Larry Diamond Quotes

Most governments and people want reform. It’s the prospect of change that makes reform rare.

We need to be brave and tell the politicians what a better future could be.

Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there.

Reform is not a one-night stand.

It is what makes the reform process an art, not just a science. You have to develop a strategy that tells you what reform measures you should follow and in what sequence.

Societies either roll on blindly to disaster or they find the inner strength to stop themselves long enough to find ways for reform from within.

Too often reform involves the mechanics of change rather than the underlying values.

Great economic and social forces flow with a tidal sweep over communities that are only half conscious of them. Wise statesmen are those who foresee what time is thus bringing, and endeavor to shape institutions and to mold men's thought and purpose in accordance with the change that is silently surrounding them.

Not only are there no free lunches, but there are no free systemic changes either.

There is something wrong with the way in which we make our decisions. The Government listen too much to the pollsters and the party managers. The trouble is that they are not even very good at politics, and they are entering too much into policy decisions. As a result, there is too much short-termism, too much reacting to events, and not enough shaping of events. We give the impression of being in office but not in power. Far too many important decisions are made for 36 hours' publicity.

Two types of choices seem to me to have been crucial in tipping their outcomes towards success or failure: long-term planning, and willingness to reconsider core values.

True statesmanship is the art of changing a nation from what it is into what it ought to be.

You get few chances to make really transformational institutional change.

To some extent, it is [that] everybody is resistant to change. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody that was opposed to the smoking ban … All of Western Europe followed New York City. Many of the states around here did. Every major city, including in the tobacco-growing states in the United States, did. Brazil is smoke-free. Mexico City is smoke-free. All of France, Italy, Spain, England—they’re all smoke-free. It takes a while. Leadership is about doing what you think is right and then building a constituency behind it. It is not doing a poll and following from the back. If you want to criticize the political process—and it’s probably true throughout history, and certainly not just in the United States—I think it’s fair to say, in business or in government, an awful lot of leaders follow the polls.

I intend to be a strong Speaker. I hope to make some imaginative changes around here.

In my reporting, I've found that real change escapes many change-makers because powerful illusions guide their projects.

The challenge we face as a government is meeting expectations - not specific expectations, but the larger expectations: things that need to be changed and that Narendra Modi will do it as though he has a magic wand.

Technology can be part of a solution, but it takes far more than software to usher in reform.

Leaders are fascinated by future. You are a leader if and only if, you are restless for change, impatient for progress and deeply dissatisfied with status quo. Because in your head, you can see a better future. The friction between 'what is' and 'what could be' burns you, stirs you up, propels you. This is leadership.

I have the experience we need to make the changes we want and I think that's a winning case.

Not all civil servants admire strong political leadership. But if you want to change things for the better you need strong political leadership.

When the President makes something a priority, we see action.

Your ability to shape your future depends on how well you communicate where you want to be when you get there. When ideas are communicated effectively, people follow and change.

I couldn't wait to get to the most powerful position, because I thought then I would be able to fix problems that only the leader can fix. But when I got there, I realized we needed revolutionary change.

Everything about my politics has been about the future.