Quotes About Leadership

But an old friend once told me that society is like a spear point—wide at the base, pointed at the tip. Democrats believe you can reshape it, removing the point. But as if by magic, it will grow again. There will always be kings, Thetis, and if not kings, then dictators. It is the nature of man to strive to rise above others, to impose his will on all.

In a few years, fighting men began to think of themselves as a people apart, and loyalty to their birthplace gave way to loyalty to their leader.

Every dictator in history, from Philip of Macedon to the Tyrant of Asia, claimed to be—and probably was, in his beginnings—motivated solely by benevolence.

Pope Sixtus the Fifth?

This time it's our turn to have the good idea.

Captain Skyler thinks Councilor Layton is always trying to divide people so he can control them, but Councilor Layton says that Captain Skyler wants to keep everybody in one place so he can control them. It's an argument I'm not sure I understand.

In deploring spin while also desiring it, Barack Obama is like the rest of us. We denounce spin when we see it as misleading. But we embrace spin when we see it as leading.

The defeat revealed the downside of the new mode of presidential leadership: by elevating personality over party, it diminished the likelihood of a president being able to win himself a compliant Congress.11

Trump? Obama? Putin? Why must we pity the politi-scum addicted to their own infallible "godliness" when there are more entertaining alternatives?

There are people who follow a crowd and then there are people who follow a crowd and then there are people who follow a crowd.

Care for your men. Maintain discipline. Always set an example. You take fewer casualties attacking than retreating: "Your job is not to die for your country but to make the other son of a bitch die for his country." Once engaged, give no quarter. Drill, drill, drill. Stay alert, stay alive.

I learned in WW II," he said, "that the slightest bit of excitement in a leader is transmitted to the men. You might be afraid, but the fear gets magnified in the troops. Somebody has to keep his cool. If you're a decent leader, you don't dare lose it—for your own good. You've got to keep your unit up there doing its job.

Mao's conviction, "Give me a path wide enough to move a mule and I will move an army.

politicians only listened to these generals, and these generals only listened to themselves.

General Bruce Clarke's Guidelines for the Leader and the Commander

the slightest bit of excitement in a leader is transmitted to the men. You might be afraid, but the fear gets magnified in the troops. Somebody has to keep his cool. If you're a decent leader, you don't dare lose it— for your own good. You've got to keep your unit up there doing its job.

The new battalion commander had used his eyes but not his head: he'd seen overfamiliarity, but had not taken tome to think, to realize that Barney K.'s easygoing attitude with his guys came from the platoon's and its leader's mutual understanding, respect, and trust. With one order, the CO had destroyed it all, and my friend was heartbroken.

The new battalion commander had used his eyes but not his head: he'd seen overfamiliarity, but had not taken time to think, to realize that Barney K.'s easygoing attitude with his guys came from the platoon's and its leader's mutual understanding, respect, and trust. With one order, the CO had destroyed it all, and my friend was heartbroken.

the only thing to do was not worry about it at all, and have the best damn time you could while you were around. Of course, being a leader helped. You were always too busy bringing in air and artillery, moving your people and shepherding your herd, to take time to focus in on yourself, on where you might be in a moment's time.

combat is no place for martinets.

There are dangers in this model of succumbing to "committee-itis." If too many people are jointly responsible for the execution of firm business, the chances that implementation will be deferred increase exponentially.

Warlord firms succeed when management keeps the big hitters happy and productive. The past and the future are not often items high on the agenda. Consequently, over time, the performance of extreme warlord firms often swings through peaks and valleys. Much management energy is expended in modulating the politically charged environment.

Members of the firm must feel that they have approved the leaders and that the leaders are accountable to them.

These goals are not unique to us. Our best competitors almost certainly have similar, if not identical goals. If we are to outperform them, we don't need a better vision, but a better approach to making it happen.