Quotes About Leadership

Alexander said that it was preferable to have an army of sheep led by a lion than an army of lions led by a sheep.

The only valid political system is one that can handle an imbecile in power without suffering from it.

One general, Fabius Maximus was nicknamed Cunctator, "the Procrastinator." He drove Hannibal, who had an obvious military superiority, crazy by avoiding and delaying engagement.

To become a successful philosopher king, it is much better to start as a king than as a philosopher

Being an executive doesn't require very developed frontal lobes, but rather a combination of charisma, a capacity to sustain boredom, and the ability to shallowly perform on harrowing schedules.

I've looked in history for heroes who became heroes for what they did not do, but it is hard to observe nonaction; I could not easily find any.

we are made to follow leaders who can gather people together because the advantages of being in groups trump the disadvantages of being alone. It has been more profitable for us to bind together in the wrong direction than to be alone in the right one. Those who have followed the assertive idiot rather than the introspective wise person have passed us some of their genes. This is apparent from a social pathology: psychopaths rally followers. Once

In addition, there seems to be curious evidence of a link between leadership and a form of psychopathology (the sociopath) that encourages the nonblinking, self-confident, insensitive person to rally followers.

And, what's worse, we didn't get where we are today thanks to policy makers—but thanks to the appetite for risks and errors of a certain class of people we need to encourage, protect, and respect.

Being an executive does not require very developed frontal lobes, but rather a combination of charisma, a capacity to sustain boredom, and the ability to shallowly perform on harrying schedules.

Per lo studioso e leader religioso arabo 'AlÄ« ibn AbÄ« T?lib (che non è un mio parente), mantenere le distanze da una persona ignorante equivale a stare in compagnia di un saggio.

Steve Jobs: «La gente pensa che essere concentrati significhi dire sì alla cosa sulla quale ci si deve focalizzare. Ma non è affatto così. Significa dire no ad altre cento buone idee. Dovete scegliere con cura. Di fatto io sono orgoglioso delle cose che non abbiamo fatto tanto quanto lo sono di quelle che ho fatto. Innovazione significa dire no a mille cose».

Being an executive does not require very developed frontal lobes, but rather a combination of charisma, a capacity to sustain boredom, and the ability to shallowly perform on harrying schedules. Add to these tasks the "duty" of attending opera performances

When you spend time of the bridge of a ship or in a coxswain's station with a large compass in front, you can easily develop the impression that the compass is directing the ship rather than merely reflecting its direction.

But top management is only paid on result—no matter the process.

what they have is skill in getting promoted within a company rather than pure skills in making optimal decisions—we call that "corporate political skill.

Let us not forget something embedded in the U.S. Constitution: the president is commander in chief.

his showing up during a battle was the equivalent of adding twenty-five thousand troops.

Needless to say they were usually sleep-deprived. Being an executive does not require very developed frontal lobes, but rather a combination of charisma, a capacity to sustain boredom, and the ability to shallowly perform on harrying schedules.

blame his successor for subsequent results.

I was told that a scientist managed the company and that he had the instinct, as a scientist, to just let scientists look wherever their instinct took them. Commercialization came later.

Just as one day some primitive tribesman scratched his nose, saw rain falling, and developed an elaborate method of scratching his nose to bring on the much-needed rain, we link economic prosperity to some rate cut by the Federal Reserve Board, or the success of a company with the appointment of the new president "at the helm.

only a few people suffice to disproportionately move the needle.

those who don't take risks should never be involved in making decisions.