--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The good leader carries water for his…" description: "\"The good leader carries water for his people.\" — Laozi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/laozi-147_carrie_the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-pe_2372998.jpg" --- # The good leader carries water for his people. ![“The good leader carries water for his people.” quote by Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/laozi-147_carrie_the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-pe_2372998.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/laozi-147_carrie_the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-pe_2372998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/laozi-147_carrie_the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-pe_2372998.jpg) > “The good leader carries water for his people.” [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A wise leader serves others humbly, attending to their basic needs before seeking power or glory. **In simple terms:** Leaders should serve their people first. Key Takeaway Lead by serving. Themes leadership humility service community Mood calm inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team management - public service - mentorship - crisis response - social work Key Concepts Taoist philosophy self‑less leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders balance service with authority? - What limits exist for self‑sacrificial leadership? A Different Perspective It may be idealistic in hierarchical or competitive contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carrie/) [Carries Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carries-water-2711044/) [Good leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-leader/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leader Carries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader-carries-5850115/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Water People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water-people-1002292/) ## Related quotes > [A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so that they can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-townsend/a-leader-is-not-an-administrator-who-loves-to-run-others-but-someone/) [Robert Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-townsend/) > [Water for People is a non-profit international organization that brings together communities, entrepreneurs, governments - people - to create solutions that empower people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-graham/water-for-people-is-a-non-profit-international-organization-that/) [Kat Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-graham/) > [ “Those of fire move about the earth with inspiration and purpose. They are creative, and can consume and be consumed by their desires \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/those-of-fire-move-about-the-earth-with-inspiration-and-purpose-they/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [It’s not right to put water before people and then keep them away from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-whyte/it-s-not-right-to-put-water-before-people-and-then-keep-them-away/) [William H. Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-whyte/) > [The river moves from land to water to land, in and out of organisms, reminding us what native peoples have never forgotten: that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-culbreath-noel/the-river-moves-from-land-to-water-to-land-in-and-out-of-organisms/) [Lynn Culbreath Noel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-culbreath-noel/) > [You cannot say that I get water to people. I don't physically do that. Through Araghyam, we support several NGOs across the country which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/you-cannot-say-that-i-get-water-to-people-i-don-t-physically-do-that/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [On singing in the swimming pool: "If I can move the water, I can move the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bolton/on-singing-in-the-swimming-pool-if-i-can-move-the-water-i-can-move/) [Michael Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bolton/) > [“Some people are always thirsting for water from other people's wells.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessamyn-west/some-people-are-always-thirsting-for-water-from-other-people-s-wells/) [Jessamyn West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessamyn-west/) > [I want people to have clean water. 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People are still struggling to get clean water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamaru-usman/in-my-village-where-i-m-from-there-s-still-not-running-water/) [Kamaru Usman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamaru-usman/) > [Fish don't know much about water, and people didn't know much about air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kary-mullis/fish-don-t-know-much-about-water-and-people-didn-t-know-much-about-air/) [Kary Mullis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kary-mullis/) > [Be yourself. If you water yourself down to please people or to fit in or to not offend anyone, you lose the power, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-coppersmith/be-yourself-if-you-water-yourself-down-to-please-people-or-to-fit-in/) [Don Coppersmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-coppersmith/) > [A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. 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If he wants to lead people, he must follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-the-sage-wants-to-stand-above-people-he-must-speak-to-them-from/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Goodie-goodies are the thieves of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/goodie-goodies-are-the-thieves-of-virtue/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [He that humbles himself shall be preserved entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He that is empty shall be filled. He that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/he-that-humbles-himself-shall-be-preserved-entire-he-that-bends-shall/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [The Way of the Sage is to act but not to compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-way-of-the-sage-is-to-act-but-not-to-compete/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with virtue; plan for difficulty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/do-nondoing-strive-for-nonstriving-savor-the-flavorless-regard-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Without looking through the window, you can see Heaven's Way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/without-looking-through-the-window-you-can-see-heaven-s-way/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Can you dissolve your ego? Can you abandon the idea of self and other? 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If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/what-is-a-good-man-but-a-bad-man-s-teacher-what-is-a-bad-man-but-a/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) [Explore all 1,140 Laozi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## More Carrie quotes > [Each person carries an entire world within himself, and everything exists twice: once the way it is, the other the way he perceives it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janusz-korczak/each-person-carries-an-entire-world-within-himself-and-everything/) [Janusz Korczak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janusz-korczak/) > [We should picture the instrument that carries our mental functioning as resembling a compound microscope or photographic apparatus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-should-picture-the-instrument-that-carries-our-mental-functioning/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Genius finds its own road and carries its own lamp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/genius-finds-its-own-road-and-carries-its-own-lamp/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I don't think anybody who carries a rifle carries the future. 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Of course they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/every-man-carries-his-kingdom-within-and-no-one-knows-what-is-taking/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The footnote would seem to be the smallest detail in a work of history. Yet it carries a large burden of responsibility, testifying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-himmelfarb/the-footnote-would-seem-to-be-the-smallest-detail-in-a-work-of/) [Gertrude Himmelfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-himmelfarb/) > [Whatever brings you to your knees in weakness carries the greatest potential for your personal success and spiritual victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/whatever-brings-you-to-your-knees-in-weakness-carries-the-greatest/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [A man who carries a cat by the tail is getting experience that will always be helpful. He isn't likely to grow dim or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-who-carries-a-cat-by-the-tail-is-getting-experience-that-will/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A timely and incisive look into the history, politics, and future of the Muslim Brotherhood by the foremost expert on Islamism in Egypt. Carrie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vali-nasr/a-timely-and-incisive-look-into-the-history-politics-and-future-of/) [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) > [Man must speak, then sing, then dance. The speaking is the brain, the thinking man. The singing is the emotion. The dancing is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isadora-duncan/man-must-speak-then-sing-then-dance-the-speaking-is-the-brain-the/) [Isadora Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isadora-duncan/) > [from one minute to the next the present is merely an honorary past. 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He will come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/the-name-is-not-important-anymore-it-s-the-tone-that-counts-i-feel/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) [Browse all 703 Carrie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carrie/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The good leader carries water for his people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laozi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Carrie" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/laozi-147_carrie_the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-pe_2372998.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/laozi-147_carrie_the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-pe_2372998.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/laozi-147_carrie_the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-pe_2372998.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The good leader carries water for his people.” — Laozi", "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": "Laozi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The good leader carries water for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-good-leader-carries-water-for-his-people/#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 } } ] } ```