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When the decision is up before you-and on my desk I have a motto which says "The buck stops here"-the decision has to be made.
Harry S. Truman
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Leaders must take responsibility for their decisions and actions.

This quote emphasizes the importance of accountability in leadership. When faced with decisions, a leader must recognize that they hold the ultimate responsibility for the outcomes, and they must make the necessary choices without passing the responsibility to others. Truman's motto, 'The buck stops here,' serves as a reminder that true leaders do not shy away from accountability but instead embrace it fully.

Themes

LeadershipResponsibilityDecision MakingAccountabilityMotto

In practice

Example use cases

In a team meeting, when discussing project failures, you could say, 'As Harry S. Truman once stated, 'The buck stops here,' emphasizing that we must take responsibility for our outcomes.

More from Harry S. Truman

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Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war, against those who have abandoned all pretense of obeying international laws of warfare. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans.
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I never would have agreed to the formulation of the Central Intelligence Agency back in forty-seven, if I had known it would become the American Gestapo.
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I would rather have peace in the world than be President.
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