Quotes About Leadership

You are a reasonably civil, complaisant creature on dry land,' said Stephen, 'but the moment you are afloat you become pragmatical and absolute, a bashaw - do this, do that, gluppit the prawling strangles, there - no longer a social being at all. It is no doubt the effect of the long-continued habit of command; but it cannot be considered amiable.

The officer chiefly concerned, Mr Pullings, or the Maiden as the Kutaliotes called him because of his mild face and gentle manners, had but to hint that a wall, outhouse, chimney, dovecote might be in the way for it to vanish, plucked down if not by its owners then by his neighbours and the rest of the community.

Or take me,' said Jack. 'I am called captain, but really I am only a master and commander.

The newly-minted captain is told to let nothing stop him but to do nothing that would risk his ship or his crew.

Nelson once said that love of his country served him for a greatcoat.

Castlereagh hanging at the one masthead and Fitzgibbon at the other,' thought Stephen, but with only the weariest gleam of spirit.

A commander is obeyed by his officers because he is himself obeying; the thing is not in its essence personal; and so down. If he does not obey, the chain weakens. How grave I am, for all love.

A possible explanation may be this: in addition to professional competence, cheerful resignation, an excellent liver, natural authority and a hundred other virtues, there must be the far rarer quality of resisting the effects, the dehumanising effects, of the exercise of authority. Authority is a solvent of humanity: look

Lord Nelson's maxim 'Never mind manoeuvres: always go straight at 'em.

Why, to be sure, something sad seems to happen to your great men and your admirals, with age, pretty often: even to your post-captains. A kind of atrophy, a withering-away of the head and the heart. I conceive it may arise from Ã¢â'¬Â¦

Do you mean to fight with her?' 'I mean to sink, take, burn or destroy her,' said Jack, a smile flashing across his face.

He and his officers stood rigidly with their hats off, and as soon as the last roar had died away over the harbour, echoing back and forth, he called out, 'Three cheers for the Amelia!' and the Sophies, though deep in the working of the sloop, responded like heroes, scarlet with pleasure and the energy needed for huzzaying proper – huge energy, for they knew what was manners.

plenty of men never rose even to commander; and the commanders were a very respectable body of men. But could a man be entrusted with a line of battle ship if he were liable to take it into his head to fight a fleet engagement according to his own notions of strategy? No, there was not the least likelihood, unless something very extraordinary took place. Captain Aubrey's record was by no means all that could be wished. Lord

Dr Maturin is admirably strict,' said Jack. 'He often desires me to have the men flogged, to overcome their torpor and to open their veins both at the same time. A hundred lashes at the gangway is worth a stone of brimstone and treacle, we always say.

Now, Polychrests,' he said, 'now we are going to crack on until she groans again. Stuns'ls aloft and alow, royals, and, damn me, royal stuns'ls and skys'ls if she'll bear 'em. The sooner we're there, the sooner we're home. Topmen, upperyardmen, are you ready?' 'Ready, aye ready, sir.' A comfortable, good body of sound – relief, thankfulness? 'Then at the word, up you go. Lay aloft!

The Captain Has An Uncommon Genteel Figgar

the lower classes naturally looked up to gentlemen and loved them, in their humble way; only gentlemen were fit to be officers.

What people are looking for is you. As a leader, people need you to be clear about and demonstrate a passion for your purpose. They want to know that you practice your values consistently. And they absolutely want to know that you lead from your heart as well as your head. People are not looking for you to say the perfect words. They are looking for you to show up, being absolutely real and believable. They are seeking to believe.

If you always make the right decision, the safe decision, the one most people make, you will be the same as everyone else.

Great people have great egos; maybe that's what makes them great.

Cons, Bullies, and the Puppetmaster

When a leader is excited about a project, or trusts the people in the team, this too is infectious; fears are calmed and people are inspired to do their best.

Leaders therefore need to be able to calm their own fight/ flight/ freeze emotions of anger, disgust, shame and sadness, but most especially of fear so that they don't get passed on to others.

In many organizations not a decision can be made without calling a meeting. Fear of making a mistake trumps the willingness to take risks. And without some risk-taking there is little chance of creating an exciting future. So rather than risking a decision, leaders and managers have meetings.