View source for Notable quotes about employees

The modern enterprise is defined not by its capital or infrastructure, but by the collective energy and alignment of its workforce. Navigating the delicate balance between management and inspiration, the world’s most successful leaders recognize that organizational excellence is an internal achievement before it is an external victory. This collection serves as a definitive resource on the strategy and philosophy of human capital, exploring how the evolving relationship between the organization and the individual shapes the trajectory of global commerce.

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== Framing the employee as a strategic partner ==

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  | text = It is not usual to speak of an employee as a partner, and yet what else is he?<ref>{{cite book |last=Ford |first=Henry |title=My Life and Work |year=1922}}</ref>
  | author = {{Henry Ford/attribution}}
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  | text = In my organizations I don't have employees; I have teammates. Yes, I do pay people and offer them benefits. But people don't work for me. They work with me. We are working together to fulfill the vision. Without them, I cannot succeed. Without me, they cannot succeed. We're a team. We reach our goals together. We need each other. If we didn't, then one of us is in the wrong place.<ref>{{cite book |last=Maxwell |first=John C. |title=If It's Lonely at the Top, You're Not Doing Something Right: Lesson 1 from Leadership Gold |publisher=Harper Collins |year=2012}}</ref>
  | author = {{John C. Maxwell/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text    = Treat employees like partners, and they act like partners. <ref>{{cite book |title=The 1994 Quality Yearbook |editor-last=Woods |editor-first=John A. |editor2-last=Cortada |editor2-first=James W. |year=1994 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |quote="Treat employees like partners, and they act like partners." —Fred Allen (former chairman, Pitney Bowes)}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Fred Allen/attribution}}  
  }}  
}}

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  | text = You'll attract the employees you need if you can explain why your mission is compelling: not why it's important in general, but why you're doing something important that no one else is going to get done.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thiel |first=Peter |title=Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future |publisher=Random House |year=2014}}</ref>
  | author = {{Peter Thiel/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text    = No company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it. <ref>{{cite news |last=Dornbrook |first=James |title=Three questions with former GE CEO Jack Welch |work=Kansas City Business Journal |date=April 30, 2015 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2015/04/30/jack-welch-leadership-analytics-advice.html |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Jack Welch/attribution}}  
  }}  
}}

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  | text    = A great employee is like a four leaf clover, hard to find & lucky to have. <ref>{{cite web |title=Top Four Qualities Of Outstanding Employees |website=Idea Girl Media |date=June 26, 2019 |url=https://ideagirlmedia.com/business-growth/outstanding-employees/ |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Tammy Cohen/attribution}}  
  }}  
}}

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  | text    = Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people. <ref>{{cite news |title=Steve Jobs Offered Rare Insights During ‘60 Minutes’ Interview |work=CBS News (San Francisco) |date=October 6, 2011 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/steve-jobs-offered-rare-insights-during-60-minutes-interview/ |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Steve Jobs/attribution}}  
  }}  
}}

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  | text = Great companies connect to the heartstrings of their employees to make their purposes known.<ref>{{cite book |last=Yaeger |first=Don |title=Great Teams: 16 Things High Performing Organizations Do Differently |publisher=HarperCollins Christian Publishing |year=2016}}</ref>
  | author = {{Don Yaeger/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text    = If you are lucky enough to be someone's employer, then you have a moral obligation to make sure people do look forward to coming to work in the morning. <ref>{{cite web |last=Seaton |first=Kathy |title=Why “Fitting In” is More Important than Ever. |website=CareerZOT Blog, UCI Division of Continuing Education |url=https://ce.uci.edu/news/careerzot/why-fitting-in%E2%80%9D-is-more-important-than-ever |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{John Mackey/attribution}}  
  }}
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  | text = The job of the gifted boss is to create a magnetic environment, one capable of attracting great employees — the kind who don't need management, who lift up their coworkers and even their boss.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dauten |first=Dale |title=The Gifted Boss Revised Edition: How to Find, Create and Keep Great Employees |year=1999}}</ref>
  | author = {{Dale Dauten/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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== Empowerment and the architecture of leadership ==

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  | text = Leaders need to provide strategy and direction and to give employees tools that enable them to gather information and insight from around the world. Leaders shouldn't try to make every decision.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gates |first=Bill |title=Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |year=2009}}</ref>
  | author = {{Bill Gates/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text = Simply giving employees a sense of agency- a feeling that they are in control, that they have genuine decision-making authority - can radically increase how much energy and focus they bring to their jobs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Duhigg |first=Charles |title=The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business |publisher=Random House |year=2012}}</ref>
  | author = {{Charles Duhigg/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = The great organization must not only accommodate the fact that each employee is different, it must capitalize on these differences. It must watch for clues to each employee's natural talents and then position and develop each employee so that his or her talents are transformed into bona fide strengths.<ref>{{cite book |last=Buckingham |first=Marcus |title=Now, Discover Your Strengths |year=2001 |page=5}}</ref>
  | author = {{Marcus Buckingham/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text = I think when people say they dread going into work on Monday morning, it's because they know they are leaving a piece of themselves at home. Why not see what happens when you challenge your employees to bring all of their talents to their job and reward them not for doing it just like everyone else, but for pushing the envelope, being adventurous, creative, and open-minded, and trying new things?<ref>{{cite book |last=Hsieh |first=Tony |title=Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |year=2010}}</ref>
  | author = {{Tony Hsieh/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = Your job is not to lower the bottom by adjusting for and accommodating the lowest-performing employees. You should be raising the top by recognizing and rewarding superstar behavior.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cottrell |first=David |title=Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can't Afford to Miss |publisher=CornerStone Leadership Inst |year=2002}}</ref>
  | author = {{David Cottrell/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text = Great employees don't have jobs, they have talents.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dauten |first=Dale |title=The Gifted Boss Revised Edition: How to Find, Create and Keep Great Employees |year=1999}}</ref>
  | author = {{Dale Dauten/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text = Once employees feel challenged, invigorated and productive, their efforts will naturally translate into profit and growth for the organisation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Semler |first=Ricardo |title=The Seven-Day Weekend: Changing the Way Work Works |publisher=Penguin |year=2004}}</ref>
  | author = {{Ricardo Semler/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text    = Getting every employee’s mind into the game is a huge part of what a CEO’s job is all about. Taking everyone’s best ideas and transferring them to others is the secret. There’s nothing more important. <ref>{{cite book |last=Welch |first=Jack |title=Winning |year=2005 |publisher=HarperCollins}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Jack Welch/attribution}}  
  }}  
}}

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  | text = Employees want to believe their company has a meaningful purpose. They want to know that their own job is worthwhile. They want to make a difference. If all three of these conditions are accomplished, bottom line results will follow.<ref>{{cite book |last=Studer |first=Quint |title=Results That Last: Hardwiring Behaviors That Will Take Your Company to the Top |year=2010}}</ref>
  | author = {{Quint Studer/attribution}}
  }}
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== Cultivating growth through appreciation and trust ==

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  | text = We nourish the bodies of our children and friends and employees, but how seldom do we nourish their selfesteem? We provide them with roast beef and potatoes to build energy, but we neglect to give them kind words of appreciation that would sing in their memories for years like the music of the morning stars.<ref>{{cite book |last=Carnegie |first=Dale |title=How To Enjoy Your Life And Your Job |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2010}}</ref>
  | author = {{Dale Carnegie/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text    = I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement. <ref>{{cite book |last=Carnegie |first=Dale |title=How to Win Friends and Influence People |year=1936 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |chapter=Part 1, chapter 2}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Charles Schwab/attribution}}  
  }}  
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  | text = In all forms of leadership, whether you are a coach, a CEO, or a parent, there are four words that, when said, can bring out the best in your team, your employees, and your family. I BELIEVE IN YOU. Those four words can mean the difference between a fear of failure and the courage to try.<ref>{{cite book |last=Krzyzewski |first=Mike |title=Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords for Success |publisher=Business Plus |year=2006}}</ref>
  | author = {{Mike Krzyzewski/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = If you look for the best in your employees, they'll flourish. If you criticize or look for the worst, they'll shrivel up. We all need lots of watering.<ref>{{cite book |last=Branson |first=Richard |title=Screw It, Let's Do It: Lessons in Life and Business |publisher=Random House |year=2011}}</ref>
  | author = {{Richard Branson/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text    = It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. <ref>{{cite book |last=Hill |first=Napoleon |title=Think and Grow Rich |year=1937 |publisher=The Ralston Society}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Napoleon Hill/attribution}}  
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  | text    = You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself. <ref>{{cite book |last=Firestone |first=Harvey S. |title=Men and Rubber: The Story of Business |year=1926 |publisher=Doubleday, Page & Co.}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Harvey S. Firestone/attribution}}  
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  | text = If you are a parent, you have probably already realized that your children are always watching what you do. And just as children watch their parents and emulate their behavior, so do employees who are watching their bosses.<ref>{{cite book |last=Maxwell |first=John C. |title=The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You |publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc |year=2007}}</ref>
  | author = {{John C. Maxwell/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text    = Treat employees like they make a difference, and they will. <ref>{{cite news |last=Press |first=Gil |title=The Ultimate Entrepreneur: Jim Goodnight, SAS |work=Forbes |date=June 29, 2016 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/gilpress/2016/06/29/the-ultimate-entrepreneur-jim-goodnight-sas/ |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Jim Goodnight/attribution}}  
  }}  
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  | text = You educate people, especially young people, by stirring their passions, so you take every opportunity to grab the imagination of your employees, you get them to feel they are doing something important, that they are not a lone voice, that they are the most powerful and potent people on the planet.<ref>{{cite book |last=Roddick |first=Anita |title=Body and soul: profits with principles, the amazing success story of Anita Roddick & the Body Shop |publisher=Three Rivers Press |year=1994}}</ref>
  | author = {{Anita Roddick/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text    = Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company. <ref>{{cite book |last=Ziglar |first=Zig |title=Top Performance |year=1986 |publisher=Fleming H. Revell}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Zig Ziglar/attribution}}  
  }}  
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== Linking workplace culture to marketplace success ==

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  | text    = Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first. <ref>{{cite book |last=Sinek |first=Simon |title=Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t |year=2014 |publisher=Portfolio}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Simon Sinek/attribution}}  
  }}  
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  | text = Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Covey |first=Stephen |title=Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=1994}}</ref>
  | author = {{Stephen Covey/attribution}}
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  | text    = If you take care of your employees they will take care of your customers and your business will take care of itself. <ref>{{cite book |last=Marriott |first=J. Willard (Bill) |title=The Spirit to Serve: Marriott’s Way |year=1997 |publisher=HarperCollins}}</ref>  
  | author = {{J W Marriott/attribution}}  
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  | text    = When employees are happy, they are your very best ambassadors. <ref>{{cite magazine |last=Busse |first=Shawn |title=An Open Invitation to Be “B” |magazine=Octane (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) |date=April 28, 2017 |url=https://eonetwork.org/blog/open-invitation-b/ |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{James Sinegal/attribution}}  
  }}  
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  | text    = Happy employees build great products, and they take care of customers. <ref>{{cite news |last=Evangelista |first=Benny |title=Visionary of the Year nominee Aneel Bhusri, Workday CEO |work=SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle) |date=February 26, 2015 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/visionsf/article/Visionary-of-the-Year-nominee-Aneel-Bhusri-6095423.php |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Aneel Bhusri/attribution}}  
  }}  
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  | text    = Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability. <ref>{{cite web |last=Muller |first=Joann |title=Xerox’s Former CEO on Why Authenticity Is the Best Business Strategy |website=Forbes |date=February 9, 2018 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2018/02/09/xeroxs-former-ceo-on-why-authenticity-is-the-best-business-strategy/ |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Anne M. Mulcahy/attribution}}  
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  | text    = In order to build a rewarding employee experience, you need to understand what matters most to your people. <ref>{{cite web |title=Inspiring Employee Experience Quotes from 21 Industry Experts |website=Semos Cloud |date=July 15, 2020 |url=https://semoscloud.com/blog/inspiring-employee-experience-quotes/ |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Julie Bevacqua/attribution}}  
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  | text = The way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers<ref>{{cite book |last=Branson |first=Richard |title=Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur |publisher=Penguin |year=2011}}</ref>
  | author = {{Richard Branson/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = Customers long to interact with - even relate to - employees who act like there is still a light on inside.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bell |first=Chip R. |title=Customer Loyalty Guaranteed: Create, Lead, and Sustain Remarkable Customer Service |publisher=Adams Media |year=2007}}</ref>
  | author = {{Chip R. Bell/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text    = To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace. <ref>{{cite web |last=Grossman |first=David |title=10 Inspiring Quotes from Successful CEOs to Help You Win at Employee Engagement |website=The Grossman Group Blog |date=October 23, 2019 |url=https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/10-inspiring-quotes-from-successful-ceos-to-help-you-win-at-employee-engagement |access-date=December 25, 2025}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Doug Conant/attribution}}  
  }}  
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== Navigating the complexities of organizational dynamics ==

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  | text = The difference between slaves in Roman and Ottoman days and today's employees is that slaves did not need to flatter their boss.<ref>{{cite book |last=Taleb |first=Nassim Nicholas |title=The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms |year=2010 |page=26}}</ref>
  | author = {{Nassim Nicholas Taleb/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = Employees are not your family, or even your friends. Don't drag personal emotions or relationships into the business situation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wesman |first=Jane |title=Dive Right in: The Sharks Won't Bite : the Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Success |publisher=Dearborn Trade Pub |year=1995}}</ref>
  | author = {{Jane Wesman/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = Never expect the employees to be truly honest in front of their boss.<ref>{{cite book |last=Moran |first=Richard |title=Nuts, Bolts, and Jolts: Fundamental Business and Life Lessons You Must Know |year=2006}}</ref>
  | author = {{Richard Moran/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = Silicon Valley's success comes from the way its companies build alliances with their employees.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hoffman |first=Reid |title=The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age |publisher=Harvard Business Review Press |year=2014}}</ref>
  | author = {{Reid Hoffman/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = The concept of lifetime employment arose when Japanese managers and employees both realized that they had much in common and that they had to make some long-range plans.<ref>{{cite book |last=Morita |first=Akio |title=Made in Japan |year=1986 |page=137}}</ref>
  | author = {{Akio Morita/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text = In Japan, employees occasionally work themselves to death. It's called Karoshi. I don't want that to happen to anybody in my department. The trick is to take a break as soon as you see a bright light and hear dead relatives beckon.<ref>{{cite book |last=Adams |first=Scott |title=The Dilbert principle |year=1996}}</ref>
  | author = {{Scott Adams/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = And in business, you behave in the way that gets the best from your managers and your employees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Warren Buffett Archive |url=https://archive.is/o4keX |author=Warren Buffett |website=Archive.is}}</ref>
  | author = Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway {{Warren Buffett/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text    = If you fulfill the wishes of your employees, the employees will fulfill your visions. <ref>{{cite book |last=Kalantri |first=Amit |title=Wealth of Words |year=2016 |publisher=CreateSpace}}</ref>  
  | author = {{Amit Kalantri/attribution}}  
  }}  
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  | text = Strategically, a major function of the CEO is to look for bad news and encourage the organization to respond to it. Employees must be encouraged to share bad news as much as good news.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gates |first=Bill |title=Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |year=2009}}</ref>
  | author = Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft {{Bill Gates/attribution}}
  }}
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  | text = The resentment that criticism engenders can demoralize employees, family members and friends, and still not correct the situation that has been condemned.<ref>{{cite book |last=Carnegie |first=Dale |title=How To Enjoy Your Life And Your Job |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2010}}</ref>
  | author = {{Dale Carnegie/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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  | text = I like business because It demands faith. Faith in human nature, faith in one's self, faith in one's customers, faith in one's employees.<ref>{{cite news |title=Business and Faith |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times |date=21 July 1927 |author=William Feather}}</ref>
  | author = {{William Feather/attribution}}
  }}
}}

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