“So it is with all the great leaders: the commodity they have to sell is personality. Mere ideas can be left to lesser men.”

—  Robert Silverberg , book The Stochastic Man

Source: The Stochastic Man (1975), Chapter 13 (p. 73)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "So it is with all the great leaders: the commodity they have to sell is personality. Mere ideas can be left to lesser m…" by Robert Silverberg?
Robert Silverberg photo
Robert Silverberg 88
American speculative fiction writer and editor 1935

Related quotes

Tara Subkoff photo

“We are a society that only sells commodities. We do not create anything unless it's to be bought and sold, so the idea of doing something where there isn't a commodity to sell, or what the commodity is to sell is very confusing, is extremely interesting to me.”

Tara Subkoff (1972) American actress

Interview with Alison McLaughlin at New York Fashion Week 2012, September 2012. [E3Mfyzi3R90].

Simon Sinek photo

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.”

Simon Sinek (1973) British/American author and motivational speaker

Source: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Don Soderquist photo

“Today’s great leaders will make sure they have all the important information, appropriate discussion, and reflection so that they can act decisively when time is of great importance.”

Don Soderquist (1934–2016)

Don Soderquist “ The Wal-Mart Way: The Inside Story of the Success of the World's Largest Company https://books.google.com/books?id=mIxwVLXdyjQC&lpg=PR9&dq=Don%20Soderquist&pg=PR9#v=onepage&q=Don%20Soderquist&f=false, Thomas Nelson, April 2005, p. 119.
On Leading Well

C. Wright Mills photo

“In a society of employees dominated by the marketing mentality, it is inevitable that a personality market should arise. For in the great shift from manual skills to the art of 'handling', selling and servicing people, personal or even intimate traits of employees are drawn into the sphere of exchange and become commodities in the labor market.”

C. Wright Mills book White Collar: The American Middle Classes

White Collar: The American Middle Classes (1951)

Piero Manzoni photo

“I sell an idea, an idea in a can.”

Piero Manzoni (1933–1963) Italian artist

Quote of Manzoni, (refering to his art-work in 1961 'Artist Shit'); as cited on 'Heart', in the aricle 'More about Piero Manzoni' http://www.heartmus.dk/en/about-heart/our-collection/piero-manzoni/more-about-piero-manzoni.html

Ambrose Bierce photo

“Justice, n. A commodity which in a more or less adulterated condition the State sells to the citizen as a reward for his allegiance, taxes and personal service.”

Ambrose Bierce book The Devil's Dictionary

The Devil's Dictionary (1911)

Molière photo

“All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.”

Molière (1622–1673) French playwright and actor
W. H. Auden photo

“No person can be a great leader unless he takes genuine joy in the successes of those under him.”

W. H. Auden (1907–1973) Anglo-American poet

Not by Auden; sources from the 1980s attribute it to the Rev. W. A. Nance (the name seems to have been confused with Auden's).
Misattributed

Terrance Hayes photo

“…here’s the thing about all the titles. It’s so great to not have to think about that. The title is a gesture to categorize it, reduce it, and frame it. In the sonnets I can carry an idea and know that I have to turn that idea…”

Terrance Hayes (1971) American poet

On avoiding titling an unfinished work in “Interview with Terrance Hayes” http://katonahpoetry.com/interviews/interview-terrance-hayes/ in the Katonah Poetry Series (2017 Sep 21)

Kenneth Griffin photo

“We all know that great leaders can create great successes…success for the Chicago public education fund is to bring great leaders into Chicago's public schools.”

Kenneth Griffin (1968) American hedge fund manager

Video commentary featured on website of the Chicago Public Education Fund http://www.cpef.org/nm_video.htm#

Related topics