John W. Gardner

In the United States, to an unprecedented degree, the individual’s social role has come to be determined not by who he is but by what he can accomplish.

John W. Gardner

It is hard to feel individually responsible with respect to the invisible processes of a huge and distant government.

John W. Gardner

It is not easy to be crafty and winsome at the same time, and few accomplish it after the age of six.

John W. Gardner

It’s a staggering transition for high school students that found they could study five hours a week and make As and Bs.

John W. Gardner

Leaders develop their styles as they interact with their constituencies. They move toward the style that seems most effective in dealing with the mixture of elements that make up their constituencies.

John W. Gardner

One exemplary act may affect one life, or even millions of lives. All those who set standards for themselves, who strengthen the bonds of community, who do their work creditably and accept individual responsibility, are building the common future.

John W. Gardner

One generalization that is supported both by research and experience is that effective two-way communication is essential to proper functioning of the leader-follower relationship.

John W. Gardner

One man interacting creatively with others can move the world.

John W. Gardner

Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world’s ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all.

John W. Gardner

Renewal is not just innovation and change. It is also the process of bringing the results of change into line with our purposes.

John W. Gardner