--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The yearning for strong leadership is…" description: "\"The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength of purpose - clarity of vision - than about merely 'getting tough'.\" — Hugh Mackay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/hugh-mackay-16277_clarity_the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-mo_2541701.png" --- # The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength… ![“The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength of purpose - clarity of vision - than about merely 'getting tough'.” quote by Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/hugh-mackay-16277_clarity_the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-mo_2541701.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/hugh-mackay-16277_clarity_the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-mo_2541701.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/hugh-mackay-16277_clarity_the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-mo_2541701.png) > “The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength of purpose - clarity of vision - than about merely 'getting tough'.” [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership effectiveness stems from clear purpose and vision rather than mere aggression. **In simple terms:** Strong purpose beats brute force. Key Takeaway Cultivate clear goals. Themes leadership purpose vision Mood inspirational thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team building - political leadership - business strategy Key Concepts Strategic clarity authentic influence Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives your leadership? - How can you clarify your vision? A Different Perspective Vision without purpose can become empty rhetoric. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) [Clarity of vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity-of-vision/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Getting Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-tough-738371/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-strength-1439994/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Strength Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-purpose-1439996/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-leader/) [Strong Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-leadership/) [Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Yearning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yearning/) [Yearning Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yearning-strong-1439995/) ## Related quotes > [The world is yearning for strong leadership and moral clarity; someone who knows the difference between good and bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-herzog/the-world-is-yearning-for-strong-leadership-and-moral-clarity-someone/) [Isaac Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-herzog/) > [Aries qualities: leadership, strength and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/aries-qualities-leadership-strength-and-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ultimately, leadership is about the strength of one's convictions, the ability to endure the punches, and the energy to promote an idea. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benazir-bhutto/ultimately-leadership-is-about-the-strength-of-one-s-convictions-the/) [Benazir Bhutto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benazir-bhutto/) > [“He was so stark and male and beautiful that she hungered for him. Physically, to be sure. But also from someplace even more intimate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorien-kelly/he-was-so-stark-and-male-and-beautiful-that-she-hungered-for-him/) [Dorien Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorien-kelly/) > [A warrior feeds his body well; he trains it; works on it. Where he lacks knowledge, he studies. But above all he must believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/a-warrior-feeds-his-body-well-he-trains-it-works-on-it-where-he-lacks/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [A warriorfeeds his body well; he trains it; works on it. Where he lacks knowledge, he studies. But above all he must believe. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/a-warriorfeeds-his-body-well-he-trains-it-works-on-it-where-he-lacks/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [A warrior...must believe in his strength of will, of purpose, of heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/a-warrior-must-believe-in-his-strength-of-will-of-purpose-of-heart/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [It is the misfortune of contemporary leaders, across the whole spectrum of Australian life, that the community's demand for strong leadership is growing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/it-is-the-misfortune-of-contemporary-leaders-across-the-whole/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [When you know things are getting tough just believe in yourself because in the end it will all be OK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine/when-you-know-things-are-getting-tough-just-believe-in-yourself/) [Christine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine/) > [Staying engaged with God is absolutely essential for getting through a tough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/staying-engaged-with-god-is-absolutely-essential-for-getting-through/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Sometimes I just need reassurance that I'm capable of getting through tough times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-just-need-reassurance-that-i-m-capable-of-getting-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You're going to hit some tough times and I don't mind because getting through tough times is what makes a good team a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/you-re-going-to-hit-some-tough-times-and-i-don-t-mind-because-getting/) [Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/) > [“Whenever life is getting tough hold on. Don't let it get the best of you stay strong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laqueisha-malone/whenever-life-is-getting-tough-hold-on-don-t-let-it-get-the-best-of/) [Laqueisha Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laqueisha-malone/) > [The key to getting through tough times with who you love is holding them down and being best friends before anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-key-to-getting-through-tough-times-with-who-you-love-is-holding/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Getting through tough times are never easy but it will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/getting-through-tough-times-are-never-easy-but-it-will-happen/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Hugh Mackay > [“Only those who have been on the receiving end of poverty, unemployment, homelessess, mental illness, domestic violence, racism, sexism or ageism can fully identify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/only-those-who-have-been-on-the-receiving-end-of-poverty-unemployment/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/universal-literacy-was-a-20th-century-goal-before-then-reading-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Actually, I can't imagine anything more tedious than a perfect person, especially if it was someone who also demanded perfection from me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/actually-i-can-t-imagine-anything-more-tedious-than-a-perfect-person/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Obviously, every child should be given the best possible opportunity to acquire literacy skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/obviously-every-child-should-be-given-the-best-possible-opportunity/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [“I actually attack the concept of happiness. The idea that—I don't mind people being happy—but the idea that everything we do is part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/i-actually-attack-the-concept-of-happiness-the-idea-that-i-don-t-mind/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Some researchers sensibly suggest that rather than worrying too much about which programs our children are watching, we should concentrate on trying to reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/some-researchers-sensibly-suggest-that-rather-than-worrying-too-much/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [If I were asked about what to do about the level of insecurity and anxiety in contemporary Australian society, I wouldn't start with politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/if-i-were-asked-about-what-to-do-about-the-level-of-insecurity-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [One of the most important responsibilities of leaders in any setting - including business organisations - is to tell us our own story; to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/one-of-the-most-important-responsibilities-of-leaders-in-any-setting/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Recounting their histories, people often sound like interested bystanders to their own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/recounting-their-histories-people-often-sound-like-interested/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [With increasing frequency and growing vehemence, you hear people saying they are ashamed to be Australians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/with-increasing-frequency-and-growing-vehemence-you-hear-people/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [I wish we didn't have to own up to a policy deliberately designed to inflict suffering on people who have already been traumatised in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/i-wish-we-didn-t-have-to-own-up-to-a-policy-deliberately-designed-to/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [It is the misfortune of contemporary leaders, across the whole spectrum of Australian life, that the community's demand for strong leadership is growing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/it-is-the-misfortune-of-contemporary-leaders-across-the-whole/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [“You have five hundred Facebook 'friends'? That simply means you've redefined 'friend' to make it something like 'a contact I exchange data with'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/you-have-five-hundred-facebook-friends-that-simply-means-you-ve/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [It seems inevitable that the magic of the written word will fade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/it-seems-inevitable-that-the-magic-of-the-written-word-will-fade/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Still, most of those effects occur in the context of harmless play and it is patently obvious that children are not normally turned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/still-most-of-those-effects-occur-in-the-context-of-harmless-play-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) [Explore all 40 Hugh Mackay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) ## More Clarity quotes > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Its a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/its-a-lack-of-clarity-that-creates-chaos-and-frustration-those/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Anything well written with good language and clarity and honesty is worth doing. It comes out of the same tradition as Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/anything-well-written-with-good-language-and-clarity-and-honesty-is/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It comes a moment that someone says something really small, but fits so perfect into your heart that everything start to make sense!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laylablack/it-comes-a-moment-that-someone-says-something-really-small-but-fits/) [Laylablack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laylablack/) > [“Replaying the past in your mind won't change the present; it only steals the clarity needed to shape what comes next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-meyering-sr/replaying-the-past-in-your-mind-won-t-change-the-present-it-only/) [Joseph Meyering Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-meyering-sr/) > [Rain is good for me. I feel like I achieve clarity actually when it rains. The longer I have to sit and wait, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/rain-is-good-for-me-i-feel-like-i-achieve-clarity-actually-when-it/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [It's my feeling that any writer can get an emotion into a story without being sentimental as long as the emotion is dealt with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baxter/it-s-my-feeling-that-any-writer-can-get-an-emotion-into-a-story/) [Charles Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baxter/) > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The law of polarity brings forth clarity to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mercado/the-law-of-polarity-brings-forth-clarity-to-your-life/) [Joseph Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mercado/) > [In meditation you withdraw from others and focus your attention inside to gain purity of mind and wisdom energy. Then you must become extroverted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-n-goenka/in-meditation-you-withdraw-from-others-and-focus-your-attention/) [S. N. Goenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-n-goenka/) > [In stillness the muddied water returns to clarity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/in-stillness-the-muddied-water-returns-to-clarity/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I think clarity is the real risk in poetry because you are exposed. You're out in the open field. You're actually saying things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/i-think-clarity-is-the-real-risk-in-poetry-because-you-are-exposed/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [I decided to be a filmmaker when I was 12. I had utter clarity that this would be my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hooper/i-decided-to-be-a-filmmaker-when-i-was-12-i-had-utter-clarity-that/) [Tom Hooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hooper/) > [The translucence that comes when life hardens into a bead of such cruel perfection you see it with the purest clarity. Everything suddenly there--life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/the-translucence-that-comes-when-life-hardens-into-a-bead-of-such/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) [Browse all 1,601 Clarity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength of purpose - clarity of vision - than about merely 'getting tough'.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hugh Mackay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-more-about-strength-of-purpose/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clarity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-more-about-strength-of-purpose/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/hugh-mackay-16277_clarity_the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-mo_2541701.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/hugh-mackay-16277_clarity_the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-mo_2541701.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/hugh-mackay-16277_clarity_the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-mo_2541701.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength of purpose - clarity of vision - than about merely…” — Hugh Mackay", "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": "Hugh Mackay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The yearning for strong leadership is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-more-about-strength-of-purpose/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/the-yearning-for-strong-leadership-is-more-about-strength-of-purpose/#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 } } ] } ```