Leadership & Management: Leadership Quotes

"If the regulars are to be put together, I believe they would prefer me to the other Cavalry Commanders"

John Buford, Soldier

"It taught me that Clinton's instinct to make this about your life as a citizen, rather than his as a human being, was the right answer to these things"

Paul Begala, Journalist

"It's not my job to be popular. I'm goal-driven; my job is to get results"

Paddy Ashdown, Politician

"I will offer a choice, not an echo"

Barry Goldwater, Politician

"But I think what happened was that Clinton knew how to fight back. And the way he fought back was on the issues - being tough in staying on the things that mattered to people in their lives"

Paul Begala, Journalist

"Slogans rarely convince the unconvinced. However, they do rally the troops already on your side"

John McCarthy, Politician

"It takes a lot of energy to work, in general, especially if you're the lead in something"

Faith Ford, Actress

"Again, President Reagan was sort of an amiable presence out at the ranch by the last 6 months of his presidency. He had no effect on national policy at all"

Paul Begala, Journalist

"I want people who believe in my message and where I am on issues to support me"

Carol Moseley Braun, Politician

"I think the Clintons are brilliant. I've never met a person as intelligent as Bill, and I think Hillary is right up there with him. They're too smart for Washington"

Chevy Chase, Comedian

"The leadership lost its nerve. Instead of taking the lead in the reform movement... They pulled the plug on it. They tried and are still trying to return the church to the dry ice of the previous century and a half"

Andrew Greeley, Clergyman

"Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want"

Dianne Feinstein, Politician

"I think that if politics is just about getting your backside on important seats, then it's a pretty worthless endeavor"

Chris Patten, Politician

"People just want to hear some common sense... and I bring to bear the experience in local government and state government and national government - I was the first woman in history on the Senate Finance Committee - not to mention the diplomatic international experience"

Carol Moseley Braun, Politician

"The admiral, or commander in chief of a squadron, being frequently invested with a great charge, on which the fate of a kingdom may depend, ought certainly to be possessed of abilities equal to so important a station and so extensive a command"

William Falconer, Poet

"I am called repeatedly and insidiously prime and sole minister"

Robert Walpole, Statesman

"Admitting, however, for the sake of argument, that I am prime and sole minister in this country, am I, therefore, prime and sole minister of all Europe? Am I answerable for the conduct of other countries as well as for that of my own?"

Robert Walpole, Statesman

"I was no chief and never had been, but because I had been more deeply wronged than others, this honor was conferred upon me, and I resolved to prove worthy of the trust"

Geronimo, Statesman

"One guy records the voices, another guy times the storyboard, another guy times the sheets, one guy is the story editor. All these jobs should be covered by the director"

John Kricfalusi, Artist

"The 9/11 Commission recently released their report, citing important changes which need to be made to improve our nation's homeland security. I voiced my disappointment with the House leadership when this report was left until after the August recess for action"

Leonard Boswell, Politician

"Unjust attacks on public men do them more good than unmerited praise"

Rutherford B. Hayes, President

"I am less disposed to think of a West Point education as requisite for this business than I was at first. Good sense and energy are the qualities required"

Rutherford B. Hayes, President

"Twenty years ago, you might have been pessimistic and said there's no hope. But these days, some of our very biggest companies are acting remarkably cleanly. And in some cases, although not all cases, the CEOs are the driving forces behind that"

Jared Diamond, Author

"Our Nation is in great need of young men and women of character to lead in every arena of our society"

Michael Burgess, Congressman

"Men of routine or men who can do what they are told are not hard to find; but men who can think and plan and tell the routine men what to do are very rare"

William Graham Sumner, Businessman

"The president of the branch in Atlanta was a pastor of a church, the Reverend Sam Williams, a wonderful guy. He was middle-class and fairly militant for the time and place"

Julian Bond, Activist

"Experience is easy to provide and quickly put to good use by people with all the other qualities"

Dee Hock, Businessman

"I share the anger, but ultimately, to govern this country, it takes more than anger. It takes experience. It takes positions that reflect the best values of the American people"

Joe Lieberman, Politician

"I am confident that we can overcome this crisis, provided that we remain united in our effort to address our debt and competitiveness problems. And I think that the Greek people are united; it's important also that the political forces are united in line with the will of the Greek people"

Lucas Papademos, Politician

"You can't create a political movement out of pabulum"

Robert Reich, Economist

"A leader is someone who steps back from the entire system and tries to build a more collaborative, more innovative system that will work over the long term"

Robert Reich, Economist

"Let me tell you quite bluntly that this king business has given me personally nothing but headaches"

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Royalty

"When you won that title, you should know now that you are representing a whole country or nation with your actions, and you are now in a glass house or under a microscope, and you better be ready to make your people proud"

Alexis Arguello, Athlete

"Lincoln did more than any other man to put the stamp of righteousness, to put the stamp of compassion, on the name of America"

Henry Cabot Lodge, Politician

"I sum up the prospects for 1967 in three short sentences. We are back on course. The ship is picking up speed. The economy is moving. Every seaman knows the command at such a moment: 'steady as she goes'"

James Callaghan, Leader

"We've been sitting at the compromise table for a long time. We're just waiting for that cold chair to be warmed up by the Republican leadership. They still have time to do the right thing and be responsible. They just seem to be moving further and further away from it"

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Politician

"Aren't we at the point where the closer we get to chaos, the more concern that there should be about coming to the table and compromising with Democrats? This is not leadership. This is almost like dictatorship"

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Politician

"I came into a strong organization, and I hope I strengthened it more and expanded its capacity to deal with some of the challenges that might not have seemed as great 10 years ago, such as H.I.V., AIDS and children affected by war"

Carol Bellamy, Educator

"I mean, if you are directing actors to do one thing and then directing them to do something else entirely because the one thing you wanted them to do may not work, then you are just shattering their confidence in the project"

Atom Egoyan, Director

"My message to the Americans, to the American President, is that I am coming from Poland, which is in good shape; it is much different than ten years ago, when last state visit from Poland was here in the United States"

Aleksander Kwasniewski, Politician

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