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I don’t understand airplanes and how they fly. That probably sounds unusual coming from an executive who used to run an airline. But I’m amazed whenever I see one of United’s 747 taking off. How could that much weight possibly get so gracefully into the sky? I have always believed it is important for an executive to understand how much she doesn’t know. It’s arrogant to think you know everything and even a little dangerous. It’s better to recognise what you need to learn.

Excerpted from Pg 1 of ‘Lessons from the heartland of American Business’ by Gerald Greenwald