Skip to main content

Success Quote by Steve Wynn

"This office is smaller than the last one I had. I'm not trying to impress people. I want to be close to them"

About this Quote

Choosing a smaller office is a flex disguised as humility. Steve Wynn frames the downgrade as a moral upgrade: not chasing status, chasing proximity. For a casino impresario whose brand is built on spectacle, that reversal lands with extra charge. He knows exactly what “impress people” means in his world - marble lobbies, chandeliers, the architecture of intimidation. By rejecting that language of distance, he positions himself as the rare mogul who doesn’t need the trappings because he already has the power.

The subtext is managerial theater. “Close to them” isn’t just about empathy; it’s about access, surveillance, and control. An executive who is physically nearer can be read as approachable, but also as omnipresent. The line implies a hands-on operator, a builder in the trenches, someone whose authority comes from engagement rather than hierarchy. That’s a useful story in industries where morale, service culture, and relentless operational detail determine whether the fantasy sells.

Context matters because Wynn’s public image has always balanced artistry and command: the designer-king who curates experience down to the carpet pattern. A smaller office signals that the real stage is the floor, not the corner suite. It’s also reputation management in a sentence. When business leaders say they’re not trying to impress, they’re usually trying to impress a different audience: employees, regulators, the public - anyone hungry for a powerful person who performs restraint.

Quote Details

TopicServant Leadership
SourceHelp us find the source
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Wynn, Steve. (2026, January 15). This office is smaller than the last one I had. I'm not trying to impress people. I want to be close to them. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/this-office-is-smaller-than-the-last-one-i-had-im-165861/

Chicago Style
Wynn, Steve. "This office is smaller than the last one I had. I'm not trying to impress people. I want to be close to them." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/this-office-is-smaller-than-the-last-one-i-had-im-165861/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"This office is smaller than the last one I had. I'm not trying to impress people. I want to be close to them." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/this-office-is-smaller-than-the-last-one-i-had-im-165861/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Steve Add to List
Small Office, Big Leadership: Steve Wynn on Proximity
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

USA Flag

Steve Wynn (born January 27, 1942) is a Businessman from USA.

18 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes

Groucho Marx, Comedian
Groucho Marx