--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Statesman create; ordinary leaders…" description: "\"Statesman create; ordinary leaders consume. The ordinary leader is satisfied with ameliorating the environment, not transforming it; a statesman must b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/henry-a-kissinger-1068_educator_statesman-create-ordinary-leaders-consum_451123.jpg" --- # Statesman create; ordinary leaders consume. The ordinary… ![“Statesman create; ordinary leaders consume. The ordinary leader is satisfied with ameliorating the environment, not transforming it; a statesman must be a visionary and an educator.” quote by Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/henry-a-kissinger-1068_educator_statesman-create-ordinary-leaders-consum_451123.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/henry-a-kissinger-1068_educator_statesman-create-ordinary-leaders-consum_451123.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/henry-a-kissinger-1068_educator_statesman-create-ordinary-leaders-consum_451123.jpg) > “Statesman create; ordinary leaders consume. The ordinary leader is satisfied with ameliorating the environment, not transforming it; a statesman must be a visionary and an educator.” [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders who maintain the status quo differ from visionary statesmen who educate and transform society. **In simple terms:** Ordinary leaders preserve; statesmen inspire change. Key Takeaway Cultivate visionary leadership and education. Themes leadership vision transformation education Mood thoughtful analytical Type political motivational When to use this quote - corporate management - government policy - community organizing - nonprofit leadership Key Concepts statesmanship political theory social change Questions to Reflect On - What distinguishes a statesman from a regular leader? - How can ordinary leaders become more visionary? A Different Perspective Visionary leadership may be unrealistic in entrenched systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Educator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educator/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Statesmanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statesmanship/) [Statesmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statesmen/) [Transforming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transforming/) [Visionaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionaries/) [Visionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionary/) ## Related quotes > [France isn't just any country in Europe, and its president is not an ordinary leader in the world. 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Morgenthau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-j-morgenthau/) > [Statesman, yet friend to truth! of soul sincere, In action faithful, and in honour clear; Who broke no promise, serv'd no private end, Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/statesman-yet-friend-to-truth-of-soul-sincere-in-action-faithful-and/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [The legislator must be in advance of his age. Across the mind of the statesman flash ever and anon the brilliant, though partial, intimations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-legislator-must-be-in-advance-of-his-age-across-the-mind-of-the/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [A politician is a man who understands government, and it takes a politician to run a government. A statesman is a politician who's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/a-politician-is-a-man-who-understands-government-and-it-takes-a/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [The statesman cannot govern without stability of belief, true or false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-statesman-cannot-govern-without-stability-of-belief-true-or-false/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Your real statesman is first of all, and chief of all, a great human being, with an eye for all the great fields on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/your-real-statesman-is-first-of-all-and-chief-of-all-a-great-human/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [“State first, subject second, statesman last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/state-first-subject-second-statesman-last/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The statesman's duty is to bridge the gap between his nation's experience and his vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-statesman-s-duty-is-to-bridge-the-gap-between-his-nation-s/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [The supreme function of statesmanship is to provide against preventable evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/the-supreme-function-of-statesmanship-is-to-provide-against/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/behind-the-ostensible-government-sits-enthroned-an-invisible/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Statesmanship is harder than politics. Politics is the art of getting along with people, whereas statesmanship is the art of getting along with politicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fletcher-knebel/statesmanship-is-harder-than-politics-politics-is-the-art-of-getting/) [Fletcher Knebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fletcher-knebel/) > [...to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/to-befoul-the-unholy-alliance-between-corrupt-business-and-corrupt/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [War can be prevented only by broad-minded statesmanship - a statesmanship that understands how to enlist people's interests in a leading cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/war-can-be-prevented-only-by-broad-minded-statesmanship-a/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) ## More by Henry A. Kissinger > [90% of politicians give the other 10% a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/90-of-politicians-give-the-other-10-a-bad-name/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [I believe it is a mistake to isolate arms control from other areas of policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-believe-it-is-a-mistake-to-isolate-arms-control-from-other-areas-of/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [ Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i-used-to-say-at-meetings-the/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [The convictions that leaders have formed before reaching high office are the intellectual capital they will consume as long as they continue in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-convictions-that-leaders-have-formed-before-reaching-high-office/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Nothing is more urgent than a serious, dare I say compassionate, debate as to where we are going at home and abroad. Technicians cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/nothing-is-more-urgent-than-a-serious-dare-i-say-compassionate-debate/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Jews were segregated from 1933 on. We could only play against other Jewish teams. 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Perhaps the greatest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/john-paul-ii-was-one-of-the-greatest-men-of-the-last-century-perhaps/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Does anyone have any questions for my answers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/does-anyone-have-any-questions-for-my-answers/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Taiwan will probably not declare independence. The question isn't independence. The issue is whether Taiwan will declare itself as a sovereign separate state. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/taiwan-will-probably-not-declare-independence-the-question-isn-t/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [China is a country with a record of continuous self-government going back 4,000 years, the only society that has achieved this. 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