Douglas Haig

"A true leader is one whose absence is felt as much as his presence."

"The soldier who understands why he fights fights with greater determination."

"History rewards those who have the courage to make difficult decisions."

"A man's reputation is built slowly and destroyed quickly; guard it accordingly."

"The greatest victories often come at the greatest cost."

"A commander must see what others cannot see and understand what others cannot understand."

"One must balance hope with realism; neither alone is sufficient for true leadership."

"The army that moves first does not always reach its destination first."

"A soldier must learn to obey before he can learn to command."

"The test of a plan is not whether it is perfect, but whether it is executable."

"A commander who loses the trust of his men has lost everything."

"In war, as in life, the simple plan is often the best plan."

"One must respect the enemy's capabilities while maintaining confidence in one's own."

"A great army is built on discipline, not on the whims of individual soldiers."

"The soldier who questions orders intelligently is more valuable than one who blindly obeys."

"A commander must make peace with the fact that some decisions will cost lives."

"Victory is not the absence of sacrifice, but the acceptance of it for a greater cause."

"The true measure of a general is not his victories, but how few lives he lost achieving them."

"A wise commander learns from the failures of his predecessors."

"The strength of conviction must be tempered with the flexibility of circumstance."

"One must never ask his men to do what he himself is not willing to do."

"A soldier's duty is sacred, and a commander must honor that sacred trust."

"The man who fears losing will find ways to lose; the man who expects victory may achieve it."

"A commander must be able to see beyond the immediate battlefield to the larger war."

"In the face of overwhelming odds, a clear mind and steady nerve prevail."

"One must build authority not through fear, but through respect and competence."

"The greatest commanders are those who understand both men and machines."

"A true soldier places the mission above his own comfort and safety."

"Victory achieved through treachery is no victory at all."

"A commander's character shapes the character of his army."