The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.
John BuchanRead
The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.
Interpretation
Leadership involves drawing out the inherent greatness in individuals rather than trying to instill it from the outside.
John Buchan's quote emphasizes that true leadership is not about imposing greatness on individuals, but rather it is about recognizing and fostering the potential that already exists within them. This perspective shifts the focus of leadership from a top-down approach to one that encourages empowerment and self-discovery, suggesting that all individuals have the capacity for greatness waiting to be realized.
In practice
During a company meeting to inspire team members to realize their potential.
What leaders have to remember is that somewhere under the somnolent surface is the creature that builds civilizations, the dreamer of dreams, the risk taker. And remembering that, the leader must reach down to the springs that never dry up, the ever-fresh springs of the human spirit.
Failing to hold someone accountable is ultimately an act of selfishness.
There has to be absolute trust between the tiger and its master, but its master must be the master - there must be no mistake about that.
Times of upheaval require not just more leadership but more leaders. People at all organizational levels, whether anointed or self-appointed, must be empowered to share leadership responsibilities.
I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president - not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.
Great ambition, the desire of real superiority, of leading and directing, seems to be altogether peculiar to man, and speech is the great instrument of ambition.
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