“His Biographer remarked: Of course, ‘Sir, you believe in excellence.' JRD Tata) retorted sharply, 'Not excellence. Perfection. You aim for perfection, you will attain excellence. If you aim for excellence, you will go lower.”

“Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

Vince Lombardi (1913–1970) American football player, coach, and executive

“I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business.”

Michael J. Fox (1961) Canadian-American actor

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”

Colin Powell (1937) Former U.S. Secretary of State and retired four-star general

“If you want enemies, excel your friends; but if you want friends, let your friends excel you.”

Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People

“Excellence does not require perfection.”

Henry James (1843–1916) American novelist, short story author, and literary critic

“The only thing that separates any one of us from excellence is fear and the opposite of fear is faith. I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for, perfection is God’s business.”

Michael J. Fox (1961) Canadian-American actor

“I don’t expect perfection, I expect excellence.” I expect 100 percent effort in all you do.”

Steven D. Levitt (1967) American economist

“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less than excellent work.”

Tom Watson (1874–1956) American businessman

“Education to perfect gentlemanship, to human excellence, liberal education consists in reminding oneself of human excellence, of human greatness.”

Leo Strauss (1899–1973) Classical philosophy specialist and father of neoconservativism