James C. Collins Quotes

Caution is an important quality in a leader, but it has to be caution followed by decision. Caution followed by ambivalence can be a weakness.

I learned long ago on the battlefields of Vietnam that in a crisis, there is no substitute for clear-eyed leadership.

The commander ought to lead every important movement.

What is important in a leader is a resolute will and determination. A man may be versatile and learned, but if he lacks resoluteness and determination, of what use will he be?

A weak point of mine was maybe little resolve in governing and making decisions.

Politicians are strong to the extent that they are ready to take serious decisions and fight for it.

If Advaniji did not want, I would never have been Prime Minister.

Great leaders are not proverbial fence sitters. They judge. They opine. They challenge. They fight for their vision.

Leaders always step up, regardless of the circumstances.

Mediocre founders spend a lot of time talking about grand plans, but they never quite make a decision.

To have an uncommon lifestyle, you need to develop the uncommon habit of making decisions, both for yourself and for others.

The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions. Not me. I don't want to be a manager or a dictator. I want to be a leader-and leadership is ongoing, adjustable, flexible, and dynamic. As such, leaders have to maintain a certain amount of discretion

When I've heard all I need to make a decision, I don't take a vote. I make a decision.

[George W. Bush] has balls. And he's a leader. Unfortunately his balls and leadership are in the service of shitty ideas. We need his balls on someone who thinks right.

Donald Trump is a guy that's gets stuff done. If he says he's gonna do something, he does it. He doesn't worry about it. He's got thick skin. He's gonna do it. He's gonna bring jobs back.

I'm a believer that charisma makes a huge difference in people's decisions to follow you. However, it's not just that you say it well, but it's that you know it well. It helps if you can say it well enough that people want to follow you. Charisma isn't required, but it makes a big difference.

Nothing that matters in this world happens unless leaders lead it.

Reagan did not suffer from the dismal plague of doubts which has assailed so many politicians in our times and which has rendered them incapable of clear decisions.

I have a strong temperament, but our country needs a strong temperament.

Unlike top management at Enron, exemplary leaders reward dissent. They encourage it. They understand that, whatever momentary discomfort they experience as a result of being told they might be wrong, it is more than offset by the fact that the information will help them make better decisions.

The ONLY thing leaders have in common is the shared decision to lead.

The definition of strong leadership is not about making decisions that are popular. Making popular decisions is easy - you don't need to be a leader to do that. The definition of strong leadership is to make decisions that are unpopular, but are nevertheless sound.

My point is that true leaders...understand the possible consequences of their decisions, and are willing to bear that weight. The question is whether that's a step you're willing to take." -Carlist Rieekan

I wanted to come to Washington, D.C. and help be a transformative President. And I think history, when they look back, will say this is a fellow who knew how to make decisions, and made some tough ones, stood by them, wasn't driven by the latest opinion poll, but was driven by some core principles from which he would not deviate.

A president must make decisions based upon principle and stand by the principles by which he makes decisions in order to achieve peace.