---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a big difference between a…"
description: "\"There's a big difference between a decisive manager and a tyrant.\" — Mary Kay Ash"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/mary-kay-ash-3346_bigs_there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decis_3001980.jpg"
---

#  There's a big difference between a decisive manager and a…

![“There's a big difference between a decisive manager and a tyrant.” quote by Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/mary-kay-ash-3346_bigs_there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decis_3001980.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/mary-kay-ash-3346_bigs_there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decis_3001980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/mary-kay-ash-3346_bigs_there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decis_3001980.jpg)

> “There's a big difference between a decisive manager and a tyrant.”

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Distinguishes effective leadership from authoritarian rule, emphasizing the importance of decisiveness without oppression.

**In simple terms:** Decisive leadership differs from tyranny.

Key Takeaway

Lead with confidence, not oppression.

Themes

leadership management power ethics

Mood

thoughtful cautionary

Type

leadership ethical

When to use this quote

- corporate management
- team projects
- political leadership

Key Concepts

decision making authoritarianism

Questions to Reflect On

- How to balance decisiveness and empathy?
- When does firmness become tyranny?

A Different Perspective

Decisiveness can become dictatorial.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Decisive Manager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisive-manager-4771292/) [Difference Decisive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference-decisive-4771293/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Manager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manager/) [Manager Tyrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manager-tyrant-4771291/) [Managers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/managers/) [Tyrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrant/) [Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants/)

## Related quotes

> [The tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-tyrant-has-fallen-and-iraq-is-free/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [Democracy was the right of the people to choose their own tyrant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/democracy-was-the-right-of-the-people-to-choose-their-own-tyrant/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [I would rather be my own tyrant than have someone else tyrannize me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-flagler/i-would-rather-be-my-own-tyrant-than-have-someone-else-tyrannize-me/)

[Henry Flagler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-flagler/)

> [In the States, I learned to fight for every idea. Sometimes, a director has to be a tyrant to keep the quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-jeunet/in-the-states-i-learned-to-fight-for-every-idea-sometimes-a-director/)

[Jean-Pierre Jeunet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-jeunet/)

> [But if one wishes to be absolute master of all, to obtain the entire inheritance, and to exclude his brothers from even a third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-of-nyssa/but-if-one-wishes-to-be-absolute-master-of-all-to-obtain-the-entire/)

[Gregory of Nyssa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-of-nyssa/)

> [Between a tyrant and a prince there is this single or chief difference, that the latter obeys the law and rules the people by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-salisbury/between-a-tyrant-and-a-prince-there-is-this-single-or-chief/)

[John of Salisbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-salisbury/)

> [A wicked tyrant is better than a wicked war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/a-wicked-tyrant-is-better-than-a-wicked-war/)

[Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/)

> [The government is a tyrant living by theft, and therefore has no business to engage in any business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/the-government-is-a-tyrant-living-by-theft-and-therefore-has-no/)

[Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/)

> [Let us render the tyrant no aid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/let-us-render-the-tyrant-no-aid/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [A tyrant does not remain in the world; But the curse on him abides forever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/a-tyrant-does-not-remain-in-the-world-but-the-curse-on-him-abides/)

[Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/)

> [ \[It is a basic principle of a tyrant\] to unarm his people of weapons, money and all means whereby they resist his power. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/it-is-a-basic-principle-of-a-tyrant-to-unarm-his-people-of-weapons/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Every apathetic individual is a brick in a tyrant's throne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/every-apathetic-individual-is-a-brick-in-a-tyrant-s-throne/)

[Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/)

> [Love reigns a very tyrant in my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-otway/love-reigns-a-very-tyrant-in-my-heart/)

[Thomas Otway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-otway/)

> [I will never, for the future, paint the portrait of a tyrant until his head lies before me on the scaffold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-louis-david/i-will-never-for-the-future-paint-the-portrait-of-a-tyrant-until-his/)

[Jacques-Louis David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-louis-david/)

> [A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-prince-whose-character-is-thus-marked-by-every-act-which-may-define/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

## More by Mary Kay Ash

> [Sometimes listening itself may not be enough-some people must be prodded if you are to find out what they're thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/sometimes-listening-itself-may-not-be-enough-some-people-must-be/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [I put a lot of emphasis on how to treat people. The reason for this is simple. The real success of our personal lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-put-a-lot-of-emphasis-on-how-to-treat-people-the-reason-for-this-is/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [God does not ask your ability Or your inability. He asks only your availability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/god-does-not-ask-your-ability-or-your-inability-he-asks-only-your/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [My priorities have always been God first, family second, career third. I have found that when I put my life in this order, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/my-priorities-have-always-been-god-first-family-second-career-third-i/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/if-you-think-you-can-you-can-and-if-you-think-you-can-t-you-re-right/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [Many women have made the mistake of changing their beliefs to accommodate their work; it must be the other way around. No circumstance is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/many-women-have-made-the-mistake-of-changing-their-beliefs-to/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [I've often said that we are doing something far more important than just selling cosmetics; we are changing lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-ve-often-said-that-we-are-doing-something-far-more-important-than/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/everyone-wants-to-be-appreciated-so-if-you-appreciate-someone-don-t/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/honesty-is-the-cornerstone-of-all-success-without-which-confidence/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [Individuals sometimes feel insignificant and doubt that one person can really make a difference in this world. Well, believe me, one person can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/individuals-sometimes-feel-insignificant-and-doubt-that-one-person/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [What's interesting about subscribing to a life of giving is that you become addicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/what-s-interesting-about-subscribing-to-a-life-of-giving-is-that-you/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [God first, family second, career third](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/god-first-family-second-career-third/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [While clothes may not make the woman, they certainly have a strong effect on her self-confidence, which, I believe, does make the woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/while-clothes-may-not-make-the-woman-they-certainly-have-a-strong/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [I have learned to imagine an invisible sign around each person’s neck that says ‘Make me feel important,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-have-learned-to-imagine-an-invisible-sign-around-each-person-s-neck/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [God didn't have time to make a nobody, only a somebody.I believe that each of us has God-given talents within us waiting to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/god-didn-t-have-time-to-make-a-nobody-only-a-somebody-i-believe-that/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

[Explore all 133 Mary Kay Ash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

## More Bigs quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/)

[Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/)

[Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/)

[Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There's a big difference between a decisive manager and a tyrant.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mary Kay Ash"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decisive-manager-and-a-tyrant/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decisive-manager-and-a-tyrant/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/mary-kay-ash-3346_bigs_there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decis_3001980.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/mary-kay-ash-3346_bigs_there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decis_3001980.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/mary-kay-ash-3346_bigs_there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decis_3001980.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's a big difference between a decisive manager and a tyrant.” — Mary Kay Ash",
                "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": "Mary Kay Ash",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's a big difference between a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decisive-manager-and-a-tyrant/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-decisive-manager-and-a-tyrant/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```