Journalism still, in a democracy, is the essential force to get the public educated and mobilized to take action on behalf of our ancient ideals.
Doris Kearns GoodwinRead
That is what leadership is all about: staking your ground ahead of where opinion is and convincing people, not simply following the popular opinion of the moment.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Leadership involves setting a vision and persuading others rather than just going along with popular beliefs.
In this quote, Doris Kearns Goodwin emphasizes that true leadership requires initiative and foresight. A leader should not just conform to the prevailing opinions but should instead carve out their own path and inspire others to join them in pursuit of that vision. This approach fosters trust and encourages innovation, as effective leaders motivate their teams to believe in a shared direction rather than following the crowd.
Themes
LeadershipInfluenceVisionPersuasionCourage
In practice
Example use cases
In a corporate meeting, when discussing company direction, this quote can be used to encourage managers to take bold steps towards innovation rather than just following market trends.
More from Doris Kearns Goodwin
All quotes βWe've got to figure out a way that we give a private sphere for our public leaders. We're not gonna get the best people in public life if we don't do that.
Doris Kearns GoodwinRead
Once a president gets to the White House, the only audience that is left that really matters is history.
Doris Kearns GoodwinRead
I am a historian. With the exception of being a wife and mother, it is who I am. And there is nothing I take more seriously.
Doris Kearns GoodwinRead
Obama does seem to have what both FDR and Lincoln had, which is the recognition that you have to hold back at times and then wait to come forward.
Doris Kearns GoodwinRead
Those who knew Lincoln described him as an extraordinarily funny man. Humor was an essential aspect of his temperament. He laughed, he explained, so he did not weep.
Doris Kearns GoodwinRead
Similar quotes
The Scoutmaster who is a hero to his boys holds a powerful lever to their development but at the same time brings a great responsibility on himself. They are quick enough to see the smallest characteristic about him, whether it be a virtue or a vice.
Robert Baden-PowellRead
If we knew how often the obedience of others is affected by our own, and how often our stepping forth soon brings forth a whole platton of helpers, and how often our speaking forth soon creates a chorus - we would be even more ashamed of our slackess and our silence.
Neal A. MaxwellRead
It took me a while to learn that certain people may have important skills that are not always blazingly apparent. Gradually I came to realize - slow as I may have been - that what mattered was performance, that sometimes people might have to be helped to develop, and that it takes all kinds to make an organization run properly.
Katharine GrahamRead
Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity.
Carl Von ClausewitzRead
To get the best coaching outcomes, always have your 1-on-1's on your employee's turf not yours. In your office the truth hides.
Marcus BuckinghamRead
Oh for someone with a heart, head and hand. Whatever they call them, what do I care, aristocrat, democrat, autocrat, just be it one that can rule and dare not lie.
Alfred Lord TennysonRead