--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To lead on purpose, we must understand…" description: "\"“To lead on purpose, we must understand how we diminish by accident.”\" — Liz Wiseman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c9/liz-wiseman-4720_diminish_to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-ho_3060482.jpg" --- # To lead on purpose, we must understand how we diminish by… ![“To lead on purpose, we must understand how we diminish by accident.” quote by Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c9/liz-wiseman-4720_diminish_to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-ho_3060482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c9/liz-wiseman-4720_diminish_to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-ho_3060482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c9/liz-wiseman-4720_diminish_to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-ho_3060482.jpg) > ““To lead on purpose, we must understand how we diminish by accident.”” [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Purposeful leadership requires awareness of unintended negative impacts, urging proactive self‑evaluation. **In simple terms:** Leaders must see how they unintentionally cause harm. Key Takeaway Reflect on hidden effects of your actions. Themes leadership purpose self‑awareness Mood thoughtful inspirational Type leadership self‑improvement When to use this quote - team management - personal growth - decision making Key Concepts multipliers impact Questions to Reflect On - What blind spots might you have? - How can you measure your influence? A Different Perspective Good intentions can still cause damage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diminish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diminish/) [Diminish Accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diminish-accident-5131913/) [Lead Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-purpose-3363858/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Purpose Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-understand-1615335/) [Understand Diminish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-diminish-5131914/) ## Related quotes > [Follow your passion. It will lead you to your purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/follow-your-passion-it-will-lead-you-to-your-purpose/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“Stay true to your passion as it will lead you to your purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-toni-graham/stay-true-to-your-passion-as-it-will-lead-you-to-your-purpose/) [C. Toni Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-toni-graham/) > [Leadership will either lead you into a ditch or lead you into purpose. We need our leaders, especially those who are teaching our young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/leadership-will-either-lead-you-into-a-ditch-or-lead-you-into-purpose/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [“Purpose expresses most deeply what makes you a unique individual. Your purpose defines who you are, how you live your life and how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-narofsky/purpose-expresses-most-deeply-what-makes-you-a-unique-individual-your/) [Thomas Narofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-narofsky/) > [“...things might change, grow or fail... we were all part of some great cycle, some pattern that it was only God's purpose to understand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/things-might-change-grow-or-fail-we-were-all-part-of-some-great-cycle/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [Islam is probably the one that places the greatest emphasis on knowledge. The purpose is to understand God's creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aga-khan-iv/islam-is-probably-the-one-that-places-the-greatest-emphasis-on/) [Aga Khan IV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aga-khan-iv/) > [“It cannot be a dog’s purpose to understand what people want because it is impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/it-cannot-be-a-dog-s-purpose-to-understand-what-people-want-because/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [We are all part of some great cycle, some pattern that it was only God's purpose to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/we-are-all-part-of-some-great-cycle-some-pattern-that-it-was-only-god/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“Evelyn looks at me with purpose. "Do you understand what I'm telling you? When you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/evelyn-looks-at-me-with-purpose-do-you-understand-what-i-m-telling/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [We have to have a commonality and purpose. We have to understand that each of us is dependent on the success of the others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-welts/we-have-to-have-a-commonality-and-purpose-we-have-to-understand-that/) [Rick Welts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-welts/) > [Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/everybody-in-this-life-has-their-challenges-and-difficulties-that-is/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [“Good leaders don’t just give people more work, they give them harder work—a bigger challenge that prompts deep learning and growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/good-leaders-don-t-just-give-people-more-work-they-give-them-harder/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“When leaders define clear ownership and invest in others, they have sown the seeds of success and earned the right to hold people accountable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/when-leaders-define-clear-ownership-and-invest-in-others-they-have/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [I think you can train yourself to block out some of that pressure and replace it with confidence. It's about preparation, and the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rodgers/i-think-you-can-train-yourself-to-block-out-some-of-that-pressure-and/) [Aaron Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rodgers/) > [I am a little older and understand the nature of the business - the older you get the more your skills supposedly diminish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-moss/i-am-a-little-older-and-understand-the-nature-of-the-business-the/) [Randy Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-moss/) ## More by Liz Wiseman > [“When leaders define clear ownership and invest in others, they have sown the seeds of success and earned the right to hold people accountable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/when-leaders-define-clear-ownership-and-invest-in-others-they-have/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“To generate a big impact, pair someone who wants to change the world with someone who already knows how the world works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/to-generate-a-big-impact-pair-someone-who-wants-to-change-the-world/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“failure is not an outcome, but involves a lack of trying—not stretching yourself far enough out of your comfort zone and attempting to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/failure-is-not-an-outcome-but-involves-a-lack-of-trying-not/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr said, “All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/american-theologian-reinhold-niebuhr-said-all-human-sin-seems-so-much/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“Good leaders don’t just give people more work, they give them harder work—a bigger challenge that prompts deep learning and growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/good-leaders-don-t-just-give-people-more-work-they-give-them-harder/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“Bill asked the CEO to prepare five topics that were crucial to the company. The CEO then emailed the list to the team in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/bill-asked-the-ceo-to-prepare-five-topics-that-were-crucial-to-the/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“speaking the language of multiplication (that is, higher growth by better utilizing the resources that already exist).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/speaking-the-language-of-multiplication-that-is-higher-growth-by/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“When leaders teach, they invest in their people’s ability to solve and avoid problems in the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/when-leaders-teach-they-invest-in-their-people-s-ability-to-solve-and/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“A native genius or talent is something that people do, not only exceptionally well, but absolutely naturally. They do it easily (without extra effort)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/a-native-genius-or-talent-is-something-that-people-do-not-only/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“people actually get smarter and more capable around Multipliers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/people-actually-get-smarter-and-more-capable-around-multipliers/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“What we know might actually mask what we don’t know and impede our ability to learn and perform. All”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/what-we-know-might-actually-mask-what-we-don-t-know-and-impede-our/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“We need more than just geniuses at the top of our organizations; we need genius makers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/we-need-more-than-just-geniuses-at-the-top-of-our-organizations-we/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“The Diminisher is a Know-It-All who gives directives. The Multiplier is a Challenger who defines opportunities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/the-diminisher-is-a-know-it-all-who-gives-directives-the-multiplier/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“It has been said that after meeting with the great British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, you left feeling he was the smartest person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/it-has-been-said-that-after-meeting-with-the-great-british-prime/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) > [“resource leverage was as strategically important as resource allocation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/resource-leverage-was-as-strategically-important-as-resource/) [Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) [Explore all 107 Liz Wiseman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/) ## More Diminish quotes > [I am a little older and understand the nature of the business - the older you get the more your skills supposedly diminish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-moss/i-am-a-little-older-and-understand-the-nature-of-the-business-the/) [Randy Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-moss/) > [I think you can train yourself to block out some of that pressure and replace it with confidence. It's about preparation, and the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rodgers/i-think-you-can-train-yourself-to-block-out-some-of-that-pressure-and/) [Aaron Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rodgers/) > [“instead of accepting love's strength, we are trying to diminish it so that it fits the world in which we imagine we live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/instead-of-accepting-love-s-strength-we-are-trying-to-diminish-it-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Maybe that will happen with other countries as well. And so, that's why one of the things that groups like mine that work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/maybe-that-will-happen-with-other-countries-as-well-and-so-that-s-why/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [A poet who makes use of a worse word instead of a better, because the former fits the rhyme or the measure, though it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-walpole/a-poet-who-makes-use-of-a-worse-word-instead-of-a-better-because-the/) [Horace Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-walpole/) > [Major international interventions are doomed unless the US is directly or indirectly involved. But if American politicians, officials and servicemen are to be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/major-international-interventions-are-doomed-unless-the-us-is/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Our resources will diminish in the coming decades at a time when hunger for energy grows dramatically in China and other parts of Asia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-e-ott/our-resources-will-diminish-in-the-coming-decades-at-a-time-when/) [Hermann E. Ott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-e-ott/) > [The practice of gratitude is incompatible with negative emotions and may actually diminish or deter such feelings as anger, bitterness, and greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-lyubomirsky/the-practice-of-gratitude-is-incompatible-with-negative-emotions-and/) [Sonja Lyubomirsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-lyubomirsky/) > [As political and economic freedom diminishes, sexual freedom tends correspondingly to increase. And the dictator will do well to encourage that freedom...it will help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/as-political-and-economic-freedom-diminishes-sexual-freedom-tends/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-andersen/these-fiery-trials-are-designed-to-make-you-stronger-but-they-have/) [Neil L. Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-andersen/) > [For you deal here above all with human life, and human life is sacred; no one may dare make an attempt upon it. Respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-paul-vi/for-you-deal-here-above-all-with-human-life-and-human-life-is-sacred/) [Pope Paul VI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-paul-vi/) > [You snipe so steady, you snub so snide, so rip and ready to diminish and deride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/you-snipe-so-steady-you-snub-so-snide-so-rip-and-ready-to-diminish/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Conversation augments pleasure and diminishes pain by our having shares in either; for silent woes are greatest, as silent satisfaction leas; since sometimes our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/conversation-augments-pleasure-and-diminishes-pain-by-our-having/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Many people do not know that they can strengthen or diminish the life around them. The way we live day to day simply may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/many-people-do-not-know-that-they-can-strengthen-or-diminish-the-life/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) [Browse all 478 Diminish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diminish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To lead on purpose, we must understand how we diminish by accident.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Liz Wiseman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-how-we-diminish-by-accident/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diminish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-how-we-diminish-by-accident/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c9/liz-wiseman-4720_diminish_to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-ho_3060482.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c9/liz-wiseman-4720_diminish_to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-ho_3060482.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c9/liz-wiseman-4720_diminish_to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-ho_3060482.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To lead on purpose, we must understand how we diminish by accident.” — Liz Wiseman", "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": "Liz Wiseman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To lead on purpose, we must...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-how-we-diminish-by-accident/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/to-lead-on-purpose-we-must-understand-how-we-diminish-by-accident/#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 } } ] } ```