Denise Morrison Quotes

Give us a clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for—because unless we stand for something we will fall for anything.

A movement without a vision is a movement without moral foundation.

The problem with most leaders today is they don't stand for anything. Leadership implies movement toward something, and convictions provide that direction. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything

Everybody has to know where they're coming from, what they're doing, why they're doing it, who they are. These are essentials.

All these boundaries - Africa, Asia, Malaysia, America - are set by men. But you don't have to look at boundaries when you are looking at a man - at the character of a man. The question is: What do you stand for? Are you a follower, or are you a leader?

People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

For me, leadership is tied to self-knowledge. The examined life has become one of my ideals. To lead a people, you have to know who you are, where you come from, what you believe and why, what you're prepared to fight for or even die for, where you draw your strength, why and how you share yourself, and finally, where you would want to take the nation.

The power of a person derives not from the office he occupies but from a clear sense of direction and aspiration and from a willingness to struggle for his ways and beliefs.

Stick to your true north - build greatness for the long term.

What's missing from the world is a sense of direction.

At the end of the day, people will follow you or people will be energised by you if they buy into your vision or purpose. So the most important thing is to be true to yourself. That's why I would say to be a great leader - you, first and foremost, have to be a great human being. And sharing that purpose and sharing the values.

It doesn't matter what you do. It matters who you are.

...in the words of Max DePree: "Management has a lot to do with answers. But leadership is a function of questions. And the first question for a leader always is: 'Who do we intend to be?' Not 'What are we going to do?' but 'Who do we intend to be?'"

Leadership is about having principles. A leader must have a vision and principles that will endure for all time and must always be true to these principles, applying them to changing circumstances

There is one quality more important than know-how.... This is know-how by which we determine not only how to accomplish our purposes, but what our purposes are to be.

There's more than one way to get to the goal that you want to get to, but once you compromise your own principles, then you're lost. You're really lost.

The challenge is always before us. Whenever we lose sight of the principles that mattered to our founders we run into trouble.

If you can maintain that integrity in whatever you do, you can't go wrong. That's what I tell my kids, anyway.

You figure out what your standards are, and I think that's important.

The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

Character is that sum total of moments we can't explain.

You always really have to remain consistent in your beliefs and philosophy.

I've always said there is a boulevard that exists between compromising your principles and getting everything you want. Now, we should never compromise our principles. And I never have. Those are the things that people vote for you on, that's the core of who you are. But there's always a boulevard between that and getting everything you want.

I'm willing to negotiate, but not compromise my core principles.

I think it's important to be with a guy who has a strong sense of integrity. That's how I was raised, and that's something I look for.