"You get the best out of others when you get the best out of yourself"
About this Quote
Harvey S. Firestone, the tire magnate who helped power the rise of the automobile age alongside Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, captured a core principle of leadership and teamwork: personal excellence is contagious. People take their cues from those who set the tone. When a leader is disciplined, curious, ethical, and resilient, those qualities give permission for others to operate at their own best. The standard is not enforced from the outside; it is modeled from within.
Self-mastery becomes a practical catalyst. Clear thinking sharpens priorities, which clarifies expectations for a team. Competence earns trust, which frees others to take initiative. Emotional steadiness reduces anxiety and creates psychological safety, letting people speak up, experiment, and correct mistakes quickly. Energy and enthusiasm are social; so are cynicism and chaos. By managing the inner climate, a leader influences the outer weather.
Firestone built in a period when efficiency and quality determined survival. His words push against the illusion that results flow only from pushing others harder. Better output often begins with better input from the person in charge: learning the craft, aligning words with actions, handling pressure without blame, and sustaining health to avoid the burnout that corrodes judgment. Getting the best out of yourself is not perfectionism or self-absorption; it is a commitment to growth that benefits the group.
There is also an ethical undertone. When standards are lived rather than preached, hypocrisy loses oxygen. People feel respected rather than used, which unlocks intrinsic motivation. High expectations paired with visible effort and support create the conditions for the Pygmalion effect, where belief and behavior reinforce one another. Firestone’s line distills a simple, demanding truth: you cannot credibly summon excellence from others while excusing mediocrity in yourself. Start with the only person you fully control, and the ripple effects will do the rest.
Self-mastery becomes a practical catalyst. Clear thinking sharpens priorities, which clarifies expectations for a team. Competence earns trust, which frees others to take initiative. Emotional steadiness reduces anxiety and creates psychological safety, letting people speak up, experiment, and correct mistakes quickly. Energy and enthusiasm are social; so are cynicism and chaos. By managing the inner climate, a leader influences the outer weather.
Firestone built in a period when efficiency and quality determined survival. His words push against the illusion that results flow only from pushing others harder. Better output often begins with better input from the person in charge: learning the craft, aligning words with actions, handling pressure without blame, and sustaining health to avoid the burnout that corrodes judgment. Getting the best out of yourself is not perfectionism or self-absorption; it is a commitment to growth that benefits the group.
There is also an ethical undertone. When standards are lived rather than preached, hypocrisy loses oxygen. People feel respected rather than used, which unlocks intrinsic motivation. High expectations paired with visible effort and support create the conditions for the Pygmalion effect, where belief and behavior reinforce one another. Firestone’s line distills a simple, demanding truth: you cannot credibly summon excellence from others while excusing mediocrity in yourself. Start with the only person you fully control, and the ripple effects will do the rest.
Quote Details
| Topic | Leadership |
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