History is a myth that men agree to believe.
Napoleon BonaparteRead
Orders and decorations are necessary in order to dazzle the people.
Interpretation
Napoleon suggests that external symbols of power are important for impressing and influencing people.
In this quote, Napoleon Bonaparte emphasizes the significance of orders and decorations as tools for leadership and authority. He argues that these outward displays not only captivate the public but also serve to establish the legitimacy and respect of a leader. In essence, such symbols can enhance a leader's ability to command attention and devotion from their followers.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of leadership presence.
History is a myth that men agree to believe.
One must indeed be ignorant of the methods of genius to suppose that it allows itself to be cramped by forms. Forms are for mediocrity, and it is fortunate that mediocrity can act only according to routine. Ability takes its flight unhindered.
One can lead a nation only by helping it see a bright outlook. A leader is a dealer in hope.
We must laugh at man to avoid crying for him.
Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.
It is my wish that my ashes may repose on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of the French people, whom I have loved so well.
A leaderβs most powerful ally is his or her own example.
We need to have people up there who can communicate what it feels like, not just pilots and engineers.
Learn to help people with more than just their jobs: help them with their lives.
To be a successful soldier you must know history. . . . What you must know is how man reacts. Weapons change but man who uses them changes not at all. To win battles you do not beat weapons - you beat the soul of man of the enemy man.
Experience shows that great enterprises seldom end with a tidy and satisfactory flourish. Together, we are doing our best to re-establish peace and civil order in the Gulf region, and to help those members of civil and ethnic minorities who continue to suffer through no fault of their own. If we succeed, our military success will have achieved its true objective.
No leader, however great, can long continue unless he wins battles. The battle decides all.
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