Toni Morrison Quotes

The more I have studied Lincoln, the more I have followed his thought processes, the more I am convinced that he understood leadership better than any other American president.

I think that the great presidents have always been a little more clever.

Statesman create; ordinary leaders consume. The ordinary leader is satisfied with ameliorating the environment, not transforming it; a statesman must be a visionary and an educator.

A leader has to be one of two things: he either has to be a brilliant visionary himself, a truly creative strategist, in which case he can do what he likes and get away with it; or else he has to be a true empowerer who can bring out the best in others.

A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others do." (Leroy Eims)

Over time, I have come to this simple definition of leadership: Leadership is getting results in a way that inspires trust.

Great leaders, like Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos, also focused on the long term.

Leaders need to be optimists. Their vision is beyond the present.

The essence of statesmanship is not a rigid adherence to the past, but a prudent and probing concern for the future.

Wise men make more opportunities than they find.

Leaders keep their eyes on the horizon, not just on the bottom line.

Foresight has been a distinguishing characteristic of all truly great political, religious, and social betterment leaders.

The most brilliant statesman who ever lived, possessing the loftiest and keenest intellect of his time.

All good Presidents are supple.

The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully.

The great statesmen are those who hear the hoof beats of the horses of history.

A leader not only has to be in the center but also be in the future.

Leaders must go ahead even when moving ahead is controversial. You must be ahead of time, because if you want to represent the status quo, what do you need leaders for?

Hef is a man of the big picture. He is a creative force.

I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to be analytical and flexible. Flexibility is one of the key ingredients to being successful. If you feel like it's difficult to change, you will probably have a harder time succeeding.

An ability to embrace new ideas, routinely challenge old ones, and live with paradox will be the effective leader's premier trait.

To grasp and hold a vision, that is the very essence of successful leadership-not only on the movie set where I learned it, but everywhere.

Making good judgments when one has complete data, facts, and knowledge is not leadership - it's bookkeeping

A leader without the vision, to strive to improve things, is no good. Then you will just stay put, you won't progress.