Tom DeMarco Quotes

It was a hallmark of Nelson Mandela's leadership that being open to change made him appear not weaker, but even stronger.

I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to be analytical and flexible. Flexibility is one of the key ingredients to being successful. If you feel like it's difficult to change, you will probably have a harder time succeeding.

I'm able to bring business expertise but, more importantly, operating experience. The people here at Google are young. Every day there are lots of new challenges. I keep things focused. The speech I give everyday is: "This is what we do. Is what you are doing consistent with that, and does it change the world?"

Seeing people in person is a big part of how you drive any change process. You have to show people a positive view of the future and say "we can do it"

People who bring transformative change have courage, know how to re-frame the problem and have a sense of urgency.

And the most successful leader of all is one who sees another picture not yet actualized. He sees the things which belong in his present picture but which are not yet there.

A leader's job is to look into the future and see the organization, not as it is, but as it should be

Leaders make decisions that create the future they desire.

Change masters are - literally - the right people in the right place at the right time. The right people are the ones with the ideas that move beyond the organization's established practice, ideas they can form into visions. The right places are the integrative environments that support innovation, encourage the building of coalitions and teams to support and implement visions. The right times are those moments in the flow of organizational history when it is possible to reconstruct reality on the basis on accumulated innovations to shape a more productive and successful future.

The best leaders adapt and are flexible with their situations. I try to be the same.

There are different ways to lead throughout a practice or a year. Whatever that moment needs is something I've always tried to be ready to do.

My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better. My job is to pull things together from different parts of the company and clear the ways and get the resources for the key projects. And to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better, coming up with more aggressive visions of how it could be.

Effective leaders help others to understand the necessity of change and to accept a common vision of the desired outcome.

The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions. Not me. I don't want to be a manager or a dictator. I want to be a leader-and leadership is ongoing, adjustable, flexible, and dynamic. As such, leaders have to maintain a certain amount of discretion

All great leaders constantly seek new information and new ways of thinking.

It's better to be in charge of change than to have to react to change.

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

The leader is the organization's top strategist... systematically envisioning the future and specifically mapping out how to get there.

Making good judgments when one has complete data, facts, and knowledge is not leadership - it's bookkeeping

Great leaders rally people to a better future.

"Leadership" is a big topic today. We know that the world - nations and communities in addition to companies - needs more and better leaders. So I wanted to explore how leaders make a difference, how they can shift a negative cycle, turn around a losing organization, propel a team to victory when conditions aren't perfect. I saw that what leaders do is build confidence in advance of victory. Then the confidence they produce makes the hope of success turn into the reality of success, because people behave differently when they are surrounded by a culture of confidence.

The greatest gifts you can give your team: clarity, communication, and pulling people together around a shared mission.

Leadership is the art of disappointing people at a rate they can stand.

People who are role models for the principles and values of the organization, who buy in and understand the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish, and have the personality to inspire other people to the vision. You know, that’s what team chemistry and leadership is all about.

Get the right people. Then no matter what all else you might do wrong after that, the people will save you. That's what management is all about.