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David McClelland Quotes

Whatever the source of the leader's ideas, he cannot inspire his people unless he expresses vivid goals which in some sense they want. Of course, the more closely he meets their needs, the less persuasive he has to be,

Whatever the source of the leader's ideas, he cannot inspire his people unless he expresses vivid goals which in some sense they want. Of course, the more closely he meets their needs, the less "persuasive" he has to be, but in no case does it make sense to speak as if his role is force submission. Rather it is to strengthen and uplift, to make people feel that they are the origins, not the pawns, of the socio-political system.

David McClelland
Uplifting, Thinking, Ideas
"Leadership: what every leader should know about people". Book by Robert A. Portnoy (p. 16), 1986.

Outstanding American men seem to see power as something you use in order to correct someone who's wrong, to change them, to show them you see more in this situation than the boss does. Outstanding American women, on the other hand, see power as a resource, something you can use to get people together, to gain commitment.

David McClelland
Change, Commitment, Hands
"Interview by David C. McClelland" by Katherine Adams, in Competency, vol. 4 no.3, pp.18 - 23, Spring, 1997.

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