And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
Orson Scott CardRead
If you give orders and explain nothing, you might get obedience, but you'll get no creativity. If you tell them your purpose, then when your original plan is shown to be faulty, they'll find another way to achieve your goal. Explaining to your men doesn't weaken their respect for you, it proves your respect for them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective leadership requires communication of purpose to foster creativity and respect.
This quote by Orson Scott Card emphasizes the importance of explaining the purpose behind orders in leadership. When leaders merely give commands without context, they may achieve compliance but stifle creativity and initiative among their team. In contrast, by sharing the underlying goals, leaders empower their team to think critically and devise alternative solutions, reinforcing mutual respect and collaboration.
Themes
LeadershipCommunicationCreativityRespectPurpose
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting about project directions.
More from Orson Scott Card
All quotes →The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
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Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
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The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
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You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
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I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
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