Chris Alexander Quotes

• Great leaders do not see people for who they are, but who than can become. Further, the great leader compels those that follow them to become that man or woman of the future, likely exceeding the expectations of both.

  Chris Alexander

  Men, People, Expectations

  4 Copy quote

• The Andrew Principle is when the incompetence of an organization exceeds the incompetence of certain individuals within that organization, thereby allowing their promotion within said organization.

  Chris Alexander

  Organization, Principles, Promotion

  4 Copy quote

• People follow those who act like leaders, not those who proclaim themselves to be leaders.

  Chris Alexander

  People, Leader

  4 Copy quote

• The reality of Canadian history is that we've been willing to do the important things the world demanded of us: fighting in World War II, in Korea, in the Balkans, where we were involved in offensive military operations, and in Afghanistan, where we have made disproportionate contributions.

  Chris Alexander

  Military, War, Fighting

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  6 Copy quote

• As Believers, we shine brightest in a sad and dark world; like a diamond that illuminates best when placed on black velvet.

  Chris Alexander

  Dark, Shining, Black

  4 Copy quote

• E-mail importance is defined by the receiver, not the sender.

  Chris Alexander

  Mail, Importance, Defined

  5 Copy quote

• Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon.

  Chris Alexander

  Moving, New Horizons, Each Day

  4 Copy quote

• I'm totally in favour of meeting our Paris commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But I don't think we should do that by making ourselves uncompetitive.

  Chris Alexander

  Commitment, Thinking, Paris

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• We need to EARN the right to be leaders. It is to our peril when we are given things for which we are not qualified. For Believers, we must only engage in activities for which the Lord has called us.

  Chris Alexander

  Leader, Needs, Lord

  4 Copy quote

• Absence of failure does not constitute success.

  Chris Alexander

  Doe, Absence

  4 Copy quote

• We Canadians need to go beyond what any previous government has done in terms of our diplomatic network, our support for companies to export, trade and invest beyond North America, and our contribution to the safety of the international system, through defence, development, international organizations, and so forth.

  Chris Alexander

  Government, Organization, America

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• I went into the foreign service because I was interested in politics. But, in 1991, when I joined, I didn't see much of an opportunity to be involved in federal politics as a Conservative. We were at the tail end of the Brian Mulroney era. I wanted to do something non-partisan as a way of preparing for a role in our politics later.

  Chris Alexander

  Opportunity, Roles, Tails

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• It's never too late to try to end a conflict.

  Chris Alexander

  Trying, Too Late, Conflict

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• In 2007 and 2008, it was impossible to get American and British policy makers, or Pakistani politicians, to acknowledge that the Taliban leadership was in Pakistan. This is the great virtue of the early statements of the Obama administration, when Obama himself, Richard Holbrooke and others, said that the threat to both countries comes principally from western Pakistan, in Balujistan and Waziristan. So there has been some progress, but probably the hardest part is yet to come.

  Chris Alexander

  Country, Progress, Administration

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• The story of Taliban recovery and resurgence begins in the places where they took refuge after 2001. And as long as those leadership structures and training structures operate outside of Afghanistan with relative impunity, the conflict will continue.

  Chris Alexander

  Recovery, Long, Training

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• Karzai is Afghanistan's first democratically elected president. He brought the international community into partnership on an unprecedented level, and he championed a new constitution that is liberal, democratic and still very Afghan. All of that does reflect a vision. But he's presided over a country that is still in conflict, and he hasn't taken some of the difficult decisions his own government wanted him to take. On corruption, he hasn't been as decisive as he should've been. There are legitimate questions about him.

  Chris Alexander

  Country, Taken, Government

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• Everyone in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a potential target. My heart goes out to the UN family in Afghanistan: in spite of everything, they are showing fortitude. But they will need the support of the whole world at this difficult time.

  Chris Alexander

  Heart, Support, Pakistan

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• We need to give the private sector many more powerful incentives to do research and development, to bring ideas and new discoveries to market in Canada, and commercialize them here, and stay here through successive stages of growth. But they can only do it with better government policies that give them more powerful incentive.

  Chris Alexander

  Powerful, Government, Discovery

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• We Canadians need, as a country, to be much more present globally than we have been today.

  Chris Alexander

  Country, Needs, Today

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• I think it is right for Canadians to be asked to show their faces when they're taking the oath. On revocation of citizenship, we do not let people who have criminal records, including convictions for terrorism, become either permanent residents or citizens. I think there is a limit beyond which someone has really cashed in their chips in terms of their allegiance to Canada.

  Chris Alexander

  Thinking, People, Criminals

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• There are people who just haven't done as well in a globalized economy.

  Chris Alexander

  People, Done, Economy

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• The plant goes down. The industry is weaker. The price of the commodity has lagged. Any of those things can push people into unemployment or lower income categories, and that hurts.

  Chris Alexander

  Hurt, People, Income

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• I really see the U.S. staggering under the burden of three blows. One is 9/11 and the threat of terrorism, which is still huge in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere. The second is the failed 2003 war in Iraq, which cost so much and ruined America's credibility in the eyes of so many. Obama has repaired it to some extent, but those scars are deep. And then, thirdly, banks failed, the whole real estate market had the carpet pulled out from under it.

  Chris Alexander

  Real, War, Eye

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

• The marginal tax rate for high income earners is going up. Small businesses are no longer enjoying some of the exemption from payroll tax. Now there will be carbon taxes.

  Chris Alexander

  Payroll Tax, Income, Small Business

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  5 Copy quote

• All politics are local, whether in Kabul or in Canada.

  Chris Alexander

  Canada, Kabul, Locals

  Source: www.macleans.ca

  4 Copy quote

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