LEADERSHIP
The people lead in Wisconsin, 2011 (photo by Al Rodgers)
The Radical does not sit frozen by cold objectivity. He sees injustice and strikes at it with hot passion.--Saul Alinsky
As an organizer I start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be. That we accept the world as it is does not in any sense weaken our desire to change it into what we believe it should be - it is necessary to begin where the world is if we are going to change it to what we think it should be. That means working in the system.--Saul Alinsky
Those who want change must be against sacred cows and not only innately irreverent but outwardly, purposefully irreverent in their actions. They must be iconoclastic bulldozers willing to be regarded as profane spoilers of the sacred myths.--Saul Alinsky
I've often said that if you could awaken all the martyrs in history and ask them if they wanted to be martyrs again, my belief is that they would say not. But if you asked them would they do it all over again, they would say yes.—Moe Biller, APWU
I'm a working stiff. I just happened to be around at the right time and nobody else wanted the job.—Harry Bridges, President of the ILWU (Longshoremen) for 40 years
It is a good union policy that officers shouldn't earn so much that they drift away from the members.—Harry Bridges
What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.—Charles Bukowski, poet and postal worker, author of Post Office
Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. —Chinese Proverb
Perhaps it is better to be irresponsible and right than to be responsible and wrong.—Sir Winston Churchill
Members will hear me say repeatedly words are important; deeds are a reality.—US Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
Be a light, not a judge; Be a model, not a critic.—Stephen Covey
One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.—Marie Currie
I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.— Leonardo da Vinci
If you go to the city of Washington, you will find that almost all of those corporation lawyers and cowardly politicians, members of congress, and mis-representatives of the masses claim, in glowing terms, that they have risen from the ranks to places of eminence and distinction. I am very glad that 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.—Eugene V. Debs
Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.--Dwight D. Eisenhower
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.—Mahatma Gandhi
As an organizer I start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be. That we accept the world as it is does not in any sense weaken our desire to change it into what we believe it should be - it is necessary to begin where the world is if we are going to change it to what we think it should be. That means working in the system.--Saul Alinsky
Those who want change must be against sacred cows and not only innately irreverent but outwardly, purposefully irreverent in their actions. They must be iconoclastic bulldozers willing to be regarded as profane spoilers of the sacred myths.--Saul Alinsky
I've often said that if you could awaken all the martyrs in history and ask them if they wanted to be martyrs again, my belief is that they would say not. But if you asked them would they do it all over again, they would say yes.—Moe Biller, APWU
I'm a working stiff. I just happened to be around at the right time and nobody else wanted the job.—Harry Bridges, President of the ILWU (Longshoremen) for 40 years
It is a good union policy that officers shouldn't earn so much that they drift away from the members.—Harry Bridges
What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.—Charles Bukowski, poet and postal worker, author of Post Office
Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. —Chinese Proverb
Perhaps it is better to be irresponsible and right than to be responsible and wrong.—Sir Winston Churchill
Members will hear me say repeatedly words are important; deeds are a reality.—US Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
Be a light, not a judge; Be a model, not a critic.—Stephen Covey
One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.—Marie Currie
I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.— Leonardo da Vinci
If you go to the city of Washington, you will find that almost all of those corporation lawyers and cowardly politicians, members of congress, and mis-representatives of the masses claim, in glowing terms, that they have risen from the ranks to places of eminence and distinction. I am very glad that 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.—Eugene V. Debs
Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.--Dwight D. Eisenhower
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.—Mahatma Gandhi
...
We have our principles, but we also
must do things that are constantly compromising those principles.—Arthur
Joseph Goldberg
I have nothing to say for myself, only that I have always tried to make this earth a little bit better.—Joe Hill
We are all here because we want to serve our brothers and sisters, and each individual should be given a constant opportunity to do that in the ways that will best benefit the Union as a whole.— Peter Holter-Mehren, WAPWU President (2002)
One man with courage makes a majority.—Andrew Jackson
I'm not going to quit. There is too much to do. People need jobs, equality, education. We still need to organize to learn how the economics and politics drive everything in life. Can't stop now.—Nellie Stone Johnson, at the age of 90 in 1995
I'm not a humanitarian, I'm a hell-raiser.—Mother Jones
The question is: How does a person react to an obstacle?—Carl Jung (Psychological Types)
And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us, recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state, our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions: First, were we truly men of courage... Second, were we truly men of judgment... Third, were we truly men of integrity... Finally, were we truly men of dedication?—John F. Kennedy, 1961
It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.—Elizabeth Kenny
The time is always right to do what is right.-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
All men dream: But not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.—T.E. Lawrence
If nobody quits until I do, there will be no quitting!— UMWA organizer John R. Lawson
I have nothing to say for myself, only that I have always tried to make this earth a little bit better.—Joe Hill
We are all here because we want to serve our brothers and sisters, and each individual should be given a constant opportunity to do that in the ways that will best benefit the Union as a whole.— Peter Holter-Mehren, WAPWU President (2002)
One man with courage makes a majority.—Andrew Jackson
I'm not going to quit. There is too much to do. People need jobs, equality, education. We still need to organize to learn how the economics and politics drive everything in life. Can't stop now.—Nellie Stone Johnson, at the age of 90 in 1995
I'm not a humanitarian, I'm a hell-raiser.—Mother Jones
The question is: How does a person react to an obstacle?—Carl Jung (Psychological Types)
And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us, recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state, our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions: First, were we truly men of courage... Second, were we truly men of judgment... Third, were we truly men of integrity... Finally, were we truly men of dedication?—John F. Kennedy, 1961
It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.—Elizabeth Kenny
The time is always right to do what is right.-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
All men dream: But not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.—T.E. Lawrence
If nobody quits until I do, there will be no quitting!— UMWA organizer John R. Lawson
...
Lech Walesa
Personally, I look forward to continuing the fight for justice and equality on the workroom floor. APWU will never NEVER allow [the] heinous thinking by management to continue without a battle. It's an atrocity which must be and will be stamped out. We are American workers and, most importantly, we are human beings!—Moe Lepore, Boston Metro Area Local APWU (1985)
How lucky am I?—Moe Lepore, President Boston Metro Area Local APWU
We're the good guys. We get to wear the white hats.—Moe Lepore, President Boston Metro Area Local APWU
If they're cutting your legs out from under you, that just means you're taller than they are; if they stab you in the back, it's because they can't face you.—Mike Levine, Red Bank Local APWU (attributed)
If you never assume importance, you never lose it.—Mike Levine, Red Bank Local APWU (attributed)
Tough times will not last forever; only tough leaders do.—Alberto Ortiz, APWU, Puerto Rico Area Local (as posted on 21st Century Postal Worker)
There is no greater calling than to serve your Brother. And, no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.—Walter Reuther
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.—George Bernard Shaw
Let him who would move the world first move himself.—Socrates
One who recognizes all persons as members of their own body is a sound person to guard them.—Lao Tzu (attributed)
A leader is best
When people barely know that he exists,
Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,
Worst when they despise him.
`Fail to honor people,
They fail to honor you;'
But of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will all say, `We did this ourselves.'—Lao Tzu (attributed)
The leader is a teacher who succeeds without taking credit. And, because credit is not taken, credit is received.—Lao Tzu (attributed)
When armies are mobilized and issues are joined, the man who is sorry over the fact will win.—Lao Tzu (attributed)
It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail. —Lech Walesa
A strong leader accepts blame and gives the credit. A weak leader gives blame and accepts the credit.—John Wooden, college basketball coach
How lucky am I?—Moe Lepore, President Boston Metro Area Local APWU
We're the good guys. We get to wear the white hats.—Moe Lepore, President Boston Metro Area Local APWU
If they're cutting your legs out from under you, that just means you're taller than they are; if they stab you in the back, it's because they can't face you.—Mike Levine, Red Bank Local APWU (attributed)
If you never assume importance, you never lose it.—Mike Levine, Red Bank Local APWU (attributed)
Tough times will not last forever; only tough leaders do.—Alberto Ortiz, APWU, Puerto Rico Area Local (as posted on 21st Century Postal Worker)
There is no greater calling than to serve your Brother. And, no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.—Walter Reuther
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.—George Bernard Shaw
Let him who would move the world first move himself.—Socrates
One who recognizes all persons as members of their own body is a sound person to guard them.—Lao Tzu (attributed)
A leader is best
When people barely know that he exists,
Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,
Worst when they despise him.
`Fail to honor people,
They fail to honor you;'
But of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will all say, `We did this ourselves.'—Lao Tzu (attributed)
The leader is a teacher who succeeds without taking credit. And, because credit is not taken, credit is received.—Lao Tzu (attributed)
When armies are mobilized and issues are joined, the man who is sorry over the fact will win.—Lao Tzu (attributed)
It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail. —Lech Walesa
A strong leader accepts blame and gives the credit. A weak leader gives blame and accepts the credit.—John Wooden, college basketball coach