One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice-president, and that one word is ‚to be prepared‘.

It is more difficult to rule yourself than to rule a city.

If you get your ego in your way, you will only look to other people and circumstances to blame.

I understand everybody in this country doesn’t agree with the decisions I’ve made. And I made some tough decisions. But people know where I stand.

Cruel leaders are replaced only to have new leaders turn cruel.

There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.

I take a lot of pride in the work I do, because people pay to see me. They’ve got to get babysitters, park their car, get popcorn and candy. I’ve got to be conscious of that.

I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together.

If you want to cut your own throat, don’t come to me for a bandage.

Our friends at the Republican convention were more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with America, but they didn’t have much to say about how they’d make it right. They want your vote, but they don’t want you to know their plan.

The last thing I wanted to do was to be a wartime President.

Each generation doubtless feels called upon to reform the world. Mine knows that it will not reform it, but its task is perhaps even greater. It consists in preventing the world from destroying itself.

Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.

The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.

As a country, we can’t teach kids how to read and write when we got 18 years to do it. And that’s – that’s a disgrace.

It is unnecessary to say that Fidel Castro possesses the high qualities of a fighter and statesman: our path, our struggle, and our triumph we owed to his vision.

As his vice president for eight years, I learned more from Ronald Reagan than from anyone I encountered in all my years of public life.

You know I vowed when I became President not to talk about the loneliest toughest job in the world and I didn’t.

I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together.

Being president isn’t anything like reality TV. It’s not about sending insulting tweets or making fiery speeches; it’s about whether or not the candidate can handle the awesome responsibility of leading this country.

Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

Blessed are the people whose leaders can look destiny in the eye without flinching but also without attempting to play God.

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

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.

When a team takes ownership of its problems, the problem gets solved. It is true on the battlefield, it is true in business, and it is true in life.

He incurs a fearful amount of guilt who in the least promotes the aim of the Evil One by trampling upon a tender conscience in a child.

You know, one of the things I think you understand as president is you’re held responsible for everything, but you don’t always have control of everything, right?

Always do everything you ask of those you command.

The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

In business, if you realize you’ve made a bad decision, you change it.

I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone – and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions that move the ball forward.

Being the only man in the household with my mom definitely helped me grow up fast.

With Benghazi, I don’t see anyone saying, ‚Hey look, I am overall responsible for this and therefore, I take responsibility for what happened. It’s my fault.‘ I haven’t heard that yet. Meanwhile, the other side of the coin, the Osama bin Laden raid, it seems everyone made that decision, and that’s just unbelievable to me.

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

I feel good because I believe I have made progress in rebuilding the people’s trust in their government.

I don’t want to express my opinion about actual politics, because if I do, I have to be responsible for my decision.

Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.

Positional leaders ignore the fact that every person has hopes, dreams, desires, and goals of his own. And leaders must bring their vision and the aspirations of the people they lead together in a way that benefits everyone.

Your success, or lack of success, is your responsibility. Even when you have a chain of command that you don’t like as well, its your responsibility to work with the up chain of command.

Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.

All very successful commanders are prima donnas and must be so treated.

Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.

When I took over as president, I studied the Constitution, and the more I studied it, the more I realised that it does not prevent the president of India from giving the nation a vision. So when I went and presented this vision in Parliament and in legislative assemblies; everyone welcomed it, irrespective of party affiliations.

If you call yourself a leader, then you have to be decisive. If you’re decisive, then you have the chance to be a leader. These are two sides to the same coin.

The path to the CEO’s office should not be through the CFO’s office, and it should not be through the marketing department. It needs to be through engineering and design.

A president either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him. I never felt that I could let up for a moment.

How can a president not be an actor?

Once elected, the Pope is by virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error. God would change any spend thrift politician into a responsible Pope.

Be the chief but never the lord.

Divide and rule, the politician cries; unite and lead, is watchword of the wise.

I’m committed to the people of Gujarat. I will devote each and every moment to serve my people of Gujarat.

Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed… It doesn’t give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead.

Putin goes to bed at night knowing he can break all the rules, and the West will follow all the rules.

You’ve all seen over the last eight years what President Obama means to this country. He is the embodiment of honor, resolve, and character – one of the finest presidents we have ever had.

The blame is his who chooses: God is blameless.

Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.

Leadership is absolutely vital if there are comparable countries which can affect the security of the world you live in. Between Lincoln and Roosevelt’s time, America was protected by huge oceans and, in practice, by the British navy. Today, it’s different, and the obsession of the Obama administration has been for retrenchment.

The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers.

If you want to reach the top, don’t run over others. Likely, the only way you’ll reach the top is to be carried there by others.

I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as ‚us‘ and ‚them‘ – he doesn’t care whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above… he knows that we all love our country… and he’s always ready to listen to good ideas… he’s always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.