Nelson Mandela Quotes

You can never in negotiations be totally predictable. The minute you’re predictable, they’re going to figure out how to take advantage.

Father was bold, and Mother was cautious. They never shouted at each other but argued constantly about strategy, and they taught me very early that before taking big risks, one must carefully figure the odds.

Where wisdom is called for, force is of little use.

The Fundamental Principle that governs - or ought to govern -human affairs if we wish to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, or pointless utopias, is negotiation.

Bargaining makes you come up with the best ideas.

There's lots of problem solving in any marriage, but when you have this collective goal that is a human being, it's an inspiring rally point.

Passionately defending one's principles is crucial. Representing your district is fundamental. But refusing to entertain the common ground - with no other cost but giving the other guy a political 'win' - is a disservice.

A president, like a college freshman, can't know in advance which questions he'll have to answer or what topics he'll have to master. He has to be flexible, supple, and responsive. He has to be comfortable with multiple-choice.

I am endlessly fascinated that playing football is considered a training ground for leadership, but raising children isn't. Hey, it made me a better leader: you have to take a lot of people's needs into account; you have to look down the road. Trying to negotiate getting a couple of kids to watch the same TV show requires serious diplomacy.

I am an expert in the 'art of the possible.'

The day-to-day making of policy is arguing all the time. You're trying to get the right approach and the right answer, and there are moments that aren't very pleasant. But in the end, you look at the overall product.

Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning.

Find out what the other team wants to do. Then take it away from them.

Almost all politicians are able to have a great one-on-one meeting. But I'm not interested in the candidate who can have a great meeting. I'm interested in the person who can make the right decisions.

The cardinal responsibility of leadership is to identify the dominant contradiction at each point of the historical process and to work out a central line to resolve it.

Deal-making goes on with any job.

One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

Negotiation is not a policy. It's a technique. It's something you use when it's to your advantage, and something that you don't use when it's not to your advantage.

We have generals working on worst-case scenarios; we need statesmen on best cases.

No agency … wants an issue on the agenda unless it has an efficient and acceptable solution for it.

Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.

Donald Trump's leadership, decision-making and problem solving will restore America's role as the undeniable and unquestioned world leader.

I believe that being conservative means you try to get in to the middle of the fight and try to solve the problem.

In my experience, the most effective professionals in business and government have the ability to get things done. They're trained to work with multiple stakeholders, to understand how to identify a problem, devise solutions, to compromise and work well with others.

You don't have to use aggression to squash somebody. You have to use your brain.