Paul Keating Quotes

I believe to be a leader is to enable others to embrace a vision, initiative or assignment in a way that they feel a sense of purpose, ownership, personal engagement, and common cause. I was very affected as a child by my father's positive example as a civic leader who inspired others to share his commitment to improving our community.

Society is what we make of it, so we'd better try to make it the best we can.

An activist is one who is actively involved in creating community, whether that is locally in their neighborhood or internationally. It is an admirable quality.

Great leaders communicate a vision that captures the imagination and fires the hearts and minds of those around them.

If people come out of an election and everyone’s despairing, everyone’s in a collective civic funk, we don’t get anything done. Simply reminding people of how bad things are and what you lost, nobody’s moved by that. People are moved by the sense of possiblity, a sense of hope.

Between being governor and part of the Senate, one of the things I did was I held a chair at the business school at my alma mater, Indiana University. And I'd go to lecture the graduates, and I loved that, answering their questions. It was real; it was tangible, and it was making a difference every day.

I really believe in sharing my story to improve social behaviors in the nation.

I feel like my role is to be one of those voices who reaches the youth.

When we make these decisions that we're going to commit ourselves to making a difference in the life of one person every single day, what happens is we actually build a whole generation of citizen leaders.

You've got a bunch of kids out here that might not want to be athletes, but they want to learn how to make a difference in their community, and I'm trying to as best I can show an example of that.

I think if you have an opportunity to live by example and make people aware of positive changes in our society, I think it's a great thing.

I still believe in the power of government to make lives better, and I believe that if someone is willing to take a stand, other people will follow.

When I was really little, I wanted to be our first woman president. I always knew I want to be the kind of grownup who makes people's lives better. And since that's pretty much the job of the President of the United States, it seemed like a good idea.

Arianna Huffington is one of the greatest champions of this idea - that anyone can make a difference.

We need leaders who are willing to stand up, drive the debate, and commit our fellow citizens to action.

I like talking about it, I like talking about world change. I like talking about things that you want to do in your community.

It only takes one person to mobilize a community and inspire change. Even if you don't feel like you have it in you, it's in you. You have to believe in yourself. People will see your vision and passion and follow you.

There are enough people who are starting to be actively involved that we can turn things around. And we need to encourage others to become involved.

I want to make a difference with people who want to make a difference, doing something that makes a difference.

Leaders may inspire, but only when the people decide to act does the leader's vision become a movement.

I hope people become inspired to become active in their community. That's the important thing.

We the people are the change makers.

I always say to people, "If you share my dream, why don't we walk together?" And that's my only organizing tool.

If you young people who today belong to the first generation of the 21st century make an effort now, you may be able to create a happier, more peaceful world. But you can't take for granted that it will happen by itself, you'll need to take action.

Let's start and build a House that works for the people, because this is the people's House.