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Motivation Quote by Jackie Stewart

"I'm not going away. I'll still be very much involved in the team, but not with the same number of hours. I need to move over and allow the people who are really doing the job the space to do so"

About this Quote

There is a particular kind of exit line that isn’t really an exit, and Jackie Stewart nails it with the soft authority of someone who’s spent a lifetime managing risk. “I’m not going away” is less reassurance than boundary-setting: it calms sponsors, fans, and colleagues who might read any step back as instability. Stewart knows reputations in elite sport aren’t just built on speed but on continuity. He’s signaling that the project still has adult supervision.

The move that makes the quote work is its careful two-step. He claims ongoing involvement, then immediately shrinks it: “not with the same number of hours.” That’s the language of a modern workplace, but it’s also a quiet admission of the toll that leadership takes. Stewart isn’t framing this as defeat or burnout; he’s framing it as governance. By talking about hours rather than status, he keeps dignity intact while acknowledging reality.

The sharpest subtext sits in “allow the people who are really doing the job the space to do so.” It’s humility, yes, but also a subtle critique of overbearing figureheads who can’t stop hovering. Stewart casts himself as disciplined enough to resist that temptation. Coming from a champion and team leader, it’s a statement about succession done responsibly: stepping aside without disappearing, trusting competence over charisma, and treating legacy not as something you cling to, but something you design for other people to carry.

Quote Details

TopicWork-Life Balance
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Stewart, Jackie. (2026, February 18). I'm not going away. I'll still be very much involved in the team, but not with the same number of hours. I need to move over and allow the people who are really doing the job the space to do so. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-not-going-away-ill-still-be-very-much-involved-78124/

Chicago Style
Stewart, Jackie. "I'm not going away. I'll still be very much involved in the team, but not with the same number of hours. I need to move over and allow the people who are really doing the job the space to do so." FixQuotes. February 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-not-going-away-ill-still-be-very-much-involved-78124/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I'm not going away. I'll still be very much involved in the team, but not with the same number of hours. I need to move over and allow the people who are really doing the job the space to do so." FixQuotes, 18 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-not-going-away-ill-still-be-very-much-involved-78124/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

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Jackie Stewart (born June 11, 1939) is a Athlete from Scotland.

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