--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can never err by treating everyone in…" description: "\"You can never err by treating everyone in the building with respect, thoughtfulness, and a kind word. Everyone of our employees is an essential employ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/colin-powell-691_accomplish_you-can-never-err-by-treating-everyone-i_2308479.jpg" --- # You can never err by treating everyone in the building… ![“You can never err by treating everyone in the building with respect, thoughtfulness, and a kind word. Everyone of our employees is an essential employee. Every one of them wants to be viewed that way. And if you treat them that way, they will view you that way. They will not let you down or let…” quote by Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/colin-powell-691_accomplish_you-can-never-err-by-treating-everyone-i_2308479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/colin-powell-691_accomplish_you-can-never-err-by-treating-everyone-i_2308479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47d/colin-powell-691_accomplish_you-can-never-err-by-treating-everyone-i_2308479.jpg) > “You can never err by treating everyone in the building with respect, thoughtfulness, and a kind word. Everyone of our employees is an essential employee. Every one of them wants to be viewed that way. And if you treat them that way, they will view you that way. They will not let you down or let you fail. They will accomplish whatever you have put in front of them.” [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respectful treatment of all employees fosters mutual respect and high performance. **In simple terms:** Treat everyone kindly for success. Key Takeaway Lead with respect to inspire. Themes leadership respect teamwork Mood professional encouraging Type leadership motivational When to use this quote - employee onboarding - team building - conflict resolution - performance reviews Key Concepts organizational behavior psychology of respect Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure respect while maintaining standards? - What mechanisms reinforce respectful behavior? A Different Perspective Respect alone may not address competence gaps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Employees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employees/) [Kind words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-words/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Thoughtfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtfulness/) ## Related quotes > [Whether it's a state trooper patrolling our highways, a teacher staying late to help a struggling student, or a social worker rescuing an abused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ivey/whether-it-s-a-state-trooper-patrolling-our-highways-a-teacher/) [Kay Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ivey/) > [By building respect and inspiring love business can move the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-roberts/by-building-respect-and-inspiring-love-business-can-move-the-world/) [Kevin Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-roberts/) > [In times when the tempo for struggle is not very high, you prepare populations by conducting acts of courage-building, confidence-building, respect for each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-prashad/in-times-when-the-tempo-for-struggle-is-not-very-high-you-prepare/) [Vijay Prashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-prashad/) > [I suppose no one is as handsome or as beautiful as he or she wishes, or as brilliant in school or as witty in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/i-suppose-no-one-is-as-handsome-or-as-beautiful-as-he-or-she-wishes/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Writing lets you step back and think through a problem. Even the angriest rant forces the writer to achieve a degree of thoughtfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/writing-lets-you-step-back-and-think-through-a-problem-even-the/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [How does one chip off the marble that doesn't belong? ... 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Time is such an elusive thing that if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-schaeffer/there-is-something-about-saying-we-always-do-this-which-helps-keep/) [Edith Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-schaeffer/) > [“Can anyone be utterly without thoughtfulness? The answer is yes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/can-anyone-be-utterly-without-thoughtfulness-the-answer-is-yes/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Civility means a great deal more than just being nice to one another. It is complex and encompasses learning how to connect successfully and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-m-forni/civility-means-a-great-deal-more-than-just-being-nice-to-one-another/) [P. M. Forni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-m-forni/) > [“Flexibility, like all the Thoughtfully Fit practices, is something you need to work on to improve. Start simple, such as with the outrageous dresser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcy-luoma/flexibility-like-all-the-thoughtfully-fit-practices-is-something-you/) Darcy Luoma > [“The emotional ingredients that sustain long-term relationships are kindness, thoughtfulness, and compassion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-emotional-ingredients-that-sustain-long-term-relationships-are/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Yet, it had been Dimitri’s gentleness and thoughtfulness mixed with that deadliness that made him so wonderful. The same hands that wielded stakes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/yet-it-had-been-dimitri-s-gentleness-and-thoughtfulness-mixed-with/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) ## More by Colin Powell > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Decision-making is lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/decision-making-is-lonely/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. 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It's serious, tough stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/politics-is-not-bean-bags-it-s-serious-tough-stuff/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [There are no secrets to success: don't waste time looking for them, success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-are-no-secrets-to-success-don-t-waste-time-looking-for-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Be careful what you choose: You may get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/be-careful-what-you-choose-you-may-get-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) [Explore all 408 Colin Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More Accomplish quotes > [Learn to see the big picture. Often times we get tunnel vision and lose sight of the big picture and what we're really trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/learn-to-see-the-big-picture-often-times-we-get-tunnel-vision-and/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. 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But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [There's things that you want to accomplish, but to do that you have to work. 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