Andre Maurois Quotes

It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men.

As leaders, we need to rise above petty politics and lead, rather than follow, the various interests and pressure groups in our respective countries.

If we are going to lead the world, we have to know where it is.

Creating a billion-dollar company is hard, but being a truly great leader is even harder.

Now in my view, if you were to line up the Presidents in the order of who made the greatest accomplishments, you'd put Lyndon Johnson in that arena with both Roosevelts probably, and [Abraham] Lincoln and so on. But the idea that Lyndon Johnson was operating as a free agent and coming up with these ideas on his own is nonsense.

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

All good management is the expression of one great idea

Any leader who asks the right questions of the right people has the potential to discover and develop great ideas.

Who is the enemy? Who is holding back more rapid movement to the better society that is reasonable and possible with available resources?...Evil, stupidity, apathy, the 'system' are not the enemy...The real enemy is fuzzy thinking on the part of good, intelligent, vital people...In short, the enemy is strong natural servants who have the potential to lead but do not lead, or who choose to follow a non-servant.

My job is to find great ideas, exaggerate them, and spread them like hell around the business with the speed of light...And to put resources in to support them. Keep finding ideas. That's the job of just about all of our CEOs.

The man fitted for affairs and authority never considers individuals, but things and their consequences.

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.

If you're not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it's almost certain you're not reaching your potential as a leader.

We bring together the best ideas - turning the meetings of our top managers into intellectual orgies.

One mark of a good officer, he remembered, was the ability to make quick decisions. If they happen to be right, so much the better.

Leaders make decisions that create the future they desire.

In order to succeed we need leaders of inspired idealism, leaders to whom are granted great visions, who dream greatly and strive to make their dreams come true; who can kindle the people with the fire from their own burning souls. The leader for the time being, whoever he may be, is but an instrument, to be used until broken and then to be cast aside; and if he is worth his salt he will care no more when he is broken than a soldier cares when he is sent where his life is forfeit in order that the victory may be won.

George Mitchell was a very good leader, and we were more than satisfied with his leadership. And I know the guys were jealous.

Often times the best military leaders were soldiers.

Ideas really do matter. But in any organization a good idea will only go so far unless its proponents are willing to fight the political games to get the idea adopted.

Polls are no substitute for leadership because, at its very essence, leadership is about giving people what they don't already have - a sense of vision, inspiration, or even an adequate grasp of a particular subject.

Great leaders don't try to please everyone. Great leaders don't water down their message in order to make the tribe a bit bigger. Instead, they realize that a motivated, connected tribe in the midst of a movement is far more powerful than a larger group could ever be.

Leadership is a role you have to earn in order to be effective.

Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. Leaders who are good navigators are capable of taking their people just about anywhere.

I'm sometimes described as a flamboyant leader and a hip-shooter, a fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants operator. But if that were true, I could never have been successful in this business.