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.
There's a road that runs through our humanity and it traverses political and partisan lines, and my job as a U.S. senator is to do everything I can to point to that road that connects our collective humanity and to push forward legislation that's good for everybody.
Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela - these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying we're going to wipe you off the planet.
When you were made a leader you weren't given a crown, you were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others.
If your employees are disengaged, and they don't take care of your customers, it doesn't matter how good your strategy is - your customers will still go somewhere else.
All things being equal, the primary competitive advantage of your business will be your ability to grow Leaders Without Titles faster than your industry peers.
One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.
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