--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we only elected good men, we'd never…" description: "\"If we only elected good men, we'd never have leaders.\" — Enoch L. Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/enoch-l-johnson-94391_elected_if-we-only-elected-good-men-we-d-never-h_1943639.png" --- # If we only elected good men, we'd never have leaders. ![“If we only elected good men, we'd never have leaders.” quote by Enoch L. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/enoch-l-johnson-94391_elected_if-we-only-elected-good-men-we-d-never-h_1943639.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/enoch-l-johnson-94391_elected_if-we-only-elected-good-men-we-d-never-h_1943639.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/enoch-l-johnson-94391_elected_if-we-only-elected-good-men-we-d-never-h_1943639.png) > “If we only elected good men, we'd never have leaders.” [Enoch L. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-l-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If only good people were elected, there would be no leaders, implying that leadership requires qualities beyond mere goodness. **In simple terms:** Goodness alone doesn't make a leader. Key Takeaway Seek diverse leadership qualities. Themes leadership ethics politics character selection Mood inquisitive analytical Type questioning philosophical When to use this quote - voting decisions - political candidacy - organizational appointments Key Concepts theory of governance moral complexity power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What qualities beyond goodness are essential for leadership? - Can a purely good person lead effectively? A Different Perspective Good leaders may need flaws to be effective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected/) [Elected Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected-good-2289653/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Good men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-men/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-leaders-1106780/) ## Related quotes > [I was elected by the good people of Fort George for another five-year term, and I certainly intend to continue serving them in this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-musa/i-was-elected-by-the-good-people-of-fort-george-for-another-five-year/) [Said Musa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-musa/) > [I definitely think men can be leaders. I see an analogy in the case of what helped me think about racism, which was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-definitely-think-men-can-be-leaders-i-see-an-analogy-in-the-case-of/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [As far as leadership goes, it's important to know that we don't have to act like men to be leaders. Since men have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-lopez/as-far-as-leadership-goes-it-s-important-to-know-that-we-don-t-have/) [Kamala Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-lopez/) > [“Certainly, a clear line must be preserved by strict discipline, and on the other hand the men must know that everything is done for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-junger/certainly-a-clear-line-must-be-preserved-by-strict-discipline-and-on/) [Ernst Jünger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-junger/) > [I think when you're running for president, especially someone that's never held elected office, there's one set of things that you may view the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-think-when-you-re-running-for-president-especially-someone-that-s/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Some politician some years ago said that bad officials are elected by good voters who do not vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/some-politician-some-years-ago-said-that-bad-officials-are-elected-by/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/bad-officials-are-the-ones-elected-by-good-citizens-who-do-not-vote/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) > [Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/bad-officials-are-elected-by-good-citizens-who-do-not-vote/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) > [Greetings, O Great Gazoo. How nice of you to join us here on planet Earth again. (Cael) Thanks, Barney. How’s Betty and Bam Bam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/greetings-o-great-gazoo-how-nice-of-you-to-join-us-here-on-planet/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Heaven prepares good men with crosses; but no ill can happen to a good man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/heaven-prepares-good-men-with-crosses-but-no-ill-can-happen-to-a-good/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Those good men who take such pleasure in relieving the miserable for Christ's sake, would not have been less forward to minister onto Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/those-good-men-who-take-such-pleasure-in-relieving-the-miserable-for/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-orlov/they-say-evil-prevails-when-good-men-fail-to-act-what-they-ought-to/) [Yuri Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-orlov/) > [I will adhere to the counsels of good men, although misfortune and death should be the consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/i-will-adhere-to-the-counsels-of-good-men-although-misfortune-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The Gospel of Jesus Christ can make bad men good and good men better, can alter human nature, and can change human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-can-make-bad-men-good-and-good-men-better/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [Biographies of great, but especially of good men are most instructive and useful as helps, guides, and incentives to others. Some of the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/biographies-of-great-but-especially-of-good-men-are-most-instructive/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) ## More by Enoch L. Johnson > [ Ordinary \[people\] avoid troubles. Extraordinary \[people\] turn them into advantage. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-l-johnson/ordinary-people-avoid-troubles-extraordinary-people-turn-them-into/) [Enoch L. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-l-johnson/) [Explore all 2 Enoch L. Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-l-johnson/) ## More Elected quotes > [No matter how unusual a personality may be who gets elected to office, there are constraints in this country. You don't get to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/no-matter-how-unusual-a-personality-may-be-who-gets-elected-to-office/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [When I was elected governor of my state, I had a legislature 87 percent Democrat. It was not lost on me that to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/when-i-was-elected-governor-of-my-state-i-had-a-legislature-87/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [When you're running, when you're in elected office, you're surrounded with power. And, so every single day, you have to remind yourself why you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rasoul/when-you-re-running-when-you-re-in-elected-office-you-re-surrounded/) [Sam Rasoul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rasoul/) > [We hope that the elected officials will respond positively to a ground swell of letters, phone calls, e-mails and visits from parents. The law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-hope-that-the-elected-officials-will-respond-positively-to-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I came into office to do what was correct, not to see what was politically expedient to get re-elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fortuno/i-came-into-office-to-do-what-was-correct-not-to-see-what-was/) [Luis Fortuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fortuno/) > [The American people, in their own families, they understand that you have to do that. You have to make the tough decisions. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/the-american-people-in-their-own-families-they-understand-that-you/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [You now have the potential of 200 people deciding who ends up being elected president every single time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-now-have-the-potential-of-200-people-deciding-who-ends-up-being/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If elected, I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-elected-i-shall-see-to-it-that-every-man-has-a-square-deal-no-less/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Others will have opinions on how I do and that's just fine... I've been elected four times, delivered results for my constituents and delivered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-poilievre/others-will-have-opinions-on-how-i-do-and-that-s-just-fine-i-ve-been/) [Pierre Poilievre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-poilievre/) > [I was elected to Parliament as a Conservative three times, most recently in 2017.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-boles/i-was-elected-to-parliament-as-a-conservative-three-times-most/) [Nick Boles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-boles/) > [My goal was never to get re-elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mccallum/my-goal-was-never-to-get-re-elected/) [Scott McCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mccallum/) > [I was elected because I believed in what we call "grassroots politics," politics from the bottom up, not the top down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-was-elected-because-i-believed-in-what-we-call-grassroots-politics/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There are many Israelis who are not keen on Barack Obama - they did not want to see him elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/there-are-many-israelis-who-are-not-keen-on-barack-obama-they-did-not/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/now-we-have-black-and-white-elected-officials-working-together-today/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Browse all 542 Elected quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we only elected good men, we'd never have leaders.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Enoch L. 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