When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property.
Interpretation
Public officials must recognize their role as servants to the public and not as individuals with private interests.
This quote by Thomas Jefferson emphasizes the responsibility that comes with positions of power and public trust. When individuals take on roles that affect the lives of others, they must put the needs and interests of the public above their own, understanding that their decisions impact the community at large. It serves as a reminder that leadership is not about personal gain, but about serving and being accountable to the people.
In practice
In a discussion about ethical leadership, I shared Jefferson's quote to illustrate the importance of serving the people.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
βWe must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
A leader should have higher endurance and ability to accept and embrace failure.
The first thing to look for when searching for a great employee is somebody with a personality that fits with your company culture. Most skills can be learned, but it is difficult to train people on their personality.
We love those who can lead us to a place we will never reach without them.
A coach's primary function should be not to make better players, but to make better people
The difficulty with businessmen entering politics, after they've had a successful business career, is that they want to start at the top.
And here one must not that hatred is acquired just as much by means of good actions as by bad ones; and so, as I said above, if a prince wishes to maintain the state, he is often obliged not to be good; because whenever that group which you believe you need to support you is corrupted, whether it be the common people, the soldiers, or the nobles, it is to your advantage to follow their inclinations in order to satisfy them; and then good actions are your enemy.
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