Every sentence spoken by Napoleon, and every line of his writing, deserves reading, as it is the sense of France.

Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories.

Riches are a good hand maiden, but a poor mistress.

Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn’t come alive until the leader models it.

The President is not only the leader of a party, he is the President of the whole people. He must interpret the conscience of America. He must guide his conduct by the idealism of our people.

The trouble with Nixon is that he’s a serious politics junkie. He’s totally hooked and like any other junkie, he’s a bummer to have around, especially as President.

Leadership to me means duty, honor, country. It means character, and it means listening from time to time.

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.

Example is leadership.

There is no great genius without some touch of madness.

Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.

There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.

I don’t mind how much my Ministers talk, so long as they do what I say.

Some single mind must be master, else there will be no agreement in anything.

I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?

Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom; and a great empire and little minds go ill together.

With tech companies, whoever’s the leader is always questioned, you know. They say, ‚Is this the end of them?‘ And – there’s more – more times people think that’s the case than it really is the case.

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.

The wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite.

Let us not listen to those who think we ought to be angry with our enemies, and who believe this to be great and manly. Nothing is so praiseworthy, nothing so clearly shows a great and noble soul, as clemency and readiness to forgive.

There were the questions of what kind of First Lady I would be, what issues would I focus on. Those were the questions that were being pounded on me through the campaign. A lot of times, I wondered what in the world Barack was even getting us into.

I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is opposed to every instinct in my body. But as president I must put the interests of America first Therefore, I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.

There is nothing so stable as change.

Be the chief but never the lord.

I said I was ‚The Greatest,‘ I never said I was the smartest!

The country that consistently ranks among the highest in educational achievement is Finland. A rich country, but education is free. Germany, education is free. France, education is free.

I have no delusions about my likability in every scenario. I know that in order to get things done the way you want them, oftentimes your position will be unpopular.

A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don’t have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.

Standing as I do, with my hand upon this staff, and under the folds of the American flag, I ask you to stand by me so long as I stand by it.

Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.

He who seeks does not find, but he who does not seek will be found.

Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices of his friends.

My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty… it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.

Give thy thoughts no tongue.

Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude.

If you are a leader, you should never forget that everyone needs encouragement. And everyone who receives it – young or old, successful or less-than-successful, unknown or famous – is changed by it.

Men are more easily governed through their vices than through their virtues.

When you’re around the kids, you feel like you act the most grown up just because you’re supposed to lead. I say things, like every other parent, that reminds you of your own parents. One thing I do know about being a parent, you understand why your father was in a bad mood a lot.

Ever since Israel has been a nation the United States has provided the leadership. Every president down to the ages has done this in a fairly balanced way, including George Bush senior, Gerald Ford, and others including myself and Bill Clinton.

A home without books is a body without soul.

We cannot always oblige; but we can always speak obligingly.

No man was ever wise by chance.

In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

I am often asked if, when I was secretary, I had problems with foreign men. That is not who I had problems with, because I arrived in a very large plane that said United States of America. I had more problems with the men in our own government.

Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.

It is as hard and severe a thing to be a true politician as to be truly moral.

To all the positions, I just bring the determination to win. Me being an unselfish player, I think that can carry on to my teammates. When you have one of the best players on the court being unselfish, I think that transfers to the other players.

For success of any mission, it is necessary to have creative leadership. Creative leadership is vital for government, non-governmental organisations as well as for industries.

I don’t want to tell President Obama how to make a speech. He’s a much better speech maker than I am. But I think always to tell the truth in a sometimes blatant way, even though it might be temporarily unpopular, is the best approach.

I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.

The worst disease which can afflict executives in their work is not, as popularly supposed, alcoholism; it’s egotism.

Who, being loved, is poor?

When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‚We did it ourselves.‘

Chavez, who came out of the ranks of the Venezuelan Army, is methodical and tireless. I have observed him over the course of 17 years, since his first visit to Cuba. He is an extremely humanitarian and law-abiding person; he has never taken revenge on anybody.

The great thieves lead away the little thief.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

The President’s post should not be politicised. Once a president is elected, he is above politics.

I like to always lead from the front and set an example for whoever is playing with me or around me. I like taking responsibilities. That is my natural thing.

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.

One must steer, not talk.