any leadership book is this - learn to say \"no\" so that you can make time for the important stuff, the stuff that is closest to your heart. 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