520 Quotes by Condoleezza Rice

The first step for a leader is to be right with yourself. Integrity is the basis of leadership.

... it's good to have female or minority role models. But the important thing is to have mentors who care about you, and they come in all colors.

The essence of America – that which really unites us — is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion – it is an idea — and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things. That it doesn’t matter where you came from but where you are going.

I would rather be ignored than patronized, I said, pointing to the tendency of the Democratic party to talk about women, minorities and the poor. I hated identity politics and the self-satisfied people who assume that they were free of prejudices when in fact they too could not see beyond color to the individual.

I would rather be ignored than patronized

The fact is, race is a constant factor in American life. Yet reacting to every incident, real or imagined, is crippling, tiring, and ultimately counter productive. I grew up in a family that believed that you might not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control your reaction to them. There was no room for being a victim or depending on the white man to take care of you.

Power is nothing unless you can turn it into influence.

For 60 years, my country, the United States, pursued stability at the expense of democracy in this region, here in the Middle East, and we achieved neither.

People may oppose you, but when they realize you can hurt them, they'll join your side.