Saturday, March 02, 2019

Leadership - On Duty

Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less.

I was taught this during officer's training.  Bonus points if you know who said it.

Also, a quote from Beccaria, who was one of the writers of the enlightenment.  It also applies to leadership.
every act of authority of one man over another, for which there is not an absolute necessity, is tyrannical.
I kept that one taped inside my briefcase for the entirety of my military career.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sir, I salute you.

DaveS said...

For the bonus points - General Robert E. Lee

I've never known the source of the second quote, but have long known and tried to follow it's precept.

Dave said...

“Do not confuse "duty" with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect." -Robert Heinlein