Leonardo Del Vecchio quotes: Italian eyewear billionaire on using fear as fuel, integrity, having the courage to make tough decisions, why he won’t let his kids work for his company, and more.
“It’s not dangerous to decide and get it wrong, but I do believe that it can be fatal for any company not to have the courage to make decisions.”
“You can never make the same mistake twice… because the second time it’s not a mistake… it’s a choice.”
“From less than humble beginnings, I insisted on working hard. And my driving factor has always been fear.”
“Not fear of being poor, but fear of having to depend on other people for survival. Fear of having to rely on others to take care of me.”
“It’s a fear that no longer plagues me, but one that you can relate to.”
“We all have that thing. That one fear that either pushes us or causes us to retreat.”
“What’s your fear? What’s the one thing you are so scared of that it is pushing you to greatness?”
“Maybe being afraid to not succeed is a fear you need to feel.”
“We at Luxottica know how to make the frames, we know how to make them beautiful, we can call them Ray-Ban, or Oakley, we can put the names of our brands, we can make them light and of quality, but in order to do that Google needs to make a step forward to broaden the technology’s appeal.”
“My only regret is when I see someone on the street wearing glasses that we didn’t make… because I want our glasses to be on everyone’s face. More than 56 years later, I came close to making that dream happen, when my company merged with France’s multinational company, Essilor. Together we formed the world’s largest producer and retailer of sunglasses and prescription glasses.”
“In the last two years I have worked hard together with my managers, sometimes taking daring choices, to prepare the company to seize opportunities.”
“Finally, after 50 years, two products which are naturally complementary, namely frames and lenses, will be designed, manufactured and distributed under the same roof. With this agreement my dream to create a major global player in the eyewear industry, fully integrated and excellent in all its parts, comes finally true.”
“I have never considered involving my children or even my grandchildren in the management of Luxottica. Your kids will always be your kids. You can fire an executive, but not one of your children.”
“Work always came before everything. If I’d started selling fruit, I’d be passionate about fruit.”
“One thing that hasn’t changed in my years of doing business – I’m always doing and saying what I really think, acting with clarity and transparency.”
“I prefer to match words with deeds or let the facts speak for me. I try to be what I really am and not what people would like me to be. There is a certain peace that comes with that. My reputation is truly my own.”
“The time is ripe and our competitors are evolving. When you work in the market you keep an eye on what everyone else is doing.”
“A dream come true. The group will be stronger. This operation was the only way to remain competitive. We need to abandon the fears that stop Italian companies from facing new challenges. It’s dangerous not to have the courage to make decisions.”
“I am proof that you can make money in Italy and be honest.”
“I don’t like paying taxes, but I like sleeping at night.”
“When I started out as a contractor, I never thought I would come this far.”
“Where there is love there is life.”
“The values of life are most important.”
Next: Charles Koch quotes.
