Shai Agassi Quotes

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.

We have moved from an age in which government leaders sought to do what was best for the people to one in which the political leadership is convinced it knows what is best for the people, whether they like it or not.

In our complex world, there cannot be fruitful initiative without government, but unfortunately there can be government without initiative.

Governors have to balance budgets. And they have to make decisions. And they have to do things that sometimes aren't popular. And they also have to bring people together to try to solve problems.

We'll always need energy. We need to communicate, too, but we're not stuck with hand gestures and smoke signals. There are better ways to power our future than by digging fossil fuel from the ground and setting it on fire.

Good ideas are the backbone of good government.

It's our duty as leaders in Washington to keep the government running.

The mayor of New York is the chief executive of the city. It is a complex organization and it requires the requisite skills to understand how to be the leader of the people and manage the government of N.Y.

We carry out our work under the leadership of the government.

Ted Turner is still a leader. And he sets a great example. His ability financially has been reduced, but his influence and his example still is an important asset to the whole environmental movement.

I have just come out of an electoral experience with the people of my country in which I invited them to join me in a partnership for governance.

The reason I bought the Tesla was to help fund the Model S - and because I like things that are fast, sexy and high-tech.

It really matters whether people are working on generating clean energy or improving transportation or making the Internet work better and all those things. And small groups of people can have a really huge impact.

There is no reason why, with the huge potential for market out there in the world for fuel-efficient vehicles, we can't be the cutting edge for change.

Mayors make tough decisions; Senators make tough speeches.

The most basic building block of any successful government is, first and foremost, a moral authority over the people it leads.

My brother is about energy. SpaceX is his passion, and I love being a part of that company. Energy is where he spends a lot of his time and thinking in terms of having an impact on the world.

As chief of staff, I was responsible for running a multibillion-dollar organization with over 34,000 employees, and working on everything from health care to transportation.

Residents expect their state leaders to deliver solutions for the people of their state.

Formula E symbolizes a vision for the future of motorsports and the automotive industry.

The more you drive positive change, the more enhanced your business model.

Making change tolerable is one of the duties of Government.

Every single great idea that has marked the 21st century, the 20th century and the 19th century has required government vision and government incentive.

If I were to point to the person who's having the greatest impact... I'd point to Elon Musk.

Government exists to create and preserve conditions in which people can translate their ideas into practical reality. In the best of times, much is lost in translation. But we try.