“To lead people, walk behind them.”

Lao Tzu

“I must follow them, I am their leader.”

Bonar Law

Conservative Prime Minister 1922-23

“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel.  If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

Sam Walton

“I avoid taking decisions as much as possible.  As Chief Executive, my job is to teach other people how to make the decisions.”

Kevin Newman

Founder, First Direct

“Leadership is a serving relationship that has the effect of facilitating human development.”

Ted Wood

“The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him on other men the conviction and the will to carry on.”

Walter Lippman

“The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point that they eventually surpass him or her in knowledge and ability.”

Fred Manske Jnr

“I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not followers ”

Ralph Nader

“Learning has replaced control as the fundamental role of management.”

Shoshana Zuboff

“Delegation is being prepared to trust people to do a task and achieve results without your interference.  It is easier said than done.”

John Payne

“The leader builds dispersed and diverse leadership – distributing leadership to the outermost edges of the circle to unleash the power of shared responsibility.”

Frances Hesselbein

“Every French soldier carriers a marshal’s baton in his knapsack.”

Napoleon

“I believe that leaders aren’t simply born with innate leadership skills which are waiting to be discovered, but that leaders can be developed.”

Sir Colin Marshall

“The only real training for leadership is leadership.”

Anthony Jay

“The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone.  You develop the funny bone and wish bone to go with it.”

Elaine Agather

“The man who is denied the opportunity of taking decisions of importance begins to regard the decisions he is allowed to take.  He becomes fussy about filing, keen on seeing pencils are sharpened, eager to ensure that the windows are opened (or shut) and apt to use 2 or 3 different coloured pencils!

The person who is devoted to paperwork has lost the initiative.  He is dealing with things that are brought to his notice, having ceased to notice anything for himself.  He has been essentially defeated in his job.”

Professor C Northcote Parkinson

1909-1993

“It is the responsibility of leadership and management to give opportunities and put demands on people which enable them to grow as human beings in their work environment.“

Sir John Harvey-Jones

“To get something done, a committee should consist of no more than 3 people; two of  whom are absent.“

Robert Copeland

“First, make yourself a reputation for being a creative genius.  Second, surround yourself with partners who are better than you.  Third, leave them to get on with it.”

David Ogilvy

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