Gerald R. Ford Quotes

Patriotism must be faithful as well as fervent; statesmanship must be wise as well as fearless not the statesmanship which will command the applause of the hour, but the judgment of posterity.

The public wants elected officials who have character. The public wants elected officials who are willing to stand up and say things, even if they don't agree with them.

Leadership is about doing what you know is right - even when a growing din of voices around you is trying to convince you to accept what you know to be wrong.

Leadership is about doing the right thing, even if it going against a vast number of naysayers and mediocre people.

A man of conviction is often more to be desired than a man of experience.

I think you need people of principle, of character, that are leaders, that take stands on important tough issues that will affect the future of this country.

What distinguishes the majority of men from the few is their ability to act according to their beliefs.

Mayors are very different, because mayors can't be on both sides of every issue. Mayors have to take an explicit stance. Just go with your gut and say what you believe, and you'll be fine. If you're not fine, at least you'll like what you see in the mirror.

In a president, character is everything. A president doesn't have to be brilliant... He doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever... You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you cant buy courage and decency, you cant rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him. He needs to have, in that much maligned word, but a good one nonetheless, a vision of the future he wishes to create.. But a vision is worth little if a president doesn't have the character - the courage and heart - to see it through.

The minute a person whose word means a great deal to others dare to take the open-hearted and courageous way, many others follow.

Caesar was a man of great common sense and good taste, meaning thereby a man without originality or moral courage.

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?

It is not easy to stand up against your constituents or your friends or colleagues or your community and take a tough stand for something you believe is right. Because you always want to keep working and live to fight another battle and it might cost you your career.

It is a blessed thing that in every age some one has had the individuality enough and courage enough to stand by his own convictions.

Strong convictions precede great actions.

Every time you make the hard, correct decision you become a bit more courageous, and every time you make the easy, wrong decision you become a bit more cowardly. If you are CEO, these choices will lead to a courageous or cowardly company.

What is character? It is that quality of man which is going to make a man, in an hour of strain, do the just and, if possible, the generous thing.

But our leaders of today have decided it's more important to be popular, to say and do what's easy, and say yes rather than to say no, when no is what is required.

I admire President Obama's class and measure.

Political courage is not political suicide.

When you take a stand out of deep conviction, people know. They may not even agree, but they ask, 'Do I want someone who is willing to take a hard stand and someone I can trust to do that when the chips are down?' They want that.

To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.

Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It's not hard. Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking.

A man must be sensible of the errors of the people, and upon his guard against them, and must run the risk of their displeasure sometimes, or he will never do them any good in the long run.

Robert Taft—A Leader Who Said Only What He Thought Was Right, And Had The Courage To Say It