“More importantly however, is that 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 centres 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.”

“Who takes the blame: the leader who talks of poverty but lives in luxury, or the poor who choose a leader of that type?”

“There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.”

“A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences.”

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”

“A responsible leader is a person who is able to respond spontaneously to situations.”

“Those who need leaders are not qualified to choose them.”

“Whenever I travel the world, from Europe to Africa, South America to Southeast Asia, one of the things I most enjoy doing is meeting young men and women like you. It’s more fun than being in a conference room. And it’s also more important -- because you are the young leaders who will determine the future of this country and this region. So I’m going to keep my remarks short at the top, because I want to take as many questions and comments from you.”

“Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular job. It lies with each one of us individually.”

“The … moral responsibility … of every leader is staggering—an opportunity to be of service to (literally) civilization. Or not.”