My Bottom Line

Sara Weller is managing director of the retail chain Argos. She believes you must always remember that it is the customers who pay your wages.

HCL Technologies chief executive Vineet Nayar tells Stephanie Flanders that his company has faced discrimination for not being part of the "old boys" network.

Bwin chief executive Norbert Teufelberger tells Evan Davis about the moment in 2006 when he was arrested at a news conference by 40 secret police officers. He was accused of breaching French gaming laws which dated back to 1832.

Anne Murphy is the managing director of Birds Eye. She says you should not underestimate the power of building strong relationships both within and outside your business.

Efrat Peled is the chair and chief executive of Arison Investments. She argues that it is vital to link staff compensation to the company's strategic goals and to embed it in a wider ethical dimension.

Norbert Teufelberger is the chief executive of online gambling company Bwin. He says that when you recruit, you must look beyond skills and consider someone's attitude - will they be able to work well within the team.

ntrepreneur Simon Woodroffe believes you should not rush to judgement about whether an idea will work. Follow your instincts, do your homework and then decide.

icola Horlick says whatever business you are in, you must focus on actively managing your staff and not just rely on the annual appraisal.

John Lewis Partnership managing director Andy Street says it is vital to stick to your beliefs - even if it entails following a lonely path.

Andrew Horton is chief executive of insurance company Beazley. He says that businesses flourish when lines of communication between staff are kept open.

Chris Grigg is the chief executive of property company British Land. He believes that it pays to be the master of your own destiny when it comes to career management.

Raghav Bahl is founder and managing director of Network 18, India's largest television news network. He says that successful business decisions often involve an element of risk.

Tim Watkins is the vice president of the European arm of the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. He says clarity is the most important weapon in a manager's armoury.

Richard Reed is co-founder of Innocent Drinks. He says the most important thing is to get started, and then not to stop or give in.

Neil Gaydon is chief executive of set-top box maker Pace. He believes you must give your staff true ownership of their decisions, rather than make them routinely refer to their managers.

Phil Bentley is the managing director of British Gas, part of Centrica. He says getting the recruitment process right is essential if you want to build successful teams and businesses.

Internet entrepreneur Brent Hoberman was the co-founder of lastminute.com and mydeco.com. He argues it is vital that you passionately believe in your own business.

Katherine Garrett-Cox is chief executive of the Alliance Trust. She believes that a well-run team will always amount to more than the sum of its parts.

Nick Buckles is chief executive of the international security solutions group G4S. Reflecting on the challenges his company faced after 9/11, and the lessons he learned, he advises people to remember that however bad a crisis is, it will pass.

Anthony Habgood is chairman of Reed Elsevier and Whitbread. He argues that the best thing a chairman can do for his or her company is to ensure it has a strong and independent board.

Seamus McBride is president and chief executive of Bacardi. He says a wise leader listens carefully to his or her staff. Not only does it show respect, it helps accelerate business performance.

Miles Roberts is chief executive of packaging manufacturer DS Smith. He says it is vital that you find a higher purpose in what you do - especially if you occupy a senior role. If you do not believe passionately in what you do, find another job.

Colin Melville is chief executive of Hermes Equity Ownership Services, which advises pension funds and other insitutional investors. He believes a diverse team is more likely to succeed than one containing clones - as long as you can manage the inevitable conflict.

Guy Parsons is chief executive of budget hotel chain Travelodge. He says that it is important to listen to the opinions of people within your company.