Akio Morita Quotes

I believe one of the reasons we went through such a remarkable growth period was that we had this atmosphere of free discussion.

Akio Morita

When I say to my assistants, ‘Never trust anyone’, I want them to understand that they shouldn’t expect someone else to do a job exactly like they wanted it done, so you shouldn’t get someone else to realize your own wishes.

Akio Morita

Sir, if you and I had the same opinions about the same subjects, it would be useless for both of us to remain with the same company and both receive a salary. If that were the case, one of us should resign. It is precisely because our opinions differ that the company runs less risk of making mistakes.

Akio Morita

The importance of accorded employees must be sincere, sometimes courageous, even reckless, with no hesitation to take risks. But in time – and time is very important – whatever your capacities are, whatever your successes, your shrewdness, your dexterity, the future of your business is in the hands of the people you have hired.

Akio Morita

I don’t like managing personnel to think they belong to some kind of special species favoured by the gods, in charge of guiding stupid people towards a kind of miraculous revelation which will confirm certain peculiarities in the business world.

Akio Morita

At school, if you pass the exam and get twenty out of twenty, that’s perfect. But if you forget one word on you paper, you get zero. In the business world, you have exams every day. You don’t get a twenty, but millions of points, or sometimes only ten. But if you make a mistake, it’s not a zero you get. A mistake always means a minus something.

Akio Morita

I stopped counting my voyages across the Pacific long ago, but not because it’s as tiring as you may think. You see, in a plane I sleep marvellously well. I just have to wrap myself in a blanket, and I rest better than in any hotel room. People ask for my secret. Well, I carry a box of sushi with me – and I drink a small bottle of saki. Then I pull the blanket around me, after asking the stewardess not to wake me up for the meals or drinks, and especially not for the films. Then I fall into a deep sleep…

Akio Morita

Machines and computers cannot be creative in themselves, because creativity requires something more than the processing of existing information. It requires human thought, spontaneous intuition and a lot of courage.

Akio Morita