--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you cannot allow people to do their…" description: "\"If you cannot allow people to do their jobs ... nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.\" — Condoleezza Rice" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/condoleezza-rice-807_creativity_if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-j_1027950.jpg" --- # If you cannot allow people to do their jobs ... nobody… ![“If you cannot allow people to do their jobs ... nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.” quote by Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/condoleezza-rice-807_creativity_if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-j_1027950.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/condoleezza-rice-807_creativity_if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-j_1027950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/condoleezza-rice-807_creativity_if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-j_1027950.jpg) > “If you cannot allow people to do their jobs ... nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.” [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders must empower skilled, creative people; micromanagement stifles talent and innovation. **In simple terms:** Give people freedom to work. Key Takeaway Trust and delegate. Themes leadership empowerment creativity Mood respectful determined Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - company meetings - project teams - creative workshops Key Concepts Management theory psychology of motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance oversight with autonomy? - What tasks truly need your direct input? A Different Perspective If you control every detail, you may lose the best ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Effective organizations put people in jobs in which they can do the most good. They place people -- and allow people to place themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/effective-organizations-put-people-in-jobs-in-which-they-can-do-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [All creativity is a work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/all-creativity-is-a-work-in-progress/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [“Creativity is the work of your hands or the work of your tongue so you have to be careful what you say because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/creativity-is-the-work-of-your-hands-or-the-work-of-your-tongue-so/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [Creativity is not the work of a few. We each carry within us the image of God the Creator; we each have the task…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-o-connor/creativity-is-not-the-work-of-a-few-we-each-carry-within-us-the-image/) [Elizabeth O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-o-connor/) > [If I pull from places of faith, joy and gratitude, then I have the wind of creativity behind me. And, my work in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/if-i-pull-from-places-of-faith-joy-and-gratitude-then-i-have-the-wind/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [Too many people not enough jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/too-many-people-not-enough-jobs/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [When people have jobs in a thriving economy, it solves a lot of problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-greitens/when-people-have-jobs-in-a-thriving-economy-it-solves-a-lot-of/) [Eric Greitens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-greitens/) > [In L.A., every day, I see people taking other people's jobs, and they don't care whether that person is married and has two kids.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/in-l-a-every-day-i-see-people-taking-other-people-s-jobs-and-they-don/) [Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/) > [The problem - at least in the United States - is not that people can't find jobs. The problem is that they're no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-rogoff/the-problem-at-least-in-the-united-states-is-not-that-people-can-t/) [Kenneth Rogoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-rogoff/) > [Most of the people I meet who are on unemployment are people who have had jobs for 25 years, lost them; they've been knocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/most-of-the-people-i-meet-who-are-on-unemployment-are-people-who-have/) [Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/) > [Many people with jobs have a fantasy about all the amazing things they would do if they didn't need to work. In reality, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-buchheit/many-people-with-jobs-have-a-fantasy-about-all-the-amazing-things/) [Paul Buchheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-buchheit/) > [“Keeping people in jobs they are not suited for is terrible for them because it allows them to live in a false reality while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/keeping-people-in-jobs-they-are-not-suited-for-is-terrible-for-them/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [A lot of people have jobs where they don't necessarily love the people they work with, it's just a part of life. That's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-yee/a-lot-of-people-have-jobs-where-they-don-t-necessarily-love-the/) [Angela Yee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-yee/) > [Not a lot of people have jobs that they're really comfortable with, but I'm one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisie-williams/not-a-lot-of-people-have-jobs-that-they-re-really-comfortable-with-2/) [Maisie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisie-williams/) > [Some people have jobs where other people don’t clap for them. I don’t understand that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/some-people-have-jobs-where-other-people-don-t-clap-for-them-i-don-t/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) ## More by Condoleezza Rice > [The Iranian people have a proud past. They merit a great future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-iranian-people-have-a-proud-past-they-merit-a-great-future/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate. The AIDS orphans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-has-been-hard-to-muster-the-resources-to-support-fledgling/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [We can't live true to our set of values unless American educational system is strong. I really believe that if we don't get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/we-can-t-live-true-to-our-set-of-values-unless-american-educational/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I remember at the time of 9/11 that there were women who went out of their way to escort Muslim women to grocery stores…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-remember-at-the-time-of-9-11-that-there-were-women-who-went-out-of/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [The first step for a leader is to be right with yourself. Integrity is the basis of leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-first-step-for-a-leader-is-to-be-right-with-yourself-integrity-is/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [A lot is being done to bring additional protective measures, particularly the critical infrastructure locations around the United States, ... There is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/a-lot-is-being-done-to-bring-additional-protective-measures/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/you-cannot-be-on-one-hand-dedicated-to-peace-and-on-the-other/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I'm not personally fearful, but I look out, and there are a number of things that concern me, and I'm hopeful that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-not-personally-fearful-but-i-look-out-and-there-are-a-number-of/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [ \[I'm\] very fortunate and blessed person who still has a lot of living to do. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-very-fortunate-and-blessed-person-who-still-has-a-lot-of-living/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Football is like war. It's about taking territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/football-is-like-war-it-s-about-taking-territory/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I think there are plenty of men out there who are capable and accomplished in their own realm. You don't have to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-think-there-are-plenty-of-men-out-there-who-are-capable-and/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I've always said as a political scientist that "culture" is what we use when we can't explain things. I think it's more about accessibility.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-ve-always-said-as-a-political-scientist-that-culture-is-what-we-use/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I believed Afghanistan was always going to be hard. It's the fifth poorest country in the world. And when you fly over it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-believed-afghanistan-was-always-going-to-be-hard-it-s-the-fifth/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I'm very glad my mother didn't let me quit piano lessons at age 10. She said I wasn't old enough or good enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-very-glad-my-mother-didn-t-let-me-quit-piano-lessons-at-age-10/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [The idea the president of the United States was warned that Al-Qaeda was going to attack the United States and did nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-idea-the-president-of-the-united-states-was-warned-that-al-qaeda/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) [Explore all 365 Condoleezza Rice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) ## More Creativity quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/) Andrei Amalrik > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) Christoph Niemann > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you cannot allow people to do their jobs ... nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Condoleezza Rice" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-jobs-nobody-with-substance-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creativity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-jobs-nobody-with-substance-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/condoleezza-rice-807_creativity_if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-j_1027950.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/condoleezza-rice-807_creativity_if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-j_1027950.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/condoleezza-rice-807_creativity_if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-j_1027950.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you cannot allow people to do their jobs ... nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.” — Condoleezza Rice", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Condoleezza Rice", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you cannot allow people to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-jobs-nobody-with-substance-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/if-you-cannot-allow-people-to-do-their-jobs-nobody-with-substance-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```