Paralysis of leadership is due in part to the unseen grip of the special interests.
John W. GardnerRead
What leaders have to remember is that somewhere under the somnolent surface is the creature that builds civilizations, the dreamer of dreams, the risk taker. And remembering that, the leader must reach down to the springs that never dry up, the ever-fresh springs of the human spirit.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Leaders should recognize the deep potential within people, inspiring them to achieve greatness.
This quote emphasizes the importance of understanding the latent capabilities within individuals that can drive progress and innovation. Leaders must connect with the innate potential of people—their dreams and willingness to take risks—to foster an environment that inspires creativity and builds civilizations. By recognizing and engaging with these deeper aspects of the human spirit, leaders can unlock the enthusiasm and drive that lead to remarkable achievements.
Themes
LeadershipPotentialDreamsRiskHuman Spirit
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to inspire employees at a corporate retreat.
More from John W. Gardner
All quotes →More and more Americans feel threatened by runaway technology, by large-scale organization, by overcrowding. More and more Americans are appalled by the ravages of industrial progress, by the defacement of nature, by man-made ugliness. If our society continues at its present rate to become less livable as it becomes more affluent, we promise all to end up in sumptuous misery.
John W. GardnerRead
Storybook happiness involves every form of pleasant thumb-twiddling; true happiness involves the full use of one's powers and talents.
John W. GardnerRead
Leaders come in many forms, with many styles and diverse qualities. There are quiet leaders and leaders one can hear in the next county. Some find strength in eloquence, some in judgment, some in courage.
John W. GardnerRead
We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality and prevents exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure-all your life.
John W. GardnerRead
I think that all human systems require continuous renewal. They rigidify. They get stuff in the joints. They forget what they cared about. The forces against it are nostalgia and the enormous appeal of having things the way they always have been, appeals to a supposedly happy past. But we've got to move on.
John W. GardnerRead
Similar quotes
The nation will find it very hard to look up to the leaders who are keeping their ears to the ground.
Winston ChurchillRead
As commanders and staff officers, we are coaches and sentries for our units: how can we coach anything if we don't know a hell of a lot more than just the TTPs?
Jim MattisRead
Leadership starts with understanding responsibility, not ability. Leadership is a Stewardship, not a show.
Rick WarrenRead
I was always an independent, even when I had partners.
Samuel GoldwynRead
I don't even know what a traditional producer is or does. I feel like the job is like being a coach, building good work habits and building trust. You want to get to a point where you can say anything and talk about anything. There needs to be a real connection.
Rick RubinRead
The aim of leadership should be to improve the performance of man and machine, to improve quality, to increase output, and simultaneously to bring pride of workmanship to people. Put in a negative way, the aim of leadership is not merely to find and record failures of men, but to remove the causes of failure: to help people to do a better job with less effort.
W. Edwards DemingRead