Anna Wintour

The lesson isn't about having three assistants.

It's about understanding the value of your time.

It's about holding the people around you to the same unreasonable standards you hold yourself to.

Anna calculated that her hour was worth more than three people's days.

She was right.

While competitors managed calendars, she managed culture.

Focus isn't about doing one thing.

It's about doing only the things that you can do.

By 1997, Anna had been editor-in-chief for nearly a decade, and Vogue was performing spectacularly.

The magazine had its biggest March issue since 1990, with ad pages up 5.9%.

The September issue that year weighed 4.3 pounds and was packed with 734 pages, mostly advertisements.

It was the biggest issue in nine years and represented complete market dominance over its competitors.

One problem?

Anna's publisher, Ron Gagliotti, wants more.

Gagliotti was hired to maximize revenue, and Anna's refusal to feature advertisers' clothes in editorial spreads was making him very angry.

His logic was simple.

If you need a white shirt for a shoot, why not use Ann Klein's?

They're paying us hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Anna's response was simple.

If it's ugly, it's not in vogue.