“[Even if established procedures exist for replacing leaders, ] they are relatively harmless to the entrenched leaders (because functionless) so long as the ranks fear the consequences of using them”

Source: "An Approach to a Theory of Bureaucracy," 1943, p. 52; As cited in: Howard E. Aldrich (2008), Organizations and Environments. p. 209

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 "[Even if established procedures exist for replacing leaders, ] they are relatively harmless to the entrenched leaders (…" by Philip Selznick?
Philip Selznick photo
Philip Selznick 20
American sociologist 1919–2010

Related quotes

Ernesto Che Guevara photo

“Cruel leaders are replaced only to have new leaders turn cruel!”

Ernesto Che Guevara (1928–1967) Argentine Marxist revolutionary

As quoted in An American Savage (2003) by J. Flash (Jeff Flashinski), p. 144
Variant: Cruel leaders are replaced only to have new leaders turn cruel.

“As you will one day discover, a leader is not a leader because of the way that he or she behaves. He is a leader only because of the way that he is treated by others.”

Source: The Heritage Universe, Resurgence (2002), Chapter 16, “And Then There Were None” (p. 187)

Eugene V. Debs photo

“I never had much faith in leaders. I am willing to be charged with almost anything, rather than to be charged with being a leader. I am suspicious of leaders, and especially of the intellectual variety. Give me the rank and file every day in the week.”

Eugene V. Debs (1855–1926) American labor and political leader

The Canton, Ohio Speech, Anti-War Speech (1918)
Context: I never had much faith in leaders. I am willing to be charged with almost anything, rather than to be charged with being a leader. I am suspicious of leaders, and especially of the intellectual variety. Give me the rank and file every day in the week. If you go to the city of Washington, and you examine the pages of the Congressional Directory, you will find that almost all of those corporation lawyers and cowardly politicians, members of Congress, and misrepresentatives of the masses — you will find that almost all of them claim, in glowing terms, that they have risen from the ranks to places of eminence and distinction. I am very glad I cannot make that claim for myself. I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks, and not from the ranks.

Rick Riordan photo
Eric Hoffer photo
Otto Ohlendorf photo

“Because to me it is inconceivable that a subordinate leader should not carry out orders given by the leaders of the State.”

Otto Ohlendorf (1907–1951) German general

Confessing to the execution of 90,000 Jews at the Nuremberg Trials. Quoted in "Gestapo: Instrument of Tyranny" - Page 141 - by Edward Crankshaw - History - 1956.

Related topics