Negotiating in Life, Negotiation Quotes February 21, 2011

Presidential Thoughts on Negotiation

In honor of President’s Day, we have researched what various United States presidents thought about business, power, leadership and negotiations. Following we share some of these presidential insights.

George Washington: 

Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive. Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder. 

Thomas Jefferson: 

When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred. 

Abraham Lincoln: 

A house divided against itself cannot stand. 

Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough. 

John Adams: 

Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases. 

Theodore Roosevelt: 

It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. 

The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. 

Franklin D. Roosevelt: 

Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower: 

If the United Nations once admits that international disputes can be settled by using force, then we will have destroyed the foundation of the organization and our best hope of establishing a world order. 

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. 

Ronald Reagan: 

Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.

Happy President’s Day!

If you have any great presidential quotes relating to business and negotiations please share in the comments.