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Napoleon defined a leader as 'a dealer in hope. ' He understood that soldiers do not fight for money or territory; they fight for glory and for a leader who believes in them. He possessed a magnetic charisma that could turn a retreating army into a conquering force. He shared the hardships of his men, marching with them and sleeping on the ground. Napoleon teaches that leadership is about capturing the imagination and binding people to a shared destiny.
"The only way to lead people is to show them a future: a leader is a dealer in hope."
"Imagination rules the world."
Inspired by: Conversation: With Emmanuel de Las Cases (1816)
"The first quality of a commander-in-chief is a cool head."
"Circumstances? I make circumstances!"
Book: Napoleon: A Political Life by Steven Englund
"The great art of governing consists in not letting men grow old in their jobs."
"The first quality for a commander-in-chief is a cool head to receive a correct impression of things. He should not allow himself to be confused by either good or bad news."
"The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies."
"Unskilled leaders are the most beauty-loving; they want everything to be perfect. The true leader wants only what works."
"Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self-interest."
"Character is the first quality for a commander-in-chief."
"One should never forbid what one lacks the power to prevent."
"The crowd which follows me with admiration, would run with the same eagerness were I marching to the Guillotine."
"The first quality for a commander-in-chief is a cool head, which receives a just impression of things; he should not allow himself to be confused by either good or bad news."
"I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government lies in knowing when to be the one or the other."
Inspired by: Conversation: With Diplomats (Inspired by Machiavelli)
"If you build an army of 100 lions and their leader is a dog, in any fight, the lions will die like a dog."
"Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide."
"A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights."
"Put your iron hand in a velvet glove."
"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them."
"Men are led by trifles, for they are more moved by their vanity than by their interests."
"Men are more easily governed through their vices than through their virtues."
"Ambition is the mainspring of a man."
"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon."
"In war, the moral is to the physical as three to one."
"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet."
"Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent."
"The true wisdom of a leader is a resolute determination."
Seeing how Napoleon Bonaparte approaches Leadership helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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