Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
True honor and leadership on earth are inevitably accompanied by suffering and sacrifice.
In plain terms
Real leadership always comes with hardship.
What can you take from it?
Great status requires great sacrifice.

Where it applies

  • political office
  • community service
  • corporate leadership

Putting it to work

  • accept responsibility
  • prepare for hardship
  • lead with service

Questions to consider

  • What costs come with honor?
  • Is suffering necessary for greatness?

Another view

Not all positions of power entail personal suffering.

More from Thomas Carlyle

  1. The English are a dumb people. They can do great acts, but not describe them.

    Permalink to quote #91
  2. Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness.

    Permalink to quote #93
  3. Every pitifulest whipster that walks within a skin has had his head filled with the notion that he is, shall be, or by all human and divine laws ought to be, '…

    Permalink to quote #90

Related quotes

  1. The kingliest kings are crowned with thorn.

    Gerald MasseyGerald Massey quote #3
  2. I was no chief and never had been, but because I had been more deeply wronged than others, this honor was conferred upon me, and I resolved to prove worthy of …

    GeronimoGeronimo quote #3
  3. The Allied Powers having proclaimed that the Emperor Napoleon is the sole obstacle to the re-establishment of peace in Europe, he, faithful to his oath, declar…

    Napoleon BonaparteNapoleon Bonaparte quote #11