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To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead.
William Hazlitt
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Effective leadership requires understanding and adapting to others' perspectives before expecting them to accept yours.

This quote emphasizes that in order to persuade others to adopt your viewpoint or ideas, you must first understand and embrace theirs. It implies that successful leadership involves empathy, flexibility, and the willingness to listen and adapt to the thoughts and feelings of others, ultimately fostering a more collaborative environment that encourages mutual respect and understanding.

Themes

LeadershipUnderstandingPersuasionEmpathyCollaboration

In practice

Example use cases

In a team meeting where conflict arises, this quote can be used to suggest that team members should consider each other’s viewpoints to reach a consensus.

More from William Hazlitt

Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
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The world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
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Our repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain.
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We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
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There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.
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Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.
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