Bessie Rowland James Quotes

Like a good parent can't also be his child's best friend, a leader with authority requires some separation from subordinates.

He isn't a real boss until he has trained subordinates to shoulder most of his responsibilities.

He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.

Delegation of authority is a fact of modern life.

The man in charge must concern himself with details. If he does not consider them important, neither will his subordinates.

The basic principle is I command, and my employees carry it out immediately.

The great irony of management is that the higher up you go, the less actual control you have. When you are but a humble coder, you make the computer do exactly what you want; when you're a manager, you only hope that people understand what you want, and then trust/pray that they do it both correctly and in a timely manner.

So I still seized the power, but I felt that if I officially made myself the boss, in black and white, it would be too intimidating for the other producers and the other men who worked on the show. In other words, I had the power, but I gave them the title.

You always hear about delegation, but people make the mistake of delegating and not following up. I give authority, but I stay in touch. Otherwise it doesn't work.

I've never wanted to be the boss.

You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility.

When you establish a powerful position, the first think you have to do is check that power and make it accountable.

He was in charge of everything and I was to be wherever he wasn’t.

I micromanage the selection of the cabinet.

I expect you to be a leader, to supervise by example, to lead, not simply order others to do hard jobs. I will hold you personally responsible for the operations under you. If one of your men makes an error, you as well as he will be accountable.

Every executive function, whether superior or subordinate, should be the appointed duty of some given individual. It should be apparent to all the world who did everything, and through whose default anything was left undone. Responsibility is null when nobody knows who is responsible. Nor, even when real, can it be divided without being weakened.

If the head of the state is exemplary and his officials are competent, all things will go well. If the head of the state will worry about minute details, his officials will be lazy, and all things will go bad.

The White House Chief of Staff must always remember that he is staff and not chief.

If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame.

Responsibility is a unique concept... You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you...

I’ll take care of South America. Just leave it to me.

Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.

Some people need a command-and-control environment.

Bosses are the ones calling the shots, as they should in any organization. And if you think you're above your boss, that's not reality.

In England, your manager is like a boss.