73 Quotes by Frances Hesselbein

I did not want to take a troop. I was the mother of a little boy. I knew nothing about little girls.

I didn't have a career plan. But what I did was, whenever there was a door open and a new opportunity, I always looked into it and took a chance and walked through the door.

When people are speaking, they require our undivided attention. We focus on them; we listen very carefully. We listen to the spoken words and the unspoken messages. This means looking directly at the person, eyes connected; we forget we have a watch, just focusing for that moment on that person.

Listening is an art.

An exceptional career is one that provides an opportunity to serve. It is a satisfying career in which you can't wait to get up in the morning to begin! You have a sense of purpose and mission. You know why you do what you do. It is a response to a call to serve. Once we do that, everything flows positively.

When I choose what I do, I ask, 'Does it make a difference?'

The real leader redefines or defines the mission in a very powerful way so that people understand it; it permeates the organization.

At a young age, I learned from my grandmother that I should respect all people. Her lessons were defining moments in my life and determined the type of leader that I would become.

I thought I'd never leave Pennsylvania. And I never imagined that I'd one day have the chance to lead the largest organization for girls and women around the world.