Leadership Quotes

"A President cannot escape being considered as a representative of the American people."

"I never made decisions on my own, I always consulted with the people I trusted."

"I learned that a great leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do."

"I would rather have a man of ability than a yes-man."

"The only thing that matters is what happens when you're in that chair."

"The function of a President is to make decisions. You can't make decisions without hurting people."

"I never thought being President would be easy. I just didn't know how hard it would be."

"The greatest asset of any nation is its people."

"The most necessary action is sometimes the most unpopular one."

"A government is only as good as the people who serve in it."

"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country."

"I believe in an aristocracy of talent and virtue."

"We must think and act like a nation of billions, not like scattered millions."

"The President has a responsibility to look ahead."

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers."

"Allow the President to be President."

"In the final analysis, the simple problems of human survival are the basic concern of government."

"Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past – let us accept our own responsibility for the future."

"Steadfastness in a nation's principles is essential for success."

"These are extraordinary times. And we face an extraordinary challenge."

"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."

"Personnel is policy—the people you surround yourself with will shape everything you accomplish."

"Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy is being carried out."

"A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, longing for us to answer with honesty and with clear vision."

"I now realize that I did not become president to make Republicans happy; I became president to protect America."

"The most important thing is the mission, not the machine."

"You can test a man's character by what he does when he has power and plenty."

"I respect anyone who is dedicated to their craft."

"Your character is your greatest asset."

"In a way, each of us is responsible for the culture we perpetuate."