Proactive Leadership Quotes

When I became leader, I made very clear I was not going to choose the easy life. I have always taken risks. I don't like comfort-zone politics.

A leader not only has to be in the center but also be in the future.

I am interested in the Panama Canal because I started it. If I had followed traditional, conservative methods I would have presented a dignified state paper to Congress and the debates on it would have been going on yet; but I took the Canal Zone and let Congress debate; and while the debate goes on the Canal does also.

Responsible politicians should never indulge in nostalgia - it is too much of a distraction at a time when a rapidly changing world throws up so many challenges, when we need to keep our wits about us.

Don't manage - lead change before you have to.

Of all the things a leader should fear, complacency heads the list.

Any Idiot can point out a problem .... A leader is willing to do something about it! Leaders solve problems!

A leader should be a visionary and have more foresight than an employee.

Don't wait untill problems pile up and cause a lot of trouble before trying to solve them. Leaders must march ahead the movement, not lag behind it.

The art of government is to deal with threats before they become overwhelming.

When I'm on the field, if something doesn't go exactly as it's planned, I'm going to say something before a coach is going to say something. I'm going to get to it quicker and try to get it corrected.

It's better to be in charge of change than to have to react to change.

What I really appreciated about Obama in the last campaign was that he was not reactive, and we're such a reactive culture... It takes a certain strength to be patient and have a plan.

We need to really be careful to not just be responsive to whatever happens with Trump, but to be proactive on things people elected us to do.

Remember this: Anticipation is the ultimate power. Losers react; leaders anticipate.

Leadership matters and solving things before a crisis is important.

Are we going to be risk-averse about health care, education, child well-being, or are we going to set aside those attitudes, which we find in government all too often, and lead?

Leaders make decisions that create the future they desire.

A new generation of leaders is emerging in Africa who does not want to approach the world with a begging bowl. Leaders who want to engage the world as partners; leaders who are prepared to take responsibilities for the problems of their countries and continent; leaders who recognize the enormous opportunities that abound in the world and are eager to connect Africa to the centers of those opportunities; leaders who want to harness the huge resources of Africa to play on the global stage; leaders who are not content to ask, ‘what can the rest of the world do for us', but rather ‘what can we do with the rest of the world.'

Good leaders need a positive agenda, not just an agenda of dealing with crisis.

If the crisis lasts moments, rapid action is critical. But if it's simply the beginning of a broader issue, especially one where the root cause isn't known yet, the worst thing a leader can do is act immediately.

Real leadership comes from the quiet nudging of an inner voice. It comes from realizing that the time has come to move beyond waiting to doing.

Look, good government doesn't look for excuses, good government gets on with the job.

Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader. Don't fall victim to what I call the 'ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome'. You must be willing to fire.

When you lead, you have to lead from the front.