As 2017 winds down, we wanted to share some inspirational words of wisdom from a few successful business leaders and industry shakers. Our hope is that some of their advice will inspire you to seek greater career satisfaction and professional success in the coming year—whether it’s growing your business, making long-needed staff changes, re-defining your leadership approach, or branching out into a new market. Here’s to 2018! We hope it’s your best year yet!

LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Weiner’s career advice:
• “Know what you want to accomplish.”
• “Surround Yourself with the best talent.”
• “Always be learning.”

DreamWorks Founder, David Geffen’s advice to business owners:
• “It’s not about the ones that say no; it’s about the ones that say yes. Your life isn’t made up of people who aren’t in it.”

Lockheed Martin President & CEO, Marillyn Hewson’s leadership advice:
• “You can't forget that organizational success flows from the hearts and minds of the men and women you lead. Rather than treating your people as you'd like to be treated, treat them as they would like to be treated. Small gestures like opting for face-to-face meetings or sending personal notes can have an enormous impact on teams and their morale.”

Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos’ advice to business owners and leaders:
• “Obsess over customers, not competitors.”

Ralph Lauren’s advice for successful working relationships:
• “I try to find people who love and believe in what I do – and people I respect because they do what I don’t do.”

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk’s advice to business owners and entrepreneurs:
• “If you’re entering anything where there’s an existing marketplace, against large, entrenched competitors, then your product or service needs to be much better than theirs. It can’t just be a little bit better.”

Here’s to a smarter, happier, healthier, and wealthier year in 2018—make every day count!