"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves"
- Lao Tzu
About this Quote
This quote by Lao Tzu suggests that a great leader is one who is able to work behind the scenes and empower others to take ownership of their own work. When a leader is successful, the people they lead will feel as though they accomplished their goals on their own, even though the leader helped guide them there. In this way, a leader is best when they inspire and facilitate others to achieve success, rather than taking credit for their accomplishments.
"The opportunity to create a small world between two pieces of cardboard, where time exists yet stands still, where people talk and I tell them what to say, is exciting and rewarding"
"We have our own history, our own language, our own culture. But our destiny is also tied up with the destinies of other people - history has made us all South Africans"
"Creating the kind of connections between people that lead to collective civic action, political expression, community dialogue, shared cultural experiences"
"Oh, the miraculous energy that flows between two people who care enough to get beyond surfaces and games, who are willing to take the risks of being totally open, of listening, of responding with the whole heart. How much we can do for each other"
"If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour?"