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Robert Townsend Quotes

Executive

Robert Townsend is an accomplished American film producer, director, actor, and writer. He played a significant role in the film industry during the 1960s and 1970s, renowned for his reform of the film industry and advocacy for diversity.

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Famous Robert Townsend Quotes

“Compromise is usually bad. It should be a last resort. If two departments or divisions have a problem they can't solve and it comes up to you, listen to both sides and then pick one or the other. This places solid accountability on the winner to make it work. Condition your people to avoid compromise.”

Source: Further Up the Organization

“A good leader needs to have a compass in his head and a bar of steel in his heart.”

Inspirational Needs Heart Leader Bars Steel Compass Good Leader

Author:Robert Townsend

“A good manager doesn't try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people. If you're the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong - that's healthy.”

People Ifs Thinking Trying Fighting Energy Healthy Conflict Managers Good Man Boss Conflict Resolution Mediation Good Manager Workplace Conflict

Book:Further Up the Organization

Source: Further Up the Organization

“When you get right down to it, one of the most important tasks of a leader is to eliminate his people's excuse for failure.”

People Important Leadership Leader Failure Tasks Excuse

Author:Robert Townsend

“Is what I'm doing or about to do getting us closer to our objective?”

Time Focus Priorities Objectives Time Management

Book:Further Up the Organization

Source: Further Up the Organization

“A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so that they can get on with their jobs.”

People Running Jobs Water Leadership Leader Carrie Great Leadership Administrators

Author:Robert Townsend

“Getting there isn't half the fun - it's all the fun.”

Fun Half

Author:Robert Townsend

“It's a poor bureaucrat who can't stall a good idea until even its sponsor is relieved to see it dead and officially buried.”

Ideas Poor Buried Good Ideas Bureaucracy Relieved Bureaucrats Sponsors

Book:Further Up the Organization

Source: Further Up the Organization

“To keep an organization young and fit, don't hire anyone until everybody's so overworked they'll be glad to see the newcomer no matter where he sits.”

Matter Young Fit Organization Luck Glad Newcomers

Book:Up The Organization

Source: Up The Organization

“The artist must conceive with warmth yet execute with coolness.”

Art Artist Warmth Coolness

Author:Robert Townsend

“"Top" management is supposed to be a tree full of owls-hooting when management heads into the wrong part of the forest. I'm still unpersuaded they even know where the forest is.”

Knows Stills Tree Management Forests Supposed To Be Owl Top Management

Author:Robert Townsend

“Managers must have the discipline not to keep pulling up the flowers to see if their roots are healthy.”

Ifs Risk Flower Discipline Healthy Roots Management Managers Pulling Risk Management

Author:Robert Townsend

“Consultants are people who borrow your watch and tell you what time it is, and then walk off with the watch.”

People Walks Business Watches Consultants

Author:Robert Townsend

“Make every decision as if you owned the company.”

Ifs Decision Company

Book:Further Up the Organization

Source: Further Up the Organization

“An idea's worth is directly proportional to the opposition created.”

Ideas Opposition

Author:Robert Townsend

“If people are coming to work excited. . . if they're making mistakes freely and fearlessly. . . if they're having fun. . . if they're concentrating on doing things rather than preparing reports and going to meetings-then somewhere you have leaders.”

People Ifs Fun Leadership Mistake Leader Meetings Excited Having Fun Reports Making Mistakes Preparing Concentrating

Author:Robert Townsend

“If you don't do it excellently, don't do it at all. Because if it's not excellent, it won't be profitable or fun.”

Ifs Fun Excellence Excellent Profitable Profitable Business

Book:Further Up the Organization

Source: Further Up the Organization

“Don't hire a master to paint you a masterpiece and then assign a roomful of schoolboy artists to look over his shoulder and make suggestions.”

Looks Artist Masters Paint Shoulders Suggestions Masterpiece

Book:Up The Organization

Source: Up The Organization

“It's been my experience that the people who gain trust, loyalty, excitement, and energy fast are the ones who pass on the credit to the people who have really done the work. A leader doesnt need any credit... He's getting more credit than he deserves anyway.”

People Needs Done Motivational Energy Leader Deserve Gains Credit Loyalty Excitement

Author:Robert Townsend

“If you have to have a policy manual, publish the 'Ten Commandments.'”

Ifs Policy Ten Commandments Publish Manuals Ten Commandments

Book:Further Up the Organization

Source: Further Up the Organization

“We know there is a problem with communication but we are not going to discuss it in front of the entire staff.”

Knows Problem Business Fronts Communication Management Staff

Author:Robert Townsend

“Due to budget cutbacks, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.”

Has Beens Ends Light Business Management Dues Budgets Tunnels Funny Business Light At The End Of The Tunnel Turned Off End Of The Tunnel Cutbacks

Author:Robert Townsend

“The world is divided into two classes of people: the few people who make good on their promises (even if they don't promise as much), and the many who don't. Get in Column A and stay there. You'll be very valuable wherever you are.”

People World Two Class Promise Valuable Divided Columns

Author:Robert Townsend

About the Author

Born: July 30, 1920
Died: January 12, 1998
Known for: Executive
Quotes: 23

Books & Sources

Further Up the OrganizationRelated source material

Up The OrganizationRelated source material

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