Quotes About Leadership

And when the Patrician was unhappy, he became very democratic. He found intricate and painful ways of spreading that unhappiness as far as possible.

Ridcully was to management what King Herod was to the Bethlehem Playgroup Association.

It's like chess, you know. The Queen saves the King.

Vimes had got around to a Clean Desk policy. It was a Clean Floor strategy that eluded him at the moment.

History was full of the bones of good men who'd followed bad orders in the hope that they could soften the blow. Oh, yes, there were worse things they could do, but most of them began right where they started following bad orders.

What a place! What a situation! What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.

Well, you know Esme. She wasn't one for that kind of thing - never one to push herself forward* * She hadn't ever needed to. Granny Weatherwax was like the prow of a ship. Seas parted when she turned up.

He sighed. It had come to this. He was a responsible authority, and people could use terms like core values at him with impunity.

Never trust any ruler who puts his faith in tunnels and bunkers and escape routes. The chances are that his heart isn't in the job.

Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds of directions.

Royalty was like dandelions. No matter how many heads you chopped off, the roots were still there underground, waiting to spring up again. It seemed to be a chronic disease. It was as if even the most intelligent person had this little blank spot in their heads where someone had written: Kings. What a good idea. Whoever had created humanity had left in a major design flaw. It was its tendency to bend at the knees.

We can't just drop everything, sir! Mister Lipwig. Is there something in the word 'tyrant' you do not understand?

Every organization needs at least one person who knows what's going on, and why it's happening, and who's doing it.

I know about people who talk about suffering for the common good. It's never bloody them! When you hear a man shouting Forward, brave comrades! you'll see he's the one behind the bloody big rock and the wearing the only really arrow-proof helmet!

I have to ask, sir...Why does it have to be done like this? Vetinari smiled. Can you keep a secret, Mister Lipwig? Oh, yes, sir. I've kept lots. Capital. And the point is, so can I. You do not need to know.

Goats did have names for themselves, she well knew: there was 'goat who is my kid,' 'goat who is my mother,' 'goat who is herd leader,' and half a dozen other names not least of which was 'goat who is this goat.

Guilt was the grease in which the wheels of the authority turned.

You can't inspire people with facts. They need a cause. They need a symbol.

Are we entirely ready, sir? said Lieutenant Hornett, with the special inflection that means We are not entirely ready, sir. We had better be. Glory awaits, gentlemen. In the words of General Tacticus, 'let us take history by the scrotum.' Of course, he was not a very honourable fighter.

Everyone says it's going to be Snapcase at the palace. He listens to the people. Yeah, right, said Vimes. And I listen to the thunder. But I don't do anything about it.

One of my predecessors used to have people torn to death by wild tortoises. It was not a quick death.

He didn't administer a reign of terror, just the occasional light shower.

There was a bond, you see, when we were both young, but she wanted to be the best of all witches and I hoped one day to be Archchancellor. Alas for us, our dreams came true.

I like the idea of democracy. You have to have someone everyone distrusts, said Brutha. That way, everyone's happy.