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About this quote

What does it mean?
Alexander claims leadership quality matters more than troop quality: strong leaders beat strong followers without direction.
In plain terms
Good leaders make weak troops strong; weak leaders ruin strong troops.
What can you take from it?
Leadership quality outweighs individual strength.

Where it applies

  • team building
  • organizational design
  • military command

Putting it to work

  • hiring leaders
  • structuring teams

Questions to consider

  • Can great teams overcome poor leaders?
  • What makes leadership more important than talent?

Another view

It ignores that talented followers can compensate for weak leadership.

More from Alexander the Great

  1. To the strongest!

    Permalink to quote #11
  2. There are no more other worlds to conquer!

    Permalink to quote #13
  3. Are you still to learn that the end and perfection of our victories is to avoid the vices and infirmities of those whom we subdue?

    Permalink to quote #10

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