The Most Emotional Quotes From Top Business Executives Around The World

Wall Street, Glengarry Glen Ross, Margin Call—you may remember the lead characters from these films as successful people who have a calm and stoic demeanor. While they don’t flinch in the face of adversity, it seems like their real-life counterparts are more in touch with their emotions.

If you want some proof that successful people are not robots, you may want to go over these quotes and decide for yourself.

“As a startup CEO, I slept like a baby…I woke up every two hours and cried.”

– Ben Horowitz

Startups may be the hottest thing nowadays, but like any other worthy venture, it’s a harrowing and equally toxic like their bigger counterparts.

And who can better understand the grimy underbelly of the startup world than those who put their faith—and more important, money—in it?

Ben Horowitz, co-founder of venture capitalist firm Andreesesen Horowitz, knew that banking on startups and getting his hands dirty to make them successful can be a dreadful job, even to the point of leaving you restless at night.

Some of them companies that received seeding money from Horowitz’s firm are Groupon, Instagram, Oculus VR, and Stack Exchange.

“I would like to produce films, but I feel I am an unsuccessful producer.”

– Mithun Chakraborty

Dubbed as the original disco king of India, Mithun Chakraborty has a long-running career spanning around 40 years now.

Despite winning acting awards as well as becoming an icon in India’s rich music industry, Chakraborty still knows that there are things he cannot do, such as producing movies.

 Read: 7 Dangerous Myths About Starting A Business

Actors and actresses in India may be well-rounded, even off-cam, but this line is a tender surrender that you may not be able to do all things.

As for Chakraborty? He may not have been able to become a film producer, but he is now a member of the Indian parliament for West Bengal.

“The sad thing about any business, I suppose—but in mine you see it particularly—is that you’re always asked to do what you’ve already done.”

– Jeremy Irons

Methodical, versatile, and just basically exceptional—this is how people describe British actor Jeremy Irons. With more than four decades of experience in acting for both film and theater, he already knows the ins and outs of the business.

Despite mainly trading in the entertainment business, Irons knows the demands people have on ventures, which can, at times, be overbearing or even frustrating, as some of them ask for something that is already readily available.

This may discourage brave ’treps from improving their services since whatever they do their efforts are all in vain, but fortune favors the bold.

Read: The Unwritten Rules Of Starting A Family Business

“At the end of the day, don’t forget that you’re a person, don’t forget you’re a mother, don’t forget you’re a wife, don’t forget you’re a daughter.”

– Indra Nooyi

In an industry dominated by men, it is an inspiring to see women having the upper hand in terms of controlling companies.

Indra Nooyi, current CEO of PepsiCo, is a paramount example that managing a multinational company alongside more important aspects like family and relationships can be brutal, yet totally worth it.

And despite her achievements, Nooyi wants other women to know that success in the corporate world means nothing if you are neglecting your personal relationships.

“We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost.”

– Stephen Elop

Before Android phones and iPhones dominated the mobile market, Nokia was the undisputed king of handheld communication. Whenever the Finnish mobile company would release a new phone, it was the talk of the town and they never failed to surprise people.

However, Nokia became too complacent and didn’t bother to step up their game when the adversary challenged their superiority.

And like how we knew it happened, Nokia sold its mobile phone division to Microsoft and until the non-compete clause is still valid, the once-famous mobile brand will just be a shadow of an empire it once was.