--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A failure to act is a terrible, stunning…" description: "\"A failure to act is a terrible, stunning legacy for any leader. But far worse when it is the president of the United States. And that's the point drive..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/mark-mckinnon-3139_act_a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning_255837.jpg" --- # A failure to act is a terrible, stunning legacy for any… ![“A failure to act is a terrible, stunning legacy for any leader. But far worse when it is the president of the United States. And that's the point driven home by Romney's selection of Ryan, who dared to lead when Obama did not.” quote by Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/mark-mckinnon-3139_act_a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning_255837.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/mark-mckinnon-3139_act_a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning_255837.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/mark-mckinnon-3139_act_a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning_255837.jpg) > “A failure to act is a terrible, stunning legacy for any leader. But far worse when it is the president of the United States. And that's the point driven home by Romney's selection of Ryan, who dared to lead when Obama did not.” [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inaction by leaders, especially presidents, creates damaging legacies; decisive leadership is essential. **In simple terms:** Leaders who do nothing leave harmful legacies. Key Takeaway Act decisively in positions of power. Themes leadership responsibility politics Mood serious concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - presidential office - corporate boardrooms - community leadership Key Concepts governance ethical decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - What prevents leaders from acting promptly? - How can accountability be ensured? A Different Perspective Complex crises may limit swift action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure to act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-to-act/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Legacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legacy/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [Every time we get a piece of economic news, we'll know it could have been better if not for Congress failure to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/every-time-we-get-a-piece-of-economic-news-we-ll-know-it-could-have/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The greatest failure of all is the failure to act when action is needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/the-greatest-failure-of-all-is-the-failure-to-act-when-action-is/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [The futility of action does not absolve one from the failure to act. -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janette-turner-hospital/the-futility-of-action-does-not-absolve-one-from-the-failure-to-act/) [Janette Turner Hospital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janette-turner-hospital/) > [The only lasting failure is the failure to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-lasting-failure-is-the-failure-to-act/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure to act only leaves you shortchanging yourself. We're all capable of greater things. All it takes is the power to believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/failure-to-act-only-leaves-you-shortchanging-yourself-we-re-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is some risk involved in action, there always is. But there is far more risk in failure to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/there-is-some-risk-involved-in-action-there-always-is-but-there-is/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Don't be afraid to fail. The greatest failure of all is failure to act when action is needed. Use the information that you've acquired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/don-t-be-afraid-to-fail-the-greatest-failure-of-all-is-failure-to-act/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/failure-to-act-is-often-the-biggest-failure-of-all/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [So many financial dreams are thwarted by the failure to act upon good intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/so-many-financial-dreams-are-thwarted-by-the-failure-to-act-upon-good/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [Make a decision! Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/make-a-decision-failure-to-act-is-often-the-biggest-failure-of-all/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [In the Democratic primary in 2008, the Obama team devised a strategy to use the caucuses and a complicated system of awarding delegates in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/in-the-democratic-primary-in-2008-the-obama-team-devised-a-strategy/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man, I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/my-life-has-been-a-poor-attempt-to-imitate-the-man-i-m-just-a-living/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [“Barack Obama is an even worse president than George W. Bush, because an evil bastard who knows what he's doing is far more dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/barack-obama-is-an-even-worse-president-than-george-w-bush-because-an/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [President Obama released his tax returns. It turns out he made $900,000 less in 2011 then he did in 2010. You know what that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/president-obama-released-his-tax-returns-it-turns-out-he-made-900-000/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Income inequality has gotten worse under President Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/income-inequality-has-gotten-worse-under-president-barack-obama/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) ## More by Mark McKinnon > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [It's just madness. First email. Then instant message. Then MySpace. Then Facebook. Then LinkedIn. Then Twitter. It's not enough anymore to 'Just do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/it-s-just-madness-first-email-then-instant-message-then-myspace-then/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [One thing is clear: Ron Paul defies labels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/one-thing-is-clear-ron-paul-defies-labels/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Mitt Romney is a nice guy. But, we know where nice guys finish in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/mitt-romney-is-a-nice-guy-but-we-know-where-nice-guys-finish-in/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Sarah Palin is brilliant. She is a media magnet and a media magnate. She creates headlines and draws crowds wherever she goes, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/sarah-palin-is-brilliant-she-is-a-media-magnet-and-a-media-magnate/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [I'm no economist. I don't even play one on TV. I'm just a husband, a father, a taxpayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/i-m-no-economist-i-don-t-even-play-one-on-tv-i-m-just-a-husband-a/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Republicans constantly claim to be the party that defends the Constitution. We have no legitimate right to that claim until we get right on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/republicans-constantly-claim-to-be-the-party-that-defends-the/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [If we cannot come together to pause, to respect our dead and the heroic lives of meaning they led, then ours is truly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/if-we-cannot-come-together-to-pause-to-respect-our-dead-and-the/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [People who know Paul Ryan say, 'He will be president one day.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/people-who-know-paul-ryan-say-he-will-be-president-one-day/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Every president becomes a caricature. The press, partisans, late-night shows, and other arbiters of our culture these days boil down complicated and multi-faceted personalities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/every-president-becomes-a-caricature-the-press-partisans-late-night/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Now personally, I think the president should golf every day and never have a press conference. I want the leader of the free world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/now-personally-i-think-the-president-should-golf-every-day-and-never/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [In politics, not all lies are all lies. And not all truths are complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/in-politics-not-all-lies-are-all-lies-and-not-all-truths-are-complete/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [There's no question that many factors contribute to voters' perceptions about debates and who wins and who loses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/there-s-no-question-that-many-factors-contribute-to-voters/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Presidential primary debates are an important part of our political process. But the media has wrested complete control from the parties and candidates over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/presidential-primary-debates-are-an-important-part-of-our-political/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Sometime in the not too distant future, denying gays the right to marry will be viewed as historically corrupt - as corrupt as denying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/sometime-in-the-not-too-distant-future-denying-gays-the-right-to/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) [Explore all 138 Mark McKinnon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) ## More Act quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [Teachers' unions don't act in the interest of most teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/teachers-unions-don-t-act-in-the-interest-of-most-teachers/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) Vashti Quiroz-Vega > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I have no interest in watching myself act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wesley/i-have-no-interest-in-watching-myself-act/) [Paul Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wesley/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I do believe some people can naturally act and don't know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-arnold/i-do-believe-some-people-can-naturally-act-and-don-t-know-it/) [Andrea Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-arnold/) > [Regardless of what I do, whether I write a book or whether I act or whether I host, I'll always do stand-up comedy because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/regardless-of-what-i-do-whether-i-write-a-book-or-whether-i-act-or/) [Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/) > [On 'Workaholics,' I feel like I'm just hanging out with my buddies being filmed, but on 'Mindy,' I'm around professional funny people who act.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/on-workaholics-i-feel-like-i-m-just-hanging-out-with-my-buddies-being/) [Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/) > [I'm not an artist, and I want to take risks, and when the possibility of failure occurs, it's because the idea is all exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-m-not-an-artist-and-i-want-to-take-risks-and-when-the-possibility/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [I don't have a huge amount of gear, but on the software side, I have a number of plug-in chains that act as abstracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hopkins/i-don-t-have-a-huge-amount-of-gear-but-on-the-software-side-i-have-a/) [Jon Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hopkins/) > [I honestly didn't know that I wanted to act until I was probably 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-rae-mayo/i-honestly-didn-t-know-that-i-wanted-to-act-until-i-was-probably-12/) [Miranda Rae Mayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-rae-mayo/) Browse all 1,802 Act quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A failure to act is a terrible, stunning legacy for any leader. But far worse when it is the president of the United States. And that's the point driven home by Romney's selection of Ryan, who dared to lead when Obama did not.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark McKinnon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning-legacy-for-any-leader-but-far/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Act" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning-legacy-for-any-leader-but-far/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/mark-mckinnon-3139_act_a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning_255837.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/mark-mckinnon-3139_act_a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning_255837.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/mark-mckinnon-3139_act_a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning_255837.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A failure to act is a terrible, stunning legacy for any leader. But far worse when it is the president of…” — Mark McKinnon", "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": "Mark McKinnon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A failure to act is a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning-legacy-for-any-leader-but-far/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/a-failure-to-act-is-a-terrible-stunning-legacy-for-any-leader-but-far/#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 } } ] } ```