Robert Townsend Quotes

• 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.

  Robert Townsend

  Leadership, Running, Jobs

  39 Copy quote

• If people are coming to work excited. . . if they're making mistakes freely and fearlessly. . . if they're having fun. . . if they're concentrating on doing things rather than preparing reports and going to meetings-then somewhere you have leaders.

  Robert Townsend

  Leadership, Fun, Mistake

  22 Copy quote

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

  Robert Townsend

  Business, People, Watches

  16 Copy quote

• If you don't do it excellently, don't do it at all. Because if it's not excellent, it won't be profitable or fun.

  Robert Townsend

  Fun, Excellence, Excellent

  Robert Townsend (1988). “Further up the organization”, HarperCollins

  20 Copy quote

• A good manager doesn't try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people. If you're the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong - that's healthy.

  Robert Townsend

  Fighting, Thinking, People

  Robert Townsend (1988). “Further up the organization”, HarperCollins

  14 Copy quote

• Don't hire a master to paint you a masterpiece and then assign a roomful of schoolboy artists to look over his shoulder and make suggestions.

  Robert Townsend

  Artist, Suggestions, Looks

  Robert Townsend (1970). “Up The Organization”

  16 Copy quote

• Make every decision as if you owned the company.

  Robert Townsend

  Decision, Company, Ifs

  Robert Townsend (1988). “Further up the organization”, HarperCollins

  9 Copy quote

• It's been my experience that the people who gain trust, loyalty, excitement, and energy fast are the ones who pass on the credit to the people who have really done the work. A leader doesnt need any credit... He's getting more credit than he deserves anyway.

  Robert Townsend

  Motivational, Loyalty, People

  19 Copy quote

• Due to budget cutbacks, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

  Robert Townsend

  Business, Tunnels, Light

  22 Copy quote

• Compromise is usually bad. It should be a last resort. If two departments or divisions have a problem they can't 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.

  Robert Townsend

  Business, Mistake, Two

  Robert Townsend (1988). “Further up the organization”, HarperCollins

  13 Copy quote

• An idea's worth is directly proportional to the opposition created.

  Robert Townsend

  Ideas, Opposition

  11 Copy quote

• When you get right down to it, one of the most important tasks of a leader is to eliminate his people's excuse for failure.

  Robert Townsend

  Leadership, Failure, People

  13 Copy quote

• The world is divided into two classes of people: the few people who make good on their promises (even if they don't promise as much), and the many who don't. Get in Column A and stay there. You'll be very valuable wherever you are.

  Robert Townsend

  Class, Two, People

  "Up the Organization".

  16 Copy quote

• To keep an organization young and fit, don't hire anyone until everybody's so overworked they'll be glad to see the newcomer no matter where he sits.

  Robert Townsend

  Organization, Luck, Matter

  Robert Townsend (1970). “Up the Organization”

  14 Copy quote

• Managers must have the discipline not to keep pulling up the flowers to see if their roots are healthy.

  Robert Townsend

  Flower, Roots, Discipline

  15 Copy quote

• Is what I'm doing or about to do getting us closer to our objective?

  Robert Townsend

  Time, Focus, Priorities

  Robert Townsend (1988). “Further up the organization”, HarperCollins

  12 Copy quote

• It's a poor bureaucrat who can't stall a good idea until even its sponsor is relieved to see it dead and officially buried.

  Robert Townsend

  Ideas, Poor, Sponsors

  Robert Townsend (1988). “Further up the organization”, HarperCollins

  12 Copy quote

• A good leader needs to have a compass in his head and a bar of steel in his heart.

  Robert Townsend

  Inspirational, Heart, Leader

  16 Copy quote

• "Top" management is supposed to be a tree full of owls-hooting when management heads into the wrong part of the forest. I'm still unpersuaded they even know where the forest is.

  Robert Townsend

  Top Management, Tree, Owl

  13 Copy quote

• If you have to have a policy manual, publish the 'Ten Commandments.'

  Robert Townsend

  Policy, Ten Commandments, Manuals

  Robert Townsend (1984). “Further Up the Organization”, Random House Incorporated

  12 Copy quote

• Getting there isn't half the fun - it's all the fun.

  Robert Townsend

  Fun, Half

  11 Copy quote

• We know there is a problem with communication but we are not going to discuss it in front of the entire staff.

  Robert Townsend

  Business, Communication, Management

  9 Copy quote

• The artist must conceive with warmth yet execute with coolness.

  Robert Townsend

  Art, Artist, Coolness

  15 Copy quote

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