--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The foundation of management is very…" description: "\"“The foundation of management is very simple. Managers get paid for one thing and one thing only. They get paid to move numbers. Leaders are rewarded f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/steve-epner-101858_best-man_the-foundation-of-management-is-very-sim_2477582.jpg" --- # The foundation of management is very simple. Managers get… ![“The foundation of management is very simple. Managers get paid for one thing and one thing only. They get paid to move numbers. Leaders are rewarded for setting strategic directions that generate better-than-average returns. The best leaders find the right numbers to be moved, decide which…” quote by Steve Epner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/steve-epner-101858_best-man_the-foundation-of-management-is-very-sim_2477582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/steve-epner-101858_best-man_the-foundation-of-management-is-very-sim_2477582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/steve-epner-101858_best-man_the-foundation-of-management-is-very-sim_2477582.jpg) > ““The foundation of management is very simple. Managers get paid for one thing and one thing only. They get paid to move numbers. Leaders are rewarded for setting strategic directions that generate better-than-average returns. The best leaders find the right numbers to be moved, decide which direction to move the numbers, how far to move them, and how much to invest in moving them, and establish time frames in which to accomplish the goals. Then they hire the best managers to accomplish their vision.”” [Steve Epner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-epner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective leadership focuses on strategic direction and empowering managers, not just moving numbers **In simple terms:** Leaders set strategy, managers execute tasks Key Takeaway Align strategic vision with operational execution Themes Leadership Management Strategy Execution Mood strategic inspirational Type business philosophical When to use this quote - business - nonprofit - government Key Concepts Strategic management Organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance metrics with people? - What defines a great leader beyond results? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on numbers may neglect human factors ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) [Best Managers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-managers-686436/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Management Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management-simple-827009/) [Managers Accomplish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/managers-accomplish-827008/) [Managers Paid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/managers-paid-827011/) [Simple Managers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-managers-827010/) [Time frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-frame/) ## Related quotes > [Management is simple, innovation is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/management-is-simple-innovation-is-hard/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Sir Alex, one of the best managers of all time. After 26 years of success in the game, we all owe him a tribute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-kompany/sir-alex-one-of-the-best-managers-of-all-time-after-26-years-of/) [Vincent Kompany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-kompany/) > [While most managers spend their time attempting to predict the future accurately - and while that's valuable - the best managers are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-erhard/while-most-managers-spend-their-time-attempting-to-predict-the-future/) [Werner Erhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-erhard/) > [The best managers figure out how to get great outcomes by setting the appropriate context, rather than by trying to control their people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/the-best-managers-figure-out-how-to-get-great-outcomes-by-setting-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [I've played under some of the biggest and best managers and achieved almost everything in football. Of course it hurts when people question it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckham/i-ve-played-under-some-of-the-biggest-and-best-managers-and-achieved/) [David Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckham/) > [I tried making Messi the best player in the World, but he ended up making me one of the best managers in the World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/i-tried-making-messi-the-best-player-in-the-world-but-he-ended-up/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [The one thing I've known and I've learned from the best managers, it's to stay positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-martinez/the-one-thing-i-ve-known-and-i-ve-learned-from-the-best-managers-it-s/) [Dave Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-martinez/) > [Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers with whom I have worked. I had a chance not only to have him as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-eto-o/jose-mourinho-is-one-of-the-best-managers-with-whom-i-have-worked-i/) [Samuel Eto'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-eto-o/) > [Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/guardiola-is-one-of-the-best-managers-in-the-world/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the best managers in football history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/sir-alex-ferguson-is-one-of-the-best-managers-in-football-history/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Remember the Golden Rule? "Treat people as you would like to be treated." The best managers break the Golden Rule every day. They would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/remember-the-golden-rule-treat-people-as-you-would-like-to-be-treated/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [“I believe the best managers acknowledge and make room for what they do not know—not just because humility is a virtue but because until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/i-believe-the-best-managers-acknowledge-and-make-room-for-what-they/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [That whole thing about, 'Hey, ex-catchers are the best managers.' Listen, pitching coaches have some brains, too. Sometimes they're not all there, but sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cooper/that-whole-thing-about-hey-ex-catchers-are-the-best-managers-listen/) [Don Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cooper/) > [It's always a nice thought to be coming against the best managers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughton/it-s-always-a-nice-thought-to-be-coming-against-the-best-managers/) [Chris Hughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughton/) > [We're all flawed, but basically, effective managers are people whose flaws are not fatal under the circumstances. Maybe the best managers are simply ordinary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/we-re-all-flawed-but-basically-effective-managers-are-people-whose/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) ## More by Steve Epner > [“Since starting my consulting firm in 1976, I have learned that there are two key questions that can unlock the knowledge that is waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-epner/since-starting-my-consulting-firm-in-1976-i-have-learned-that-there/) [Steve Epner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-epner/) [Explore all 2 Steve Epner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-epner/) ## More Best man quotes > [“Instantly, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling, but my buddy JD - my best man, whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-bishop/instantly-i-was-overwhelmed-with-gratitude-i-didn-t-know-exactly-what/) [Bryan Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-bishop/) > [Social control is best managed through fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/social-control-is-best-managed-through-fear/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > ['Tempting the Best Man' centers around Madison Daniels, who's had a major crush on her brother's best friend since she was a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-armentrout/tempting-the-best-man-centers-around-madison-daniels-who-s-had-a/) [Jennifer Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-armentrout/) > [In this coming year, I will seek knowledge from those wiser than me and try to teach those who wish to learn from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-allman/in-this-coming-year-i-will-seek-knowledge-from-those-wiser-than-me/) [Duane Allman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-allman/) > [“The best man. You know? He hands you the ring and has to marry the bride if you ran away and so on. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-best-man-you-know-he-hands-you-the-ring-and-has-to-marry-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [For me it's really tough because you have to go to that place where you really, really don't want to go to or revisit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-chestnut/for-me-it-s-really-tough-because-you-have-to-go-to-that-place-where/) [Morris Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-chestnut/) > [“Thank you. Thank you for raising my best friend. For raising the best man I have ever met.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/thank-you-thank-you-for-raising-my-best-friend-for-raising-the-best/) [Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/) > [Well, that’s just a little hard, since I can’t even talk her into sparing your life, huh? You haven’t exactly endeared yourself to her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/well-that-s-just-a-little-hard-since-i-can-t-even-talk-her-into/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [My mother is the best not because she cooks great or wash my clothes well… she is the BEST because she gave birth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mharwhyn/my-mother-is-the-best-not-because-she-cooks-great-or-wash-my-clothes/) [MHARWHYN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mharwhyn/) > [“But destiny will be accomplished, and the best man will hold his ground while the undeserving one will vanish into his back-alley for ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/but-destiny-will-be-accomplished-and-the-best-man-will-hold-his/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Joss Whedon is the best man on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/joss-whedon-is-the-best-man-on-the-planet/) [Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/) > [“Gillette--The best a man can get." I stared at the screen. What happened to me? I was meant to be one of those guys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/gillette-the-best-a-man-can-get-i-stared-at-the-screen-what-happened/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [As a boy I heard this story in church. A man was patching a pitched roof of a tall building when he began sliding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/as-a-boy-i-heard-this-story-in-church-a-man-was-patching-a-pitched/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [It's time for male leaders to not only ask for binders of qualified women, but to re-write the definition of 'qualified.' The best man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/it-s-time-for-male-leaders-to-not-only-ask-for-binders-of-qualified/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Sir Alex, one of the best managers of all time. After 26 years of success in the game, we all owe him a tribute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-kompany/sir-alex-one-of-the-best-managers-of-all-time-after-26-years-of/) [Vincent Kompany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-kompany/) [Browse all 304 Best man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The foundation of management is very simple. Managers get paid for one thing and one thing only. They get paid to move numbers. Leaders are rewarded for setting strategic directions that generate better-than-average returns. The best leaders find the right numbers to be moved, decide which direction to move the numbers, how far to move them, and how much to invest in moving them, and establish time frames in which to accomplish the goals. 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