Brandon Sanderson Quotes

Respect for leaders by followers can't be mandated; it must be earned. It has to be given to leaders by their followers.

Remember that the essence of authority is that people willingly follow your lead.

If your people don't really believe or respect you, if you don't have the moral authority to rule, then your goose is cooked.

You can only lead if the people that you're leading want to be led.

On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up.

People will do as they are told by someone who outranks them, but they will only follow someone they believe in.

Giving orders you know won't be obeyed is one of the best ways I know to destroy your own authority.

Authority is not a quality one person 'has', in the sense that he has property or physical qualities. Authority refers to an interpersonal relation in which one person looks upon another as somebody superior to him.

If an individual is born with the obligation to obey, who is born with the right to command?

I am a collaborator with everyone who agrees that I need to be in control. I happily collaborate with my loyalists.

One of the main ways that leadership stays in power is by, in various ways, convincing people that they should just let those who are in government govern: 'Trust us. Trust me. Just let us take care of things. Stay out of it.' Your opinions don't really matter. You are isolated. You are insignificant.

There may be a hundred thousand men in an army, who are all equally free; but they only are naturally most fit to be commanders or leaders, who most excel in the virtues required for the right performance of those offices.

The power to command has never meant the power to remain mysterious.

It is much safer to obey than to rule.

The man whose authority is recent is always stern.

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

Authority must be respected and chosen wisely.

The crown must constantly earn citizens' appreciation, respect and trust.

Leadership is something you earn, something you're chosen for. You can't come in yelling, 'I'm your leader!' If it happens, it's because the other guys respect you.

I don't think I have been loved by my troops, but I think I have been respected.

Even military juntas want respect.

Nobody is strong-minded around a President…

I surpassed all others in authority, but I had no more power than the others who were also my colleagues in office.

All empire is no more than power in trust.

They must be governed by and be subordinate to you.