---
title: "2 David McClelland Quotes - Famous Psychologist (Personality)"
description: "David Clarence McClelland was an American psychologist, noted for his work on motivation need theory. Browse 2 David McClelland quotes."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b126/author-david-mcclelland-109925.jpg"
---

![Portrait of David McClelland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b126/author-david-mcclelland-109925.jpg)

# David McClelland

(1917–1998)   Psychologist

 **2** quotes in **43** categories

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David McClelland was a psychologist, best known for *Personality*.

## Quick Facts About David McClelland

Born May 20, 1917

Died March 27, 1998

Profession Psychologist

Notable works Personality

## About David McClelland

David Clarence McClelland was an American psychologist, noted for his work on motivation need theory. He published a number of works between the 1950s and the 1990s and developed new scoring systems for the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and its descendants. McClelland is credited with developing Achievement Motivation Theory, commonly referred to as "need for achievement" or n-achievement theory. A Review of General Psychology survey published in 2002, ranked McClelland as the 15th most cited psychologist of the 20th century.

##  Quotes by David McClelland

> [Whatever the source of the leader's ideas, he cannot inspire his people unless he expresses vivid goals which in some sense they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcclelland/whatever-the-source-of-the-leader-s-ideas-he-cannot-inspire-his/)

[David McClelland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcclelland/)

[Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/david-mcclelland-109925_cases_whatever-the-source-of-the-leader-s-idea_1563902.png)

> [Outstanding American men seem to see power as something you use in order to correct someone who's wrong, to change them, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcclelland/outstanding-american-men-seem-to-see-power-as-something-you-use-in/)

[David McClelland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcclelland/)

[American woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-woman/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/david-mcclelland-109925_american-woman_outstanding-american-men-seem-to-see-pow_1690506.png)

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                        "text": "Whatever the source of the leader's ideas, he cannot inspire his people unless he expresses vivid goals which in some sense they want. Of course, the more closely he meets their needs, the less \"persuasive\" he has to be, but in no case does it make sense to speak as if his role is force submission. Rather it is to strengthen and uplift, to make people feel that they are the origins, not the pawns, of the socio-political system.",
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