Punctuality is one of the cardinal business virtues: always insist on it in your subordinates.

Marquis frames punctuality not as a mere personal habit but as a “cardinal” virtue in commercial life—something foundational to trust, coordination, and efficiency. The second clause shifts from self-discipline to management: punctuality becomes a standard leaders must actively enforce, because lateness by subordinates imposes costs on others’ time and disrupts collective work. The tone also hints at Marquis’s characteristic satirical edge: by casting punctuality as a moral virtue and urging insistence, the line can be read as both practical advice and a wry comment on how business culture moralizes timekeeping and hierarchy.