--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was the chief executive once, I've been…" description: "\"I was the chief executive once, I've been there. My recommendation to anybody is don't go backwards.\" — Stuart Rose" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15f/stuart-rose-20308_backwards_i-was-the-chief-executive-once-i-ve-been_1010434.jpg" --- # I was the chief executive once, I've been there. My… ![“I was the chief executive once, I've been there. My recommendation to anybody is don't go backwards.” quote by Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15f/stuart-rose-20308_backwards_i-was-the-chief-executive-once-i-ve-been_1010434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15f/stuart-rose-20308_backwards_i-was-the-chief-executive-once-i-ve-been_1010434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15f/stuart-rose-20308_backwards_i-was-the-chief-executive-once-i-ve-been_1010434.jpg) > “I was the chief executive once, I've been there. My recommendation to anybody is don't go backwards.” [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Progress demands forward motion; regressing undoes gains. **In simple terms:** Keep moving forward, avoid backsliding. Key Takeaway Never retreat, keep advancing. Themes leadership growth resilience Mood determined optimistic Type motivational leadership When to use this quote - career transitions - company restructuring - personal goal setting Key Concepts strategic planning career development Questions to Reflect On - What does “going backwards” mean for you? - How can you measure forward progress? A Different Perspective Sometimes moving forward requires acknowledging past mistakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) [Chief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chief/) [Chief executive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chief-executive/) [Chief executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chief-executives/) [Chiefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefs/) [Executive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executive/) [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Recommendation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recommendation/) [Recommendations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recommendations/) ## Related quotes > [The mayor of New York is the chief executive of the city. It is a complex organization and it requires the requisite skills to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lhota/the-mayor-of-new-york-is-the-chief-executive-of-the-city-it-is-a/) [Joe Lhota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lhota/) > [A tremendous chief executive in a small market will never be great. All great companies start with great markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/a-tremendous-chief-executive-in-a-small-market-will-never-be-great/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [I was the editor of the 'News of the World;' I was the editor of the 'Sun' and chief executive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebekah-brooks/i-was-the-editor-of-the-news-of-the-world-i-was-the-editor-of-the-sun/) [Rebekah Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebekah-brooks/) > [The hardest thing for a chief executive to do is to tell someone that they don't have a job anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/the-hardest-thing-for-a-chief-executive-to-do-is-to-tell-someone-that/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [At the heart of any good business is a chief executive officer with one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/at-the-heart-of-any-good-business-is-a-chief-executive-officer-with/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [An inadequate chief executive officer's time at the top is always too long no matter how short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/an-inadequate-chief-executive-officer-s-time-at-the-top-is-always-too/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Show me a chief executive who’s on five boards and who lends his or her name, prestige and time to 15 community activities —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-dunlap/show-me-a-chief-executive-who-s-on-five-boards-and-who-lends-his-or/) [Albert J. Dunlap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-dunlap/) > [Whatever the political affiliation of our next President, whatever his views may be on all the issues and problems that rush in upon us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/whatever-the-political-affiliation-of-our-next-president-whatever-his/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [When a company seeks a new chief executive officer, or a university a new vice-chancellor, enormous trouble is taken to find the best person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/when-a-company-seeks-a-new-chief-executive-officer-or-a-university-a/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Some scholars argue that although the brain might contain neural subsystems, or modules, specialized for tasks like recognizing faces and understanding language, it also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/some-scholars-argue-that-although-the-brain-might-contain-neural/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [You hire a chief executive, pay him, and hold him accountable after a year or two. The time for so-called honorary jobs is over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jahangir-khan/you-hire-a-chief-executive-pay-him-and-hold-him-accountable-after-a/) [Jahangir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jahangir-khan/) > [And obviously, with hindsight now, now knowing what went on in the company, it would have been absolutely appropriate back then for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-a-watson/and-obviously-with-hindsight-now-now-knowing-what-went-on-in-the/) [Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-a-watson/) > [In the fall of the year 2000, there just happened to be a decision point when they asked me to become Chief Executive Officer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-skilling/in-the-fall-of-the-year-2000-there-just-happened-to-be-a-decision/) [Jeffrey Skilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-skilling/) > [The governor is Virginia's chief executive and represents the commonwealth at all times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/the-governor-is-virginia-s-chief-executive-and-represents-the/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [William Henry Harrison, who died of pneumonia in April of 1841, after only one month in office, was the first Chief Executive to hide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/william-henry-harrison-who-died-of-pneumonia-in-april-of-1841-after/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) ## More by Stuart Rose > [I believe in a uniform for work, but why, because we're men, do we have to be ghettoised into grey suits?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/i-believe-in-a-uniform-for-work-but-why-because-we-re-men-do-we-have/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [When I got married in my twenties, I had a happy marriage and happy kids but at some point in time I let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/when-i-got-married-in-my-twenties-i-had-a-happy-marriage-and-happy/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [I want to please every woman, every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/i-want-to-please-every-woman-every-time/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [I'd go mad if I didn't have things to make me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/i-d-go-mad-if-i-didn-t-have-things-to-make-me-laugh/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [As retail goes through a fundamental shift into the digital world, I believe Ocado's model and the high standards of customer service it provides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/as-retail-goes-through-a-fundamental-shift-into-the-digital-world-i/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [I have always been an advocate and was, in my last job at M&S, a supporter of the Al Gore dictum that a sustainable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/i-have-always-been-an-advocate-and-was-in-my-last-job-at-m-s-a/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [When my mother died, my father was in a crisis, my sister was in a crisis, everyone was in a crisis. I went round…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/when-my-mother-died-my-father-was-in-a-crisis-my-sister-was-in-a/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [Our world is moving at an ever-accelerating pace, and with the advent of social media, what happens in New York now can be reported…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/our-world-is-moving-at-an-ever-accelerating-pace-and-with-the-advent/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [Most employees want to be involved in a successful business and most employees are happy for people running successful businesses to be paid a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/most-employees-want-to-be-involved-in-a-successful-business-and-most/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [We live in a world where there are a hell of a lot of new inputs that need to be factored in to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/we-live-in-a-world-where-there-are-a-hell-of-a-lot-of-new-inputs-that/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [I've been an employee all my life. Would I wish, if I could rewind it, to have gone down a different route? Possibly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/i-ve-been-an-employee-all-my-life-would-i-wish-if-i-could-rewind-it/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [I actually think the whole concept of retirement is a bit stupid, so yes, I do want to do something else. There is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/i-actually-think-the-whole-concept-of-retirement-is-a-bit-stupid-so/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [Customers want good value, but they care more than ever how food and clothing products are made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/customers-want-good-value-but-they-care-more-than-ever-how-food-and/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [We believe responsible business can be profitable business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/we-believe-responsible-business-can-be-profitable-business/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [If you wait for customers to tell you that you need to do something, you're too late. Good business leaders should be half a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/if-you-wait-for-customers-to-tell-you-that-you-need-to-do-something/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) [Explore all 31 Stuart Rose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) ## More Backwards quotes > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I wear T-shirts and backwards hats and buy my shoes at Payless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/i-wear-t-shirts-and-backwards-hats-and-buy-my-shoes-at-payless/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Why don't you just imagine it never happened..??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/effy-stonem/why-don-t-you-just-imagine-it-never-happened/) [Effy Stonem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/effy-stonem/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) > [In the spiritual life, he who does not advance goes backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/in-the-spiritual-life-he-who-does-not-advance-goes-backwards/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [Now, success is not the result of making money; making money is the result of success - and success is in direct proportion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/now-success-is-not-the-result-of-making-money-making-money-is-the/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Can anyone be so foolish as to believe that there are men whose feet are higher than their heads, or places where things may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lactantius/can-anyone-be-so-foolish-as-to-believe-that-there-are-men-whose-feet/) [Lactantius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lactantius/) > [I took a little break - I was coming back to work and the last thing I was going to do was take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-took-a-little-break-i-was-coming-back-to-work-and-the-last-thing-i/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Only a fool walks into the future backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/only-a-fool-walks-into-the-future-backwards/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [We have different expectations for different groups of people. We tend to modulate the degree with which we're forgiving or punitive depending on how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/we-have-different-expectations-for-different-groups-of-people-we-tend/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [You know what, if you play 'She Looks So Perfect' backwards... you just listen to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-hemmings/you-know-what-if-you-play-she-looks-so-perfect-backwards-you-just/) [Luke Hemmings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-hemmings/) > [Nursing is a progressive art such that to stand still is to go backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/nursing-is-a-progressive-art-such-that-to-stand-still-is-to-go/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [“Just like backing out of the driveway… If the driveway was ten miles long, full of rocks and pits, with lethal radiation hovering above,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-thorman/just-like-backing-out-of-the-driveway-if-the-driveway-was-ten-miles/) [Daniel Thorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-thorman/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) [Browse all 837 Backwards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was the chief executive once, I've been there. 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