--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The incompetent leading the unwilling to…" description: "\"The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary.\" — Evan Wright" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/evan-wright-27547_incompetent_the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to_2906394.jpg" --- # The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary. ![“The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary.” quote by Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/evan-wright-27547_incompetent_the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to_2906394.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/evan-wright-27547_incompetent_the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to_2906394.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/evan-wright-27547_incompetent_the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to_2906394.jpg) > “The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary.” [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders lacking skill may force people into pointless tasks. **In simple terms:** Incompetent leaders create unnecessary work. Key Takeaway Question competence before assigning tasks. Themes leadership efficiency authority Mood frustrated critical Type advisory analytical When to use this quote - workplace - project planning - team meetings Key Concepts management organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can you identify unnecessary work? - What criteria define competence in leadership? A Different Perspective Even skilled leaders can assign unnecessary tasks due to misaligned goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetent/) [Incompetent Leading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetent-leading-4161653/) [Leading Unwilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leading-unwilling-4161654/) [Unnecessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unnecessary/) [Unwilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwilling/) [Unwilling Unnecessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwilling-unnecessary-3981944/) ## Related quotes > [A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling to do the unnecessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/a-committee-is-a-group-of-the-unprepared-appointed-by-the-unwilling/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [ Following is one of the most underrated aspects of leadership… I have seen many a good \[military unit\] underachieve, because someone...thought the commander was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-mcraven/following-is-one-of-the-most-underrated-aspects-of-leadership-i-have/) [William H. McRaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-mcraven/) > [I think President Obama is weak, bored with the office, and an incompetent leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/i-think-president-obama-is-weak-bored-with-the-office-and-an/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [The switch had two settings. You could either turn it to AUTO, in which case the awning lowered itself whenever the sun came out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-switch-had-two-settings-you-could-either-turn-it-to-auto-in-which/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“True evil is always petty and often incompetent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-chilton/true-evil-is-always-petty-and-often-incompetent/) [Claire Chilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-chilton/) > [“The doctor was clueless!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-doctor-was-clueless/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I claim that Mach people (and apparently FreeBSD) are incompetent idiots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-claim-that-mach-people-and-apparently-freebsd-are-incompetent-idiots/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [“The incompetent always present themselves as experts, the cruel as pious, sinners as excessively devout, users as benefactors, the small minded as patriots, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-zafron/the-incompetent-always-present-themselves-as-experts-the-cruel-as/) [Carlos Zafron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-zafron/) > [I'd got over playing a character. People accepted who I was, and if I was incompetent and useless, they felt quite endeared to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-d-got-over-playing-a-character-people-accepted-who-i-was-and-if-i/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [Ken Blackwell is either a huge hypocrite or very incompetent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-paduchik/ken-blackwell-is-either-a-huge-hypocrite-or-very-incompetent/) [Bob Paduchik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-paduchik/) > [Even when they are trying to deceive the voters, the Democrats are incompetent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/even-when-they-are-trying-to-deceive-the-voters-the-democrats-are/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Democratic accountability means that governments must be popularly accepted, with citizens empowered to replace corrupt or incompetent rulers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghuram-rajan/democratic-accountability-means-that-governments-must-be-popularly/) [Raghuram Rajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghuram-rajan/) > [“Problems often become worse if incompetent people try to solve them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eraldo-banovac/problems-often-become-worse-if-incompetent-people-try-to-solve-them/) [Eraldo Banovac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eraldo-banovac/) > [Obviously somebody had been appallingly incompetent and he hoped to God it wasn't him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/obviously-somebody-had-been-appallingly-incompetent-and-he-hoped-to/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Who would vote for an incompetent President?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/who-would-vote-for-an-incompetent-president/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Evan Wright > [“It struck me that such analyses had it backward. It’s the American public for whom the Iraq War is often no more real than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/it-struck-me-that-such-analyses-had-it-backward-it-s-the-american/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“Hey, it's ten in the morning!' says Person, yelling at two farmers dressed in robes in the distance. 'Don't you think you ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/hey-it-s-ten-in-the-morning-says-person-yelling-at-two-farmers/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [ROTC programs at Ivy League campuses would liberalize the military. That can only be good for this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/rotc-programs-at-ivy-league-campuses-would-liberalize-the-military/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [A true warrior can only serve others, not himself...When you become a mercenary, you're just a bully with a gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/a-true-warrior-can-only-serve-others-not-himself-when-you-become-a/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“I cruised into this war thinking my buddy's going to take a bullet, and I'm going to be the fucking hero pulling him out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/i-cruised-into-this-war-thinking-my-buddy-s-going-to-take-a-bullet/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [We're like America's little pit bull. They beat it, starve it, mistreat it, and once in a while they let it out to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/we-re-like-america-s-little-pit-bull-they-beat-it-starve-it-mistreat/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“Marines getting baptized? This used to be a place of men with pure warrior spirit. Chaplains are a goddamn waste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/marines-getting-baptized-this-used-to-be-a-place-of-men-with-pure/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“Get some! expresses in two simple words the excitement, fear, feelings of power and the erotic-tinged thrill that come from confronting the extreme physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/get-some-expresses-in-two-simple-words-the-excitement-fear-feelings/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“NAMBLA's infiltrated First Recon,' Person continues after bringing the vehicle to a stop. 'There's a guy in Third Platoon, hes going to be collecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/nambla-s-infiltrated-first-recon-person-continues-after-bringing-the/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“Don't pet a burning dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/don-t-pet-a-burning-dog/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“With everyone lounging around, eating sleeping, sunning, pooping, it looks like some weird combat version of an outdoor rock festival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/with-everyone-lounging-around-eating-sleeping-sunning-pooping-it/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“One of the few comforts I have when looking at images of distant suffering is the hope that the starving child with flies on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/one-of-the-few-comforts-i-have-when-looking-at-images-of-distant/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“• What unites them is an almost reckless desire to test themselves in the most extreme circumstances. In many respects the life they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/what-unites-them-is-an-almost-reckless-desire-to-test-themselves-in/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“Taking a shit is always a big production in a war zone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/taking-a-shit-is-always-a-big-production-in-a-war-zone/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) > [“They kill hundreds of people, those pilots. I would have loved to have flown the plane that dropped the bomb on Japan. A couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/they-kill-hundreds-of-people-those-pilots-i-would-have-loved-to-have/) [Evan Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) [Explore all 20 Evan Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/) ## More Incompetent quotes > [“Who would vote for an incompetent President?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/who-would-vote-for-an-incompetent-president/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Obviously somebody had been appallingly incompetent and he hoped to God it wasn't him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/obviously-somebody-had-been-appallingly-incompetent-and-he-hoped-to/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Problems often become worse if incompetent people try to solve them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eraldo-banovac/problems-often-become-worse-if-incompetent-people-try-to-solve-them/) [Eraldo Banovac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eraldo-banovac/) > [Democratic accountability means that governments must be popularly accepted, with citizens empowered to replace corrupt or incompetent rulers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghuram-rajan/democratic-accountability-means-that-governments-must-be-popularly/) [Raghuram Rajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghuram-rajan/) > [Even when they are trying to deceive the voters, the Democrats are incompetent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/even-when-they-are-trying-to-deceive-the-voters-the-democrats-are/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [Ken Blackwell is either a huge hypocrite or very incompetent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-paduchik/ken-blackwell-is-either-a-huge-hypocrite-or-very-incompetent/) [Bob Paduchik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-paduchik/) > [I'd got over playing a character. People accepted who I was, and if I was incompetent and useless, they felt quite endeared to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-d-got-over-playing-a-character-people-accepted-who-i-was-and-if-i/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [“The incompetent always present themselves as experts, the cruel as pious, sinners as excessively devout, users as benefactors, the small minded as patriots, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-zafron/the-incompetent-always-present-themselves-as-experts-the-cruel-as/) [Carlos Zafron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-zafron/) > [I claim that Mach people (and apparently FreeBSD) are incompetent idiots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-claim-that-mach-people-and-apparently-freebsd-are-incompetent-idiots/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [“The doctor was clueless!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-doctor-was-clueless/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“True evil is always petty and often incompetent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-chilton/true-evil-is-always-petty-and-often-incompetent/) [Claire Chilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-chilton/) > [The switch had two settings. You could either turn it to AUTO, in which case the awning lowered itself whenever the sun came out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-switch-had-two-settings-you-could-either-turn-it-to-auto-in-which/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I think President Obama is weak, bored with the office, and an incompetent leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/i-think-president-obama-is-weak-bored-with-the-office-and-an/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [ Following is one of the most underrated aspects of leadership… I have seen many a good \[military unit\] underachieve, because someone...thought the commander was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-mcraven/following-is-one-of-the-most-underrated-aspects-of-leadership-i-have/) [William H. McRaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-mcraven/) > [Go the extra mile. It makes your boss look like an incompetent slacker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/go-the-extra-mile-it-makes-your-boss-look-like-an-incompetent-slacker/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) [Browse all 281 Incompetent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Evan Wright" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to-do-the-unnecessary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Incompetent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to-do-the-unnecessary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/evan-wright-27547_incompetent_the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to_2906394.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/evan-wright-27547_incompetent_the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to_2906394.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/evan-wright-27547_incompetent_the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to_2906394.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary.” — Evan Wright", "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": "Evan Wright", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-wright/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The incompetent leading the unwilling to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to-do-the-unnecessary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-wright/the-incompetent-leading-the-unwilling-to-do-the-unnecessary/#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 } } ] } ```