Now we're in the midst of not just advocating for change, not just calling for change - we're doing the grinding, sometimes frustrating work of delivering change - inch by inch, day by day.
Barack ObamaRead
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of honesty, collaboration, and perseverance in leadership despite challenges and disagreements.
In this quote, Barack Obama reflects on the realities of leadership, acknowledging that setbacks and differing opinions are part of the process. He emphasizes the necessity of honesty with the public about the challenges faced by leaders and encourages collective action to overcome obstacles, reinforcing that progress is built through continuous effort and collaboration over time.
Themes
LeadershipHonestyCollaborationChallengesPerseverance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a leadership training workshop to inspire future leaders.
More from Barack Obama
All quotes →The government has to treat all citizens equally. I am a strong supporter not of a weak version of civil unions, but of a strong version, in which the rights that are conferred at the federal level to persons who are part of the same-sex union are compatible. When it comes to federal rights, the over 1,100 rights that right now are not being given to same-sex couples, I think that's unacceptable.
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Simple exchanges can break down walls between us, for when people come together and speak to one another and share a common experience, then their common humanity is revealed. We are reminded that we're joined together by our pursuit of a life that's productive and purposeful, and when that happens mistrust begins to fade and our smaller differences no longer overshadow the things that we share. And that's where progress begins.
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We've had every official in Hawaii, Democrat and Republican, every news outlet that has investigated this, confirm that, yes, in fact, I was born in Hawaii, Aug. 4, 1961, in Kapiolani Hospital.
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What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
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As a nuclear power - as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon - the United States has a moral responsibility to act.
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