Arrogance Quote by Kofi Annan
“It is extreme arrogance for one to think he is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it. We're all human. After 10, 15 years you get tired, you run out of steam and ideas, you have to give a chance to somebody else. And whether you yourself are inclined to stay on, all those around you are pushing you to stay on for what they will gain. One has to have the strength of character to say the time has come to move on...unless you are a king.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: UN General Assembly, 2005
Warns against power concentration, urging leadership renewal and humility for sustainable governance.
In simple terms: Power must be shared; leaders need rest.
Key Takeaway
Rotate leaders, respect limits.
Themes
leadership
humility
succession
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
political
advice
When to use this quote
- Corporate board
- government term limits
- non‑profit leadership
Key Concepts
Governance
political fatigue
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- When should a leader step down?
- How to balance continuity with fresh ideas?
A Different Perspective
New leaders may lack experience, causing instability.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
