Pearls of Wisdom from How They Achieved

"Pride comes from knowing what you want to do and trying your best. You may not always get there, but you will be proud of the experience of trying your best. And if you really, really try and enjoy the process, nine times out of ten you will get there."--John Chen, President and CEO, Sybase

"Be the most passionate guy in the room. Not the smartest, not the cleverest, but the most passionate. Care more than anybody. You'll be the guy that wins."--Ted Bell, Vice Chairman and Worldwide Creative Director, Young & Rubicam

"People who are lucky enough to be in a position to choose their career should ask themselves, 'What interests me? What makes me really excited?' Then they should get going and never take no for an answer."--Susie Tompkins Buell, founder and former owner, Esprit Clothing

"People usually plan their vacations more carefully than they plan their careers. I'm a compulsive planner, but there were times when I had no idea what I was doing."--Bob Cohn, CEO, Octel and Lucent Technologies

"A lot of it is timing, but a lot of it is a desire to work hard and to contribute, to not be somebody sitting on the sidelines and commenting, but to be someone playing a part in what's happening. It's also having the courage to toss your ideas out even though eight out of ten of them will be shot down."--Jane Cahill Pfieffer, President, NBC, and former vice president, IBM