Quotes by Robert Townsend

“A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so that they can get on with their jobs”

“True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not the enrichment of the leaders.”

“If you dont do it excellently, dont do it at all. Because if its not excellent, it wont be profitable or fun, and if youre not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there?”

“The soul is made for action, and cannot rest till it be employed. Idleness is its rust. Unless it will up and think and taste and see, all is in vain.”

“One of the most important tasks of a manager is to eliminate his peoples excuses for failure.”

“Consultants are people who borrow your watch and tell you what time it is, and then walk off with the watch.”

“If people are coming to work excited...if theyre making mistakes freely and fearlessly...if theyre having fun...if theyre concentrating on doing things, rather than preparing reports and going to meetings...then somewhere you have a leader.”

“A good manager doesnt try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people. If youre the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong - thats healthy.”

“Top management is supposed to be a tree full of owls-hooting when management heads into the wrong part of the forest. Im still unpersuaded they even know where the forest is.”

“Compromise is usually bad. It should be a last resort. If two departments or divisions have a problem they cant solve and it comes up to you, listen to both sides and then pick one or the other. This places solid accountability on the winner to make it work. Condition your people to avoid compromise.”

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they dont necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”

“You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.”

Getting there isnt half the fun, its all the fun.

The big unions served a noble purpose once and bless them for it. Now theyre part of the problem and must give way if America is to move and to participate in management and achieve reasonable productivity.