Quotes About Leadership

What we need now are heroes and heroines, about a million of them, one brave deed is worth a thousand books. Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.

All governments need enemies. How else to justify their existence?

Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.

Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others.

It is not enough to hold the line against the dark. It is your responsibility to lead into the light. People don't like the light--it reveals too much. But hand in hand with the creative artist, you can lead people into the wisdom that is known to all other animals: simply, that it is the dark we have to fear.

You gotta have a swine to show you where the truffles are.

It is not enough to fill your juries, your advisory panels, with creative artists. You must put us in positions of policy control.

In almost every act of our lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons [...] who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind, who harness old social forces and contrive new ways to bind and guide the world.

No happiness without order, no order without authority, no authority without unity.

True, This! — Beneath the rule of men entirely great The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold The arch-enchanters wand! — itself is nothing! — But taking sorcery from the master-hand To paralyse the Cæsars, and to strike The loud earth breathless! — Take away the sword — States can be saved without it!

Public men are often alarmed into gratitude, seldom shamed into it.

Can any man doubt whether it is better to be a great statesman or a common thief?

Tyranny," said Solon, "is a fair field, but it has no outlet." A subtle, as well as a noble saying; it implies that he who has once made himself the master of the state has no option as to the means by which he must continue his power. Possessed of that fearful authority, his first object is to rule, and it becomes a secondary object to rule well.

Never fire anyone until it is convenient for you.

Democracy is an excellent way of ensuring that nothing much gets done. There are always interests that might get trampled upon [and no elected politician would wish to make permanent enemies by trampling upon others' interests].

Increased coaching and exposure to group process skills training will go a long way toward developing this skill. Leaders also must begin to see themselves as organizational architects instead of rock star, charismatic, visionary types. They must see themselves as builders of their organization

But wait till Ike had to deal with de Gaulle, whom I had seen in the Middle East. Giraud then would seem to Ike the acme of rational and complaisant Frenchmen.

Do you pray for the senators, Dr. Hale?' someone asked the chaplain. No, I look at the senators and I pray for the country.

George Washington is the only president who never blamed the previous administration for his troubles.

No manager ever got fired for buying IBM.

Top people take The Times.

Never underestimate the power of a woman.

No man is a leader until his appointment is ratified in the hearts and minds of his men.

Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.