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Bosses Quotes

Browse 30 quotes about Bosses.

Bosses Quotes

“And then there are one's friends, good fellows, good fellows, great to be with them and talk, to have lunch together, dinner together, but all of it, I don't know, so sordid and pathetic and trivial, because even on the street we remain in the fabric warehouse, even overseas we're still seated before the Cashbook, and even in infinity we still have our boss. Everyone has an office manager with a joke that's out of place, and everyone has a soul that falls outside the normal universe.”

LifeSoulWorkFriendsBosses
Book:The Book of Disquiet
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“The best bosses are committed to letting their workers work—whether on creative tasks such as inventing new products or on routine things such as assembling computers, making McDonald’s burgers, or flying planes. They take pride in being human shields, absorbing or deflecting heat from inside and outside the company, doing all manner of boring and silly tasks, and battling idiots and slights that make life harder than necessary on their people.”

WorkObstaclesProtectionManagersLeadersBossesShielding
Author:Robert I. Sutton
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“Sitting on nails and pulling like mad. And what do we get for it? Nothing! Thrashings and misery, hard words and hard knocks. We’re workers, they say. Work, they call it! That’s the crummiest part of the whole business. We’re down in the hold, heaving and panting, stinking and sweating our balls off, and meanwhile! Up on deck in the fresh air, what do you see?! Our masters having a fine time with beautiful pink and perfumed women on their laps. They send for us, we’re brought up on deck. They put on their top hats and give us a big spiel like as follows: “You no-good swine! We’re at war! Those stinkers in Country No. 2! We’re going to board them and cut their livers out! Let’s go! Let’s go! We’ve got everything we need on board! All together now! Let’s hear you shout so the deck trembles: ‘Long live Country No. 1!’ So you’ll be heard for miles around. The man that shouts the loudest will get a medal and a lollipop! Let’s go! And if there’s anybody that doesn’t want to be killed on the sea, he can go and get killed on land, it’s even quicker!”

WarWorkWork EthicBosses
Book:Journey to the End of the Night
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“A maid’s yard, house, wardrobe, fridge, etc. sometimes also serve as her master’s dustbin or dumpsite.”

HumorQuotesHouseHumourMastersQuoteProfoundRefuseThoughtfulSatireBossThought ProvokingDeepInsightfulAphorismYardsQuotationsMaximsSayingsTrashAdagesProverbsWardrobeAphorismsMake You ThinkMaidsAxiomsDumpAdageMasterProverbRefrigeratorsSatiricalSayingEpigramsQuotationGnomeFridgesMaximEpigramGnomesProvoke ThoughtMade Me ThinkAxiomDictumDictumsHousesReuseTrash CansBossesDustbinMaidRecycleYardRefrigeratorFridgeDumpingTrash CanDumpsiteDustbinsHand Me DownHand Me DownsTrashesWardrobesDumpsites
Author:Mokokoma Mokhonoana
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“The boss's got all he needs, certainly, Eats swell, Owns a lotta houses, Goes vacationin', Breaks strikes, Runs politics, bribes police, Pays off congress, And struts all over the earth-- But me, I ain't never had enough to eat. Me, I ain't never been warm in winter. Me, I ain't never known security-- All my life, been livin' hand to mouth, Hand to mouth.”

PoetryPoemLaborWorkersBossesLabor Relations
Book:Good Morning, Revolution: Uncollected Social Protest Writings
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“It is a regrettable fact that whenever a person works for hire the employer begins to see all the hired hand’s efforts as an extension of themselves. Whether rightly justified or not, owners, managers, and bosses only perceive their subservient employees as a separate identity whenever they make a mistake. When all is well and successes roll in, it is a natural as rain for superiors to accept the credit for their underlining’s efforts. Over an extended period, even the most sensitive of overseers can take a dutiful servant for granted. Likewise, a loyal servant can slowly subsume their psychological individuality by constantly addressing their master’s wants and needs.”

Employee EngagementEmployeesEmployerEmployee RelationsBossesMaster ServantMaster Servant Relationship
Book:Dead Toad Scrolls
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“Good bosses shield their employees from distress and distraction in diverse ways, whether behind the scenes or publicly. They work day after day to enhance their self-awareness; stay in tune with followers’ worries, hot buttons, and quirks; and foster a climate of comfort and safety. They also learn to identify which battles their people consider crucial to fight, and which they see as unimportant. When bosses can’t protect people—for example, from layoffs, pay cuts, or tough assignments—the best ones convey compassion, do small things to allay fears, and find ways to blunt negative consequences. Operating in this way helps bolster your people’s performance and well-being. And a nice by-product is that they will have your back, too.”

Self AwarenessWorkersProtectionManagersLeadersStaffBossesGood Bosses
Author:Robert I. Sutton
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“But in the military you don't get trusted positions just because of your ability. You also have to attract the notice of superior officers. You have to be liked. You have to fit in with the system. You have to look like what the officers above you think that officers should look like. You have to think in ways that they are comfortable with. The result was that you ended up with a command structure that was top-heavy with guys who looked good in uniform and talked right and did well enough not to embarrass themselves, while the really good ones quietly did all the serious work and bailed out their superiors and got blamed for errors they had advised against until they eventually got out. That was the military.”

SuccessMilitaryHuman NaturePromotionBusiness LeadersCorporate CultureCompany CultureLadder Of SuccessBossesUnfairness Of LifeCareerism
Book:Ender's Shadow
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