--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We learned that a former prisoner of war…" description: "\"We learned that a former prisoner of war had more to teach us about what it takes to find a path to greatness than most books on corporate strategy.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/james-c-collins-2276_book_we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war_2158568.png" --- # We learned that a former prisoner of war had more to teach… ![“We learned that a former prisoner of war had more to teach us about what it takes to find a path to greatness than most books on corporate strategy.” quote by James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/james-c-collins-2276_book_we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war_2158568.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/james-c-collins-2276_book_we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war_2158568.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/james-c-collins-2276_book_we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war_2158568.png) > “We learned that a former prisoner of war had more to teach us about what it takes to find a path to greatness than most books on corporate strategy.” [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Real-world experience, especially hardship, can teach leadership lessons that textbooks often miss. **In simple terms:** Hardship teaches leadership better than books. Key Takeaway Seek mentors with lived experience. Themes leadership experience learning Mood reflective inspirational Type advice leadership When to use this quote - corporate training - team building - career development Key Concepts resilience strategic insight Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate veteran perspectives into strategy? - What lessons from adversity can improve your leadership? A Different Perspective Books lack the visceral insight of lived struggle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Corporate Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate-strategy/) [Former](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/former/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Learned Prisoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-prisoner-4569961/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Path To Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path-to-greatness/) [Prisoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoner/) [Prisoner of war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoner-of-war/) [Prisoner War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoner-war-1135548/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-teach-2522190/) ## Related quotes > [“Sure, I'd like to lose some weight, but a tapeworm is the last way I'd like to do it, except becoming a prisoner of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-notaro/sure-i-d-like-to-lose-some-weight-but-a-tapeworm-is-the-last-way-i-d/) [Laurie Notaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-notaro/) > [Playing a prisoner of war trapped in Pakistan for three years was a novelty for me. We made sure that we didn't talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/playing-a-prisoner-of-war-trapped-in-pakistan-for-three-years-was-a/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [John McCain was a prisoner of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/john-mccain-was-a-prisoner-of-war/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/a-prisoner-of-war-is-a-man-who-tries-to-kill-you-and-fails-and-then/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Prisoner of War guard companies, or an equivalent organization, should be as far forward as possible in action to take over prisoners of war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/prisoner-of-war-guard-companies-or-an-equivalent-organization-should/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [I know that I'm already in the history books and that people are going to remember me as the prisoner of war and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lynch/i-know-that-i-m-already-in-the-history-books-and-that-people-are/) [Jessica Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lynch/) > [“He who gives himself up like a prisoner of war must give up his weapons as well. And deprived in advance of defense against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-who-gives-himself-up-like-a-prisoner-of-war-must-give-up-his-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Rock 'n' roll was two pegs below being a prisoner of war back then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-hawkins/rock-n-roll-was-two-pegs-below-being-a-prisoner-of-war-back-then/) [Ronnie Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-hawkins/) > [I was one of those people raised by a woman who was what I call a prisoner of war. She was captured, she didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-was-one-of-those-people-raised-by-a-woman-who-was-what-i-call-a/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [To Mr. Seward: It is my desire that, in case Maximillian will surrender, he be sent here a prisoner of war, but that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-a-norton/to-mr-seward-it-is-my-desire-that-in-case-maximillian-will-surrender/) [Joshua A. Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-a-norton/) > [“He who gives himself up like a prisoner of war must give up his weapons as well. And deprived in advance of defense against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-who-gives-himself-up-like-a-prisoner-of-war-must-give-up-his/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [My father was a Japanese prisoner of war, a survivor of the Thai-Burma Death Railway, built by a quarter of a million slave labourers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/my-father-was-a-japanese-prisoner-of-war-a-survivor-of-the-thai-burma/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [“She made a suck-bad prisoner of war wanting to sleep with the enemy.’ (Abbie)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/she-made-a-suck-bad-prisoner-of-war-wanting-to-sleep-with-the-enemy/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Everything can be taken from you in a second, but the human spirit is so strong. War can teach you so much about evil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/everything-can-be-taken-from-you-in-a-second-but-the-human-spirit-is/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [We must reject the idea... Well-intentioned, but dead wrong... That the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become "more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/we-must-reject-the-idea-well-intentioned-but-dead-wrong-that-the/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) ## More by James C. Collins > [No matter what. Wherever your mind wanders, it seems to turn up at the same Field of Dreams. It's the vision you wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/no-matter-what-wherever-your-mind-wanders-it-seems-to-turn-up-at-the/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [“This might not sound very exciting (inventory management is not something that tends to rivet readers), but think of it this way: Imagine walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/this-might-not-sound-very-exciting-inventory-management-is-not/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [“Merck • Corporate social responsibility • Unequivocal excellence in all aspects of the company • Science-based innovation • Honesty and integrity • Profit, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/merck-corporate-social-responsibility-unequivocal-excellence-in-all/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Greatest danger is not failure, but be successful and not know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/greatest-danger-is-not-failure-but-be-successful-and-not-know-why/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [“If you have the right people on the bus, they will be self-motivated. The real question then becomes: How do you manage in such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/if-you-have-the-right-people-on-the-bus-they-will-be-self-motivated/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [“2. Core purpose is an organization’s most fundamental reason for being. It should not be confused with the company’s current product lines or customer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/2-core-purpose-is-an-organization-s-most-fundamental-reason-for-being/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [The drive for progress doesn't wait for the external world to say "It's time to change."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/the-drive-for-progress-doesn-t-wait-for-the-external-world-to-say-it/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [The secret to a successful retirement is to find your retirement sweet spot. The sweet spot is where your passions, what you do best,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/the-secret-to-a-successful-retirement-is-to-find-your-retirement/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Managing your problems can only make you good, whereas building your opportunities is the only way to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/managing-your-problems-can-only-make-you-good-whereas-building-your/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Creative leadership impact increases in your 50's. When I turn 50 I want to say, "Nice start!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/creative-leadership-impact-increases-in-your-50-s-when-i-turn-50-i/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [“The fact that something is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” is irrelevant, unless it fits within the three circles. A great company will have many once-in-a-lifetime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/the-fact-that-something-is-a-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity-is/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Don't take care of your career. Take care of your people. They will take care of your career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/don-t-take-care-of-your-career-take-care-of-your-people-they-will/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Indeed, the real question is not, "Why greatness?" but "What work makes you feel compelled to try to create greatness?" if you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/indeed-the-real-question-is-not-why-greatness-but-what-work-makes-you/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Not one of the good-to-great companies focused obsessively on growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/not-one-of-the-good-to-great-companies-focused-obsessively-on-growth/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [“Compare Bethlehem Steel to Nucor. Both companies operated in the steel industry and produced hard-to-differentiate products. Both companies faced the competitive challenge of cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/compare-bethlehem-steel-to-nucor-both-companies-operated-in-the-steel/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) [Explore all 175 James C. Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We learned that a former prisoner of war had more to teach us about what it takes to find a path to greatness than most books on corporate strategy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James C. Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war-had-more-to-teach-us-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war-had-more-to-teach-us-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/james-c-collins-2276_book_we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war_2158568.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/james-c-collins-2276_book_we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war_2158568.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/james-c-collins-2276_book_we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war_2158568.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We learned that a former prisoner of war had more to teach us about what it takes to find a path to…” — James C. Collins", "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": "James C. Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We learned that a former prisoner...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war-had-more-to-teach-us-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/we-learned-that-a-former-prisoner-of-war-had-more-to-teach-us-about/#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 } } ] } ```