Peace comes when you talk to the guy you most hate. And that's where the courage of a leader comes, because when you sit down with your enemy, you as a leader must already have very considerable confidence from your own constituency.
Interpretation
True peace requires dialogue, even with those you dislike, showcasing a leader's courage and confidence.
Desmond Tutu emphasizes that achieving peace involves confronting difficult relationships, particularly with adversaries. A true leader demonstrates courage by engaging in conversations with those they oppose, indicating a deep-rooted confidence in their mandate and support from their followers. This willingness to dialogue highlights the strength and authenticity of leadership.
In practice
This quote can be used during a leadership conference to emphasize the importance of dialogue and reconciliation.
The fossil reserves that have already been discovered exceed what can ever be safely used. Yet companies spend half a trillion dollars each year searching for more fuel. They should redirect this money toward developing clean energy solutions
As much as the world has an instinct for evil and is a breeding ground for genocide, holocaust, slavery, racism, war, oppression, and injustice, the world has an even greateer instinct for goodness, rebirth, mercy, beauty, truth, freedom and love.
When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.
Children are a wonderful gift. They have an extraordinary capacity to see into the heart of things and to expose sham and humbug for what they are.
Religion is like a knife: you can either use it to cut bread, or stick in someone's back.
Gaza is going to test who believes in the worth of human beings.
If we want girls to receive positive reinforcement for early acts of leadership, let's discourage bossy behavior along with banning bossy labels. That means teaching girls to engage in behaviors that earn admiration before they assert their authority.
We have learned how to develop five-minute and even one-minute managers. But we would do better to ask ourselves what it takes to be an executive who helps build a better future.
Your most precious possession is not your financial assets. Your most precious possession is the people you have working there, and what they carry around in their heads, and their ability to work together.
I'm so proud to see that I went through an era when it wasn't popular to be an African-American quarterback. Then, to see how things have turned around. It's not about the African-American quarterback. It's about the quarterback who has an ability to do everything.
To those whom much is given, much is expected.
...the best leaders are servant leaders - they serve those they lead.
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