Grab Authority or Lose It

“''Do it anyway/' Tex would tell him, as he was often to tell others, "and Til straighten it out later." A newly assigned captain sought the counsel of Edward K. Dunn, another gray-haired ex-Baltimore banker whom Tex had recruited. The captain was worried whether or not Thornton had given him sufficient authority to carry out his directive. "You might as well learn now as later," Dunn told him, "that Tex doesn't yield authority generously to guys who aren't strong enough to grab it."”

“ence and force, an instinctive knowledge of human nature, and unique selling ability. He knew how to pick subordinates, get more out of them than they believed themselves capable of accomplishing, and hold their complete loyalty. When, like everybody, he made a mistake in picking one, he would go to infinite trouble to place him out of the system, usually with a promotion in his new job.”