119 Quotes by John P. Kotter

Great communicators have an appreciation for positioning. They understand the people they're trying to reach and what they can and can't hear. They send their message in through an open door rather than trying to push it through a wall.

Leadership produces change. That is its primary function

We learn best - and change - from hearing stories that strike a chord within us.

Effective leaders help others to understand the necessity of change and to accept a common vision of the desired outcome.

Anyone in a large organization who thinks major change is impossible should probably get out.

Good communication is not just data transfer. You need to show people something that addresses their anxieties, that accepts their anger, that is credible in a very gut-level sense, and that evokes faith in the vision.

Changing behavior is less a matter of giving people analysis to influence their thoughts than helping them to see a truth to influence their feelings.

Motivation and inspiration energize people, not by pushing them in the right direction as control mechanisms do but by satisfying basic human needs for achievement, a sense of belonging, recognition, self-esteem, a feeling of control over one's life, and the ability to live up to one's ideals. Such feelings touch us deeply and elicit a powerful response.

Without credible communication, and a lot of it, the hearts and minds of others are never captured.