--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're being lead by an idiot with a crayon." description: "\"We're being lead by an idiot with a crayon.\" — Eoin Colfer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/eoin-colfer-736_crayon_we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-cray_1091848.png" --- # We're being lead by an idiot with a crayon. ![“We're being lead by an idiot with a crayon.” quote by Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/eoin-colfer-736_crayon_we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-cray_1091848.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/eoin-colfer-736_crayon_we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-cray_1091848.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/eoin-colfer-736_crayon_we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-cray_1091848.png) > “We're being lead by an idiot with a crayon.” [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership that lacks competence can be likened to childish, ineffective direction. **In simple terms:** Bad leaders act like kids with crayons. Key Takeaway Demand competence and accountability. Themes leadership incompetence criticism authority Mood critical skeptical Type analytical advisory When to use this quote - team evaluations - feedback sessions - leadership training Key Concepts organizational behavior decision making power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How to address poor leadership constructively? - What alternatives exist when leadership fails? A Different Perspective Criticism may be dismissed if not constructive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crayon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crayon/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Idiot Crayon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot-crayon-1812253/) [Lead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead/) [Lead Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-idiot-1186467/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ## Related quotes > [“We're being led by an idiot with a crayon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/we-re-being-led-by-an-idiot-with-a-crayon/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“You can lead an idiot to enlightenment but you can't make him think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-foster/you-can-lead-an-idiot-to-enlightenment-but-you-can-t-make-him-think/) [Anthony Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-foster/) > [One of the great things about unions is they're member driven and give us the great ability to both lead and follow at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rosenberg/one-of-the-great-things-about-unions-is-they-re-member-driven-and/) [Alan Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rosenberg/) > [Trans actors, just like cisgender actors, need to build experience before getting lead roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-root/trans-actors-just-like-cisgender-actors-need-to-build-experience/) [Rebecca Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-root/) > [Somehow, I don't see myself doing a lead role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/badshah/somehow-i-don-t-see-myself-doing-a-lead-role/) [Badshah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/badshah/) > [When you have a big lead, you relax and don't concentrate as much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hendry/when-you-have-a-big-lead-you-relax-and-don-t-concentrate-as-much/) [Stephen Hendry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hendry/) > [If I'm going to get you to do stuff, I need to lead you. I can't just order you to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocko-willink/if-i-m-going-to-get-you-to-do-stuff-i-need-to-lead-you-i-can-t-just/) [Jocko Willink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocko-willink/) > [I have NEVER worked with a better lead generating company! Thank You Zillow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-rascoff/i-have-never-worked-with-a-better-lead-generating-company-thank-you/) [Spencer Rascoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-rascoff/) > [I have a soul of lead So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-have-a-soul-of-lead-so-stakes-me-to-the-ground-i-cannot-move/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I love making movies, and being in any that I can be in. I'd like to be in those giant movies, as the fifth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-love-making-movies-and-being-in-any-that-i-can-be-in-i-d-like-to-be/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [When you have an opportunity to take the lead and you don't, most of the time something bad happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dusty-baker/when-you-have-an-opportunity-to-take-the-lead-and-you-don-t-most-of/) [Dusty Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dusty-baker/) > [Chances are that any helpful two-year-old will break some eggs. We are often not very good at things when we are new. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/chances-are-that-any-helpful-two-year-old-will-break-some-eggs-we-are/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [Have you ever wished that you were little again, When your toughest decisions was trying to choose a crayon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/have-you-ever-wished-that-you-were-little-again-when-your-toughest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I received rejection letters for ten years (one on a napkin, written in crayon.) I had all my rejection notices stored in a box.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-received-rejection-letters-for-ten-years-one-on-a-napkin-written-in/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [The Indian is but a sketch in red crayon of a rudimental manhood. To the problem of his relation to the white race, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-indian-is-but-a-sketch-in-red-crayon-of-a-rudimental-manhood-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Eoin Colfer > [There’s always time for babbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/there-s-always-time-for-babbling/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [And I will not be beaten by that jackass." "Jackass?" said Foaly, wounded. "My favorite uncle is a jackass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/and-i-will-not-be-beaten-by-that-jackass-jackass-said-foaly-wounded/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Thankfully the rest of the world assumed that the Irish were crazy, a theory that the Irish themselves did nothing to debunk. They had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/thankfully-the-rest-of-the-world-assumed-that-the-irish-were-crazy-a/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [The craft's occupants clutched their armrests, and more than one of them closed their eyes. But not Artemis. He couldn't. There was something morbidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/the-craft-s-occupants-clutched-their-armrests-and-more-than-one-of/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Tea? At the beach? No time for luxuries, Holly. There is important work to be done.” He winked at Butler. “Are you sure you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/tea-at-the-beach-no-time-for-luxuries-holly-there-is-important-work/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Wait," said Butler. "Just wait, Holly. Artemis has a plan." He squinted through the green dome. "What is your plan, Artemis?" All Artemis could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/wait-said-butler-just-wait-holly-artemis-has-a-plan-he-squinted/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Holly is alive,' thought Foaly 'My princess lives,'exulted Orion. 'And we're chasing a dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-is-alive-thought-foaly-my-princess-lives-exulted-orion-and-we/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“There were only two men on the planet better educated in the various martial arts than Butler, and he was related to one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/there-were-only-two-men-on-the-planet-better-educated-in-the-various/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [If Elmore Leonard met Jim Thompson down a dark alley at midnight they might emerge a week later with thick beards, bloodshot eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/if-elmore-leonard-met-jim-thompson-down-a-dark-alley-at-midnight-they/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Sig Sauer. Nine millimetres. Thirteen in the magazine. Big bullets. One of these hits you and it could blow your head off; something even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/sig-sauer-nine-millimetres-thirteen-in-the-magazine-big-bullets-one/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“I feel him near in the twist of me guts. It's something I've always been able to do. --The Reluctant Assassin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-feel-him-near-in-the-twist-of-me-guts-it-s-something-i-ve-always/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Onscreen, Foaly rubbed his eyelids with his index fingers. "Yeah, yeah. Here we go. Captain Short goes rogue once more. Hands up who's surprised.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/onscreen-foaly-rubbed-his-eyelids-with-his-index-fingers-yeah-yeah/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [(about his terrible attempt at making a sandwich) It's more difficult than it looks. (Artemis Fowl)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/about-his-terrible-attempt-at-making-a-sandwich-it-s-more-difficult/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Play along, the wink said. I'll get you out of this. At least Artemis hoped this was what his wink communicated and not something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/play-along-the-wink-said-i-ll-get-you-out-of-this-at-least-artemis/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“ It's now or never , thought Otto. Now, now! thought Witmeyer. And so Ram kissed Thundercat, and suddenly neither bed of roses nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/it-s-now-or-never-thought-otto-now-now-thought-witmeyer-and-so-ram/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) [Explore all 371 Eoin Colfer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) ## More Crayon quotes > [Have you ever wished that you were little again, When your toughest decisions was trying to choose a crayon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/have-you-ever-wished-that-you-were-little-again-when-your-toughest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Chances are that any helpful two-year-old will break some eggs. We are often not very good at things when we are new. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/chances-are-that-any-helpful-two-year-old-will-break-some-eggs-we-are/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [I received rejection letters for ten years (one on a napkin, written in crayon.) I had all my rejection notices stored in a box.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-received-rejection-letters-for-ten-years-one-on-a-napkin-written-in/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [The Indian is but a sketch in red crayon of a rudimental manhood. To the problem of his relation to the white race, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-indian-is-but-a-sketch-in-red-crayon-of-a-rudimental-manhood-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You get older and you are a whole mess of things, new thoughts, sorry feelings, big plans, enormous doubts, goling along hoping and getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-euwer-wolff/you-get-older-and-you-are-a-whole-mess-of-things-new-thoughts-sorry/) [Virginia Euwer Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-euwer-wolff/) > [When drawing the sun, try to have on hand colored paper, chalk, felt-tip markers, crayons, pencils, ball point pens. You can draw a sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-munari/when-drawing-the-sun-try-to-have-on-hand-colored-paper-chalk-felt-tip/) [Bruno Munari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-munari/) > [Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-is-born-creative-everyone-is-given-a-box-of-crayons-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If truth were a crayon and it was up to me to put a wrapper on it and name it's color, I know just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weeks/if-truth-were-a-crayon-and-it-was-up-to-me-to-put-a-wrapper-on-it-and/) [Sarah Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weeks/) > [Crayola just added a new color to there crayon box its called jersey shore orange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/crayola-just-added-a-new-color-to-there-crayon-box-its-called-jersey/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we distributed the paper and crayons, they were fighting over the blue crayon. Everyone wanted to start with the blue, and that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-sellecca/when-we-distributed-the-paper-and-crayons-they-were-fighting-over-the/) [Connie Sellecca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-sellecca/) > [Ever since I was very young, as far back as I can remember, I have loved making pictures. I knew even as a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-carle/ever-since-i-was-very-young-as-far-back-as-i-can-remember-i-have/) [Eric Carle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-carle/) > [Sex appeal is in the workplace every day of the week. I'm not saying that's the only calling card, but it's a whole crayon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/sex-appeal-is-in-the-workplace-every-day-of-the-week-i-m-not-saying/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [I was a weird little kid. I was very irritable, bored, frustrated. I felt my imagination bubbling inside my head without having any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-was-a-weird-little-kid-i-was-very-irritable-bored-frustrated-i-felt/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [ I built the film \[Boy and the World\] this way. I gathered all the tools I usually use such as brushes, color pencils, crayons,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/i-built-the-film-boy-and-the-world-this-way-i-gathered-all-the-tools/) [Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/) > [I may not be your favorite crayon but I know that one day you'll need me to finish your picture :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-may-not-be-your-favorite-crayon-but-i-know-that-one-day-you-ll-need/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) [Browse all 137 Crayon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crayon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're being lead by an idiot with a crayon.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eoin Colfer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-crayon/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crayon" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-crayon/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/eoin-colfer-736_crayon_we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-cray_1091848.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/eoin-colfer-736_crayon_we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-cray_1091848.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/eoin-colfer-736_crayon_we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-cray_1091848.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We're being lead by an idiot with a crayon.” — Eoin Colfer", "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": "Eoin Colfer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We're being lead by an idiot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-crayon/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/we-re-being-lead-by-an-idiot-with-a-crayon/#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 } } ] } ```