--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need to be clear when we venerate…" description: "\"We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't be grea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/malcolm-gladwell-348_business_we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-ent_33539.png" --- # We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we… ![“We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't be great businessmen.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/malcolm-gladwell-348_business_we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-ent_33539.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/malcolm-gladwell-348_business_we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-ent_33539.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/malcolm-gladwell-348_business_we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-ent_33539.png) > “We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't be great businessmen.” [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns against conflating business success with moral virtue, emphasizing that entrepreneurial skill does not automatically confer ethical leadership. **In simple terms:** Success ≠ morality Key Takeaway Separate business acumen from moral authority Themes ethics leadership entrepreneurship perception values Mood critical cautious Type observation cautionary When to use this quote - evaluating CEOs - investor decisions - media coverage - educational curricula Key Concepts morality business success role models Practical Applications - leadership training - corporate governance policies Questions to Reflect On - How do we assess moral character independently of business performance? - What criteria should we use to venerate entrepreneurs? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Businessman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businessman/) [Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur/) [Great businessman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-businessman/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) ## Related quotes > [The world understands that our country could solve all conflicts with military solutions, but we won't because we have leaders and we have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/the-world-understands-that-our-country-could-solve-all-conflicts-with/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [Leaders can be moral-and they should be moral-without imposing their morality on others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/leaders-can-be-moral-and-they-should-be-moral-without-imposing-their/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [“You were born to be among the advisors and thinkers, the spiritual and moral leaders for your society. There is every reason for pride.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/you-were-born-to-be-among-the-advisors-and-thinkers-the-spiritual-and/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) > [If Congress wants to get involved in the business of morality by allowing a moment of silence in our schools, I support that. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-westheimer/if-congress-wants-to-get-involved-in-the-business-of-morality-by/) [Ruth Westheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-westheimer/) > [American presidents are moral leaders and role models as much as they're political leaders and heads of state - they are meant to model…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/american-presidents-are-moral-leaders-and-role-models-as-much-as-they/) [Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/) > [Hail to the man who went through life always helping others, knowing no fear, and to whom aggressiveness and resentment are alien. Such is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/hail-to-the-man-who-went-through-life-always-helping-others-knowing/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“If you wish to be a great family-man learn philosophy of people, if you wish to be a great businessman learn philosophy of finance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/if-you-wish-to-be-a-great-family-man-learn-philosophy-of-people-if/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I want to be known as a great businessman,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lampert/i-want-to-be-known-as-a-great-businessman/) [Edward Lampert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lampert/) > [I'm sure there are writers who are great businessmen, but I never met any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-m-sure-there-are-writers-who-are-great-businessmen-but-i-never-met/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [ I know when my father \[Donald Trump\] puts his mind to something he's going to do a phenomenal job with it. He's a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump-jr/i-know-when-my-father-donald-trump-puts-his-mind-to-something-he-s/) [Donald Trump, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump-jr/) > [I thought Steve Jobs was amazing. He was such a great businessman. Someone that has just been really continually successful with their brand and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/i-thought-steve-jobs-was-amazing-he-was-such-a-great-businessman/) [Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/) > [Here's a guy who says he's a great businessman. But it seems like a lot of Trump's business is built around stiffing small businesses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/here-s-a-guy-who-says-he-s-a-great-businessman-but-it-seems-like-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to get just as many people ready for Heaven as I can. Hell is a place where there is 'weeping and gnashing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-roberson/i-want-to-get-just-as-many-people-ready-for-heaven-as-i-can-hell-is-a/) [Lee Roberson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-roberson/) > [Great businessmen are creators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/great-businessmen-are-creators/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [One thing I always say is being a great chef today is not enough - you have to be a great businessman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-puck/one-thing-i-always-say-is-being-a-great-chef-today-is-not-enough-you/) [Wolfgang Puck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-puck/) ## More by Malcolm Gladwell > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The world is not a meritocracy, as much as we may like to pretend that it is. And we have a long way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-world-is-not-a-meritocracy-as-much-as-we-may-like-to-pretend-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) [Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't be great businessmen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Gladwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/malcolm-gladwell-348_business_we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-ent_33539.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/malcolm-gladwell-348_business_we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-ent_33539.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/malcolm-gladwell-348_business_we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-ent_33539.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If…” — Malcolm Gladwell", "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": "Malcolm Gladwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We need to be clear when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/#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 } } ] } ```