I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.
Catherine The GreatRead
I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the duality of kindness and the necessity of making tough decisions in leadership roles.
Catherine The Great's quote highlights the complex nature of leadership where one can embody kindness and gentleness yet must also confront the harsh realities that come with responsibility. It illustrates the balance leaders must find between being compassionate and being decisive, emphasizing that effective leadership sometimes requires making difficult choices that may seem cruel but are necessary for the greater good.
In practice
During a leadership conference, this quote can be used to discuss how to balance compassion with the need for tough decisions.
I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster.
I praise loudly. I blame softly.
In politics a capable ruler must be guided by circumstances, conjectures and conjunctions.
A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache.
I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.
Happiness and unhappiness are in the heart and spirit of each one of us: If you feel unhappy, then place yourself above that and act so that your happiness does not get to be dependent on anything.
He [President Franklin D. Roosevelt] died in harness, and we may well say in battle harness, like his soldiers, sailors and airmen who died side by side with ours and carrying out their tasks to the end all over the world. What an enviable death was his.
The ultimate in disposing one's troops is to be without ascertainable shape. Then the most penetrating spies cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.
And therefore I am come amongst you at this time, not as for my recreation or sport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all; to lay down, for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even the dust. I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too.
If you're a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you've got to keep going.
The worst of guardians is a cruel ruler. Beware of becoming one of them.
The productivity of work is not the responsibility of the worker but of the manager.
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