Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker criticizes a military leader for abandoning 50,000 troops in a dire situation.
In plain terms
Leaders should not leave their people to face danger alone when help is needed.
What can you take from it?
Leadership requires standing with those you lead during crises.

Where it applies

  • military command
  • political leadership
  • organizational crisis

Putting it to work

  • evaluate leadership decisions
  • assess resource allocation
  • review chain of command

Questions to consider

  • What defines responsible leadership in crisis?
  • How do you measure loyalty between leader and led?

Another view

The quote assumes the leader had control over the situation without providing context.

More from Osama bin Laden

  1. We fought with you because we are free, and we don't put up with transgressions. We want to reclaim our nation. As you spoil our security, we will do so to you.

    Permalink to quote #15
  2. And as I was looking at those towers that were destroyed in Lebanon, it occurred to me that we have to punish the transgressor with the same, and that we had t…

    Permalink to quote #17
  3. Free people do not relinquish their security. This is contrary to Bush's claim that we hate freedom. Let him tell us why we did not strike Sweden, for example.

    Permalink to quote #14

Related quotes

  1. They've got us surrounded again, the poor bastards.

    Creighton AbramsCreighton Abrams quote #1
  2. Courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity, or, if it is insisted upon by a commander, irresponsibility.

    Erwin RommelErwin Rommel quote #2
  3. He was not only the most brilliant strategist of all our generals, but he had a good political sense. A man of that quality was too difficult for Hitler to swa…

    Erich von MansteinErich von Manstein quote #4