“The man in charge must concern himself with details.”

—  Hyman George Rickover

The Rickover Effect (1992)
Context: The man in charge must concern himself with details. If he does not consider them important, neither will his subordinates. Yet “the devil is in the details.” It is hard and monotonous to pay attention to seemingly minor matters. In my work, I probably spend about ninety-nine percent of my time on what others may call petty details. Most managers would rather focus on lofty policy matters. But when the details are ignored, the project fails. No infusion of policy or lofty ideals can then correct the situation.

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Hyman George Rickover 52
United States admiral 1900–1986

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