Steven Levitan Quotes

I am pretty tough as a boss.

Governments need to have both shepherds and butchers.

The man whose authority is recent is always stern.

I'm a boss by nature. I'm bossy. I'm not imperious, but I don't really want people to curtsy low before me and back out of rooms, but I do like to run things.

Just as an athlete must exercise his body to be a winner, a leader must exercise his position of authority. If he doesn't, he loses that authority.

But some people don't appreciate my bossiness.

I like being able to fire people.

To rule is easy, to govern difficult.

Power should be reserved for weightlifting and boats, and leadership really involves responsibility.

I remember being, like, the age of 7 and just always being in control of something or someone, a baby somewhere. I had lots of cousins and brothers, and we were all taught that's how you are, you know. Things don't just run themselves; you have to make them run.

I don't mind how much my Ministers talk, so long as they do what I say.

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.

To be honest, the fact that people trust you gives you a lot of power over people. Having another person's trust is more powerful than all other management techniques put together.

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

Nobody is going to delegate a lot of power to a secretary that they can't control.

Governance is a way of organizing, amplifying, and constraining power.

Those who enjoy responsibility usually get it; those who merely like exercising authority usually lose it.

In order to be a lieutenant, you've got to have authority in your voice. No matter how young your face looks, you've got to let your guys know that you're in charge.

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

I'm a fair manager, put it that way. I like to be fair with the players, but there's a time for discipline.

I believe in delegating power.

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

Certainly I shall not be one of those who, having gained power, do not wish to use it.

I micromanage the selection of the cabinet.

The person who manages the state is me.