Sayings

Sayings

Every now and then we come across sayings that we incorporate into our work with clients – sometimes motivating them, sometimes motivating us:

The latest one – underlying the difficulty of change agents…

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things (because the innovator has for enemies) all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. (Machiavelli – The Prince)

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And when you add ignorance, an intolerance of ambiguity and the fear of the unknown… (Aperio)

Here are a few from the past:

Moving beyond your comfort zones…

“There is only one box, the one you put yourself in.”

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Importance of leadership…

“A leader must have courage. He must have guts. He must be ready to act swiftly and decisively…” (Clement Attlee)

Essentials of collaboration:

Once a man was thirsting at the bottom of a high hill.

His eyes saw the deer gathering at the brow of the hill to drink and his ears heard the splashing of water.

At the bidding of his eyes and ears the man began to climb, but his feet objected: “Why must we obey the ears and eyes and work so hard? The knees do nothing!”

So he began to walk on his knees.

Soon the knees complained: “What of the hands?”

Immediately he began walking on his hands, but the hands pointed out the futility of the climb since only the mouth wanted water.

Finally the man collapsed and died on the hill.

We, all of us, are the man and each part depends on the whole. No one is greater or less, no one is sufficient to himself. Thus says our ancient wisdom.”

Fable by James Kavanaugh and E. P. Dutton, New York 1980