Most human organizations that fall short of their goals do so not because of stupidity or faulty doctrines, but because of internal decay and rigidification.
Interpretation
Organizations often fail not due to a lack of intelligence or misguided beliefs, but because they become stagnant and unable to adapt.
James A. Garfield's quote highlights the importance of flexibility and adaptability within organizations. Rather than attributing failure to ignorance or incorrect principles, he points to the dangers of internal decayβwhere organizations become stuck in their ways and lose their ability to innovate or respond to changing circumstances. This serves as a reminder that successful leadership involves fostering an environment that encourages growth, change, and responsiveness to new challenges.
In practice
During a corporate training seminar on leadership, this quote can emphasize the need for adaptability in achieving success.
Statistical science is indispensable to modern statesmanship. In legislation as in physical science it is beginning to be understood that we can control terrestrial forces only by obeying their laws. The legislator must formulate in his statutes not only the national will, but also those great laws of social life revealed by statistics.
I am trying to do two things: dare to be a radical and not a fool, which is a matter of no small difficulty.
Justice and goodwill will outlast passion.
Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption.
If the power to do hard work is not a skill, it's the best possible substitute for it.
Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained.
The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.
In war, discipline can do more than fury.
No other President ever enjoyed the Presidency as I did.
Going back to being a head coach entails a full-time commitment to that job and I would not go into it for any amount of money and do it halfway. It would be a total commitment, not part-time.
He was the editor of our paper. He created the publishing house in Hebrew. He was - I wouldn't say the 'guru' - but really he was our teacher and a most respected man. I wrote for the paper of the youth movement.
A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.