--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people that derail as leaders in the…" description: "\"Most people that derail as leaders in the corporate world, it's not because they couldn't do the math and calculate return on investment properly. The ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/douglas-conant-16197_authentic_most-people-that-derail-as-leaders-in-th_471913.png" --- # Most people that derail as leaders in the corporate world… ![“Most people that derail as leaders in the corporate world, it's not because they couldn't do the math and calculate return on investment properly. The issues are communication and understanding. All of what typically would've been called the 'soft stuff.' You have to be authentic. You have to be…” quote by Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/douglas-conant-16197_authentic_most-people-that-derail-as-leaders-in-th_471913.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/douglas-conant-16197_authentic_most-people-that-derail-as-leaders-in-th_471913.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/douglas-conant-16197_authentic_most-people-that-derail-as-leaders-in-th_471913.png) > “Most people that derail as leaders in the corporate world, it's not because they couldn't do the math and calculate return on investment properly. The issues are communication and understanding. All of what typically would've been called the 'soft stuff.' You have to be authentic. You have to be dialed into the soft stuff.” [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership failures often stem from weak communication and lack of authenticity, not just analytical skill. **In simple terms:** Soft skills matter more than numbers in leadership. Key Takeaway Develop authentic communication. Themes leadership communication authenticity Mood inspirational practical Type leadership development When to use this quote - team meetings - performance reviews - strategic planning - crisis management Key Concepts emotional intelligence soft skills trust building Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance analytical rigor with authentic communication? - What steps will you take to improve your soft‑skill repertoire? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on soft skills may neglect necessary data‑driven decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authentic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authentic/) [Calculate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calculate/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Corporate world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate-world/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Investment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investment/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Return on investment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return-on-investment/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [In the beginning when I sat next to Tom Brokaw on the 'Today' show, the stories I was interested in were those having to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/in-the-beginning-when-i-sat-next-to-tom-brokaw-on-the-today-show-the/) [Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/) > [I've never really worried about being called soft or people thinking I'm soft. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-math-curriculum-in-the-world-is-based-on-the-idea-of-hand/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [SCHOOL: 2 + 2 = 4. HOMEWORK: 2 + 4 + 2 = 8. EXAM: Juan has 4 apples, his train is 7 minutes early, calculate the suns mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/school-2-2-4-homework-2-4-2-8-exam-juan-has-4-apples-his-train-is-7/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Carefully calculate the potential size of your market to make sure you can grow. Before starting Mint, I knew that there were about 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-patzer/carefully-calculate-the-potential-size-of-your-market-to-make-sure/) [Aaron Patzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-patzer/) > [You can't just count on becoming a syndicated cartoonist. I actually tried to calculate the odds once, and the best I could come up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/you-can-t-just-count-on-becoming-a-syndicated-cartoonist-i-actually/) [Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/) > [Since then I never pay attention to anything by "experts". I calculate everything myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/since-then-i-never-pay-attention-to-anything-by-experts-i-calculate/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [You could say I was too lazy to calculate, so I invented the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-zuse/you-could-say-i-was-too-lazy-to-calculate-so-i-invented-the-computer/) [Konrad Zuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-zuse/) > [Looking at numbers as groups of rocks may seem unusual, but actually it's as old as math itself. The word "calculate" reflects that legacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/looking-at-numbers-as-groups-of-rocks-may-seem-unusual-but-actually/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Think of something you really care about. Then add hour to hour and calculate the fraction of your life that you've actually spent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/think-of-something-you-really-care-about-then-add-hour-to-hour-and/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I never pay attention in math, but if I did, I still could not calculate how much I LOVE YOU!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-siso/i-never-pay-attention-in-math-but-if-i-did-i-still-could-not/) Jerome\_siso > [Calculators can only calculate - they cannot do mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-van-de-walle/calculators-can-only-calculate-they-cannot-do-mathematics/) John A. Van de Walle > [The news media is so quick to pick up tragic stories of imperiled children that it seems like there are more terrible events today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gever-tulley/the-news-media-is-so-quick-to-pick-up-tragic-stories-of-imperiled/) [Gever Tulley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gever-tulley/) ## More by Douglas Conant > [You must bring great resolve to your work. It's not all a bed of roses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/you-must-bring-great-resolve-to-your-work-it-s-not-all-a-bed-of-roses/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [I would assert that highly effective leaders are made more than they're born. Every leader I know who's been highly effective has worked hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/i-would-assert-that-highly-effective-leaders-are-made-more-than-they/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [You have to be a well-rounded leader. You can't fly by the seat of your pants anymore. You have to be incredibly tough-minded about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/you-have-to-be-a-well-rounded-leader-you-can-t-fly-by-the-seat-of/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [I strongly believe that you can't win in the marketplace unless you win first in the workplace. If you don't have a winning culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/i-strongly-believe-that-you-can-t-win-in-the-marketplace-unless-you/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [All of us introverts aspire to be more outgoing, but it's not in our nature. When I was nearly 50, I discovered that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/all-of-us-introverts-aspire-to-be-more-outgoing-but-it-s-not-in-our/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [People lead complicated lives and aren't hanging on your every word or the company mission statement. You have to become a broken record of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/people-lead-complicated-lives-and-aren-t-hanging-on-your-every-word/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [You have the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on the lives of the people with whom you work and live. Make the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/you-have-the-opportunity-to-make-a-tremendous-impact-on-the-lives-of/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [If you're a wounded company, the other companies that have been around for a hundred years will smell it, and they will take advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/if-you-re-a-wounded-company-the-other-companies-that-have-been-around/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [Too many leaders are so caught up in the momentum of work that they lose sight of the opportunity to connect with people. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/too-many-leaders-are-so-caught-up-in-the-momentum-of-work-that-they/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [Courage means feeling all those hard human emotions - all that uncertainty and anxiety - and getting the job done anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/courage-means-feeling-all-those-hard-human-emotions-all-that/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [Most people think of leaders as being these outgoing, very visible, and charismatic people, which I find to be a very narrow perception. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/most-people-think-of-leaders-as-being-these-outgoing-very-visible-and/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [Extroverts may get places faster, but for introverts it's all about working at the pace you need and, at the end of the day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/extroverts-may-get-places-faster-but-for-introverts-it-s-all-about/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [It would be counterproductive to tell people exactly what they are supposed to do and exactly how they are supposed to do it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/it-would-be-counterproductive-to-tell-people-exactly-what-they-are/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [Trust gives you the permission to give people direction, get everyone aligned, and give them the energy to go get the job done. Trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/trust-gives-you-the-permission-to-give-people-direction-get-everyone/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) > [On a personal level, I send out about 20 thank-you notes a day to staffers, on all levels. And every six weeks I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-conant/on-a-personal-level-i-send-out-about-20-thank-you-notes-a-day-to/) [Douglas Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) [Explore all 40 Douglas Conant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-conant/) ## More Authentic quotes > [“RIGHT Do you do what feels right or what is seen right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-downer/right-do-you-do-what-feels-right-or-what-is-seen-right/) [Kitty Downer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-downer/) > [When somebody comes across as authentic and genuine and sweet, people just want to spend time with that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-holmes/when-somebody-comes-across-as-authentic-and-genuine-and-sweet-people/) [Pete Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-holmes/) > [Anything that I ever do is from the heart and authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-carlisle/anything-that-i-ever-do-is-from-the-heart-and-authentic/) [Belinda Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-carlisle/) > [Being authentic can be a good thing in that often people who are fixated on that are also fixated on having very high standards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-meyer/being-authentic-can-be-a-good-thing-in-that-often-people-who-are/) [Edgar Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-meyer/) > [“REMEMBER Do you live your life according to how you want to remember it or how you will be remembered?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-downer/remember-do-you-live-your-life-according-to-how-you-want-to-remember/) [Kitty Downer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-downer/) > [I've put my days of fantasy behind me and make authentic realistic films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/i-ve-put-my-days-of-fantasy-behind-me-and-make-authentic-realistic/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) > [I think as long as you're authentic, people will relate to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-woodson/i-think-as-long-as-you-re-authentic-people-will-relate-to-that/) [Charles Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-woodson/) > [I had always wanted to expand to beauty, but I knew I wanted to be able to translate my design aesthetic in an authentic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-ronson/i-had-always-wanted-to-expand-to-beauty-but-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be/) [Charlotte Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-ronson/) > [“But now? Being a sellout is the authentic thing. When”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/but-now-being-a-sellout-is-the-authentic-thing-when/) [Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/) > [“The biggest mistake people make when trying to be authentic is just that: they try. They see these role models of what an "authentic"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/the-biggest-mistake-people-make-when-trying-to-be-authentic-is-just/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [“Some days I like to wander to old and warn our places, forests ripped apart by man and streams that carry stagnant water where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/some-days-i-like-to-wander-to-old-and-warn-our-places-forests-ripped/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [Christie led the way - with a bulldozer. The governor is blunt, brash, and self-consciously authentic, the antithesis to what turns off today's voters:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/christie-led-the-way-with-a-bulldozer-the-governor-is-blunt-brash-and/) [Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/) > [“Show up authentically and synergy will meet you there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/show-up-authentically-and-synergy-will-meet-you-there/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Disturb reality, defy gravity, be authentic and above all... be happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-gonzalez/disturb-reality-defy-gravity-be-authentic-and-above-all-be-happy/) [Joaquin Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-gonzalez/) > [We have to express ourselves in the most true and authentic way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-lee-yang/we-have-to-express-ourselves-in-the-most-true-and-authentic-way/) [Eugene Lee Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-lee-yang/) [Browse all 784 Authentic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authentic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most people that derail as leaders in the corporate world, it's not because they couldn't do the math and calculate return on investment properly. 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