Great leaders understand that historical success tends to produce stable and inwardly focused organizations, and these outfits, in turn, reinforce a feeling of contentment with the status quo.
John P. KotterRead
Leadership produces change. That is its primary function
Interpretation
Leadership is fundamentally about facilitating progress and transformation.
This quote by John P. Kotter emphasizes that the core role of leadership is to drive change within an organization or community. Effective leaders not only envision what needs to be transformed but also inspire and mobilize their followers to embrace and enact that change, ultimately resulting in growth and advancement.
In practice
During a conference on business strategy, one might say, 'As John P. Kotter states, leadership produces change; we need to embrace new practices to adapt to market demands.'
Great leaders understand that historical success tends to produce stable and inwardly focused organizations, and these outfits, in turn, reinforce a feeling of contentment with the status quo.
We are always creating new tools and techniques to help people, but the fundamental framework is remarkably resilient, which means it must have something to do with the nature of organizations or human nature.
Managers are trained to make incremental, programmatic improvements. They aren't trained to lead large-scale change.
Because management deals mostly with the status quo and leadership deals mostly with change, in the next century we are going to have to try to become much more skilled at creating leaders.
Outsiders have the intuitive ability to continually view problems in fresh ways and to identify ineffective practices and traditions.
Those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies and for themselves.
I emphasize to C.E.O.s, you have to have a story in the minds of the employees. It's hard to memorize objectives, but it's easy to remember a story.
I had worked hard my entire career to establish myself as a leader. But I wasn't a leader until I was perceived as one.
If you have no opposition in the place you serve, you're serving in the wrong place.
I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent.
I think that's what's thrilling about leadership - when you're holding onto literally the worst possible hand on the planet and you know you're still going to win. How are you still going to win? Because that's when the character of the company really comes out.
If nominated by either party, I should peremptorily decline, and even if unanimously elected, I should decline to serve.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.