Thomas Watson Sr. seemed to never tire of reiterating for his employees the most important activity for success. A THINK-themed quote from Watson contemporary and Columbia University president Nicholas Butler was a favorite of Watson’s, and one that he often repeated. A sampling of his other no-nonsense THINK directives, spanning decades, appears below.
“All the problems of the world could be settled easily, if men were only willing to think.”
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
President, Columbia University, 1902 - 1945
Think magazine
January 1937“Thought has been the father of every advance since time began. ‘I didn’t think’ has cost the world millions of dollars.”
Thomas J. Watson Sr.
IBM founder
National Cash Register Co. sales meeting,
1911“The trouble with every one of us is that we don’t THINK enough. We don’t get paid for working with our feet—we get paid for working with our heads. Feet can never compete with brains.”
Thomas J. Watson Sr.
IBM founder
Think magazine
June 1935“In short, the first duty of every man or woman in any executive position is to follow the motto of this business: THINK.”
Thomas J. Watson Sr.
IBM founder
Memo from Thomas Watson Sr. to his management team
1920“The man who really thinks, invariably thinks straight. His is the orderly, analytical, constructive process of thinking, and the inevitable result of such thinking is not only greater understanding and a keener, truer perspective, but also a spiritual accomplishment which makes for higher principles and finer character.”
Thomas J. Watson Sr.
IBM founder
“The Thinking Man,” The Will to Think: A Treasury of Ideas and Ideals from the Pages of THINK
1957