“Every Person Counts”
“Leaders focus on the soft stuff. People. Values. Character. Commitment. A Cause. All of the stuff that was supposed to be too goo-goo to count in business. Yet, it’s the stuff that real leaders take care of first. And forever. That’s why leadership is an art, not a science. If leadership were just about hitting your numbers, about driving the troops to meet their quotas, then leadership would just be a math problem. But leadership is a human mystery.” (Tom Peters)
“What’s important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:
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Learn to be strong but not rude.
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Learn to be kind but not weak.
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Learn to be bold but not a bully.
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You’ve got to learn to be humble, but not timid.
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Be proud but not arrogant.
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Develop humor without folly.
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Lastly, deal in realities. Deal in truth.” (Jim Rohn)
“The person who advances is not the one who is afraid to do too much; it is the one whose conscience will not permit him to do too little, the one whose driving desire is to give the best that is in him, even though it may seem at times like casting bread upon unrelenting waters.” (B. C. Forbes)
“Some of you are itching to ask me exactly the wrong questions, which are: ‘How do I do this?’ ‘How do I get my boss to let me do this?’ ‘What’s the risk-free way to insinuate myself into the system so I get approval to make change?’ Surely, there’s a method of making change without being burned at the stake? It turns out that there is, but you already know what it is. Belief. Nobody is going to listen to your idea for change, sagely shake his head, and say, ‘Sure, go do that.’ No one anoints you as leader. Change isn’t made by asking permission. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later.” (Seth Godin, Tribes, We Need YOU to Lead Us)
“The idea flow from the human spirit is absolutely unlimited. All you have to do is tap into that well. I don’t like to use the word efficiency. It’s creativity. It’s a belief that every person counts.” (Jack Welch, Business Week)
Catalyst Quotes 