Joseph R. Biden Jr. Quotes

I want to be the bridge to the next generation.

The worst mistake a leader can make is to mentor no one, choose no successor and leave no legacy.

What I'm interested in doing after I get out of the presidency is to make sure that I'm working with that next generation so that they understand you can't just rely on inspiration.

The highest manifestation of true leadership is to identify one’s replacement and to begin mentoring him or her.

You ask yourself, 'What do you want your legacy to be?' I'm content at this point to say, 'Those who follow me.' Romeo Crennel, Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, to name a few. I think I've got a pretty good group, so far.

Few strong leaders are enthusiastic about their successors.

We all leave unfinished work; we cannot complete it; those who come after us take it up and conform it to their will

It takes time, but I have a promising team of younger Ministers, and I am quite sure from amongst them, one leader will emerge.

At one point, the old school club retires and you're next up to bat, but if you stop before your time, you will see someone else live your dream.

Success is not success without a successor.

We have the best leaders and the most depth of leadership we've ever had. If I get hit by a truck, maybe it would get me out of the way and it would go better.

There is no success without a successor.

I am determined to hold on as long as possible, but if I should disappear, I should not have had the time to familiarize my successors with the necessary information.

I want to leave this company in the best possible shape.

True leaders don't invest in buildings. Jesus never built a building. They invest in people. Why? Because success without a successor is failure. So your legacy should not be in buildings, programs, or projects; your legacy must be in people.

I don't need a successor, only willing hands to accept the torch for a new generation.

I just know you can not be on top forever. There's always going to be the next guy, and if I'm going to go down, I'd like to know I helped the next guy take my spot. You can't prevent the inevitable, but you can join the ship.

I've done a lot of things in a business where you're lucky to stay alive, so when the time comes, I'll be happy to pass my knowledge along and help someone else.

It's very difficult to fill the shoes of somebody like Rahul Bhai. He has set the bench mark for a generation to come. However, it's our responsibility to carry forward his legacy.

One has children in the expectation of dying before them. In fact, you want to make damn sure you die before them, just as you plant a tree or build a house knowing, hoping that it will outlive you. That's how the human species has done as well as it has.

Trust the young. Young people have a lot to contribute, but generation after generation, those who reach power protect that power rather than teach others how to attain it. I resolved that if I ever became successful, I would trust the young.

One test of leaders is how they make sure that their ideas and programs will live on after they’re gone.

No one man can take on the mantle of another.

I know I should not be a hindrance to SoftBank's future growth and that I need to pass on the baton to the younger generation.

The coaching life is like a relay race and I'm thankful for my turn and am confident as I pass the baton.