MOTIVATIONAL QUOTESfrom American Military Leaders By Epoch Times
Inspiring wisdom on virtue, courage, and leadership
“Discipline is the soul of an Army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.”
“I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my country can inspire, since there is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness.”
“To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.”
Gen. George Washington (1732–1799)
“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
“The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.”
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”
Gen. George S. Patton Jr. (1885–1945)
“You don’t lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership.”
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969)
“In war there is no second prize for the runner-up.”
Gen. Omar N. Bradley (1893–1981)
“The mark of a great shiphandler is never getting into situations that require great shiphandling.”
Adm. Ernest King (1878–1956)
“I can’t expect loyalty from the army if I do not give it.”
“It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory.”
Gen. George C. Marshall (1880–1959)
“A general is just as good or just as bad as the troops under his command make him.”
“It’s fatal to enter a war without the will to win it.”
Gen. Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)
“All problems … become smaller if you don’t dodge them but confront them.”
“There are no great men, there are only great challenges, which ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstances to meet.”
Adm. William Halsey (1882–1959)
“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.”
“Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best.”
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz (1885–1966)
“A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary an incapable leader can demoralize the best of troops.”
Gen. John J. Pershing (1860–1948)
“I don’t underrate the value of military knowledge, but if men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail.”
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885)
“I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.”
“I tremble for my country when I hear of confidence expressed in me. I know too well my weakness, that our only hope is in God.”
Gen. Robert E. Lee (1807–1870)
“Just try to make the world a better place for your having been here.”
“Nothing is as strong as the heart of a volunteer.”
Gen. James H. Doolittle (1896–1993)
“Leadership is a two-way street: loyalty up and loyalty down; respect for one’s superiors, care for one’s crew.”
“It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.”
Rear Adm. Grace Hopper (1906–1992)
“Strange as it sounds, great leaders gain authority by giving it away.”
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end … with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.”
Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale (1923–2005)
“You can have the best equipment in the world, you can have the largest numbers in the world, but, if you’re not dedicated to your cause, if you don’t have the will to fight, then, you are not going to have a very good army.”
“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”
“True courage is being afraid, and going ahead and doing your job.”
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf (1934–2012)
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Gen. Colin Powell (1937–2021)
“Efficiency remains important, but the ability to adapt to complexity and continual change has become an imperative.”
“The leaders I most admired were totally human but constantly strove to be the best humans they could be.”
Gen. Stanley McChrystal (1954–)
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
Adm. William H. McRaven (1955–)
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