--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Government is supposed to lead by example…" description: "\"Government is supposed to lead by example in many cases. Government that's not particularly caring and is hands-off is not particularly inspiring.\" — M..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/maya-soetoro-ng-14179_caring_government-is-supposed-to-lead-by-exampl_3060531.jpg" --- # Government is supposed to lead by example in many cases… ![“Government is supposed to lead by example in many cases. Government that's not particularly caring and is hands-off is not particularly inspiring.” quote by Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/maya-soetoro-ng-14179_caring_government-is-supposed-to-lead-by-exampl_3060531.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/maya-soetoro-ng-14179_caring_government-is-supposed-to-lead-by-exampl_3060531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/maya-soetoro-ng-14179_caring_government-is-supposed-to-lead-by-exampl_3060531.jpg) > “Government is supposed to lead by example in many cases. Government that's not particularly caring and is hands-off is not particularly inspiring.” [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government should model behavior, but when it is indifferent and hands‑off, it fails to inspire citizens. **In simple terms:** Government must lead by example; indifference demotivates. Key Takeaway Demand accountable, caring leadership. Themes leadership government accountability public trust civic engagement Mood hopeful concerned determined Type political motivational philosophical When to use this quote - town hall meetings - policy implementation - community projects - public hearings - election campaigns Key Concepts political theory social contract ethical governance Questions to Reflect On - What actions can citizens take to hold government accountable? - How does apathy affect democratic health? A Different Perspective Even with good intentions, systemic inertia can limit impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Lead by example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-by-example/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [You have to have a government that does give both money and energy to function in a leadership role modeling giving for the people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/you-have-to-have-a-government-that-does-give-both-money-and-energy-to/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [Government that's not particularly caring and is hands off is not particularly inspiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/government-that-s-not-particularly-caring-and-is-hands-off-is-not/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [There are cases where government-to-government aid actually has worked. Look at the eradication of smallpox and the near eradication of polio. But these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/there-are-cases-where-government-to-government-aid-actually-has/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [I would say I'm not like the loudest guy, but I lead by example, and I just make sure all my teammates are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-trubisky/i-would-say-i-m-not-like-the-loudest-guy-but-i-lead-by-example-and-i/) [Mitchell Trubisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-trubisky/) > [One of the most important actions, things a leader can do, is to lead by example. If you want everyone else to be passionate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/one-of-the-most-important-actions-things-a-leader-can-do-is-to-lead/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [I'm the kind of person that when I saw a lack of African Americans in the apparel business, that was something I set out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/i-m-the-kind-of-person-that-when-i-saw-a-lack-of-african-americans-in/) [Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/) > [Those who lead by example and demonstrate passion for what they do make it much easier for their followers to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/those-who-lead-by-example-and-demonstrate-passion-for-what-they-do/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [“Follow the advice of those that lead by example, instead of those lost in the norms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-e-olmedo/follow-the-advice-of-those-that-lead-by-example-instead-of-those-lost/) Cynthia E. Olmedo > [I like to lead by example. I like to lead by my actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-williams/i-like-to-lead-by-example-i-like-to-lead-by-my-actions/) [Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-williams/) > [“Lead by example. That’s what I learnt and now I was practicing that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-prabhu-aradhya/lead-by-example-that-s-what-i-learnt-and-now-i-was-practicing-that/) [Arun Prabhu- aradhya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-prabhu-aradhya/) > [I think that's kind of who I am. I just try to be vocal and try to lead by example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaylen-brown/i-think-that-s-kind-of-who-i-am-i-just-try-to-be-vocal-and-try-to/) [Jaylen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaylen-brown/) > [I will try to lead by example, by my voice in the dressing room and then one-on-one if necessary. It's not top of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-fletcher/i-will-try-to-lead-by-example-by-my-voice-in-the-dressing-room-and/) [Darren Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-fletcher/) > [I'm kind of a quiet leader, and I just try to lead by example. But then sometimes you have to say something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamique-holdsclaw/i-m-kind-of-a-quiet-leader-and-i-just-try-to-lead-by-example-but-then/) [Chamique Holdsclaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamique-holdsclaw/) > [I'm not the most vocal guy, but I try to lead by example every single day with how I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-m-not-the-most-vocal-guy-but-i-try-to-lead-by-example-every-single/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [I always wanted someone looking up to me and trying to understand where I'm coming from as a leader. I'm ready for that. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillon-brooks/i-always-wanted-someone-looking-up-to-me-and-trying-to-understand/) [Dillon Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillon-brooks/) ## More by Maya Soetoro-Ng > [I think you can have varied and seemingly contradictory depictions of a single person because we all have many facets and, in a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/i-think-you-can-have-varied-and-seemingly-contradictory-depictions-of/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [I don't think the White House has always reflected the textures and flavors of this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/i-don-t-think-the-white-house-has-always-reflected-the-textures-and/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [One of the things that I have my students do is to take a look at English-language newspapers from all around the world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/one-of-the-things-that-i-have-my-students-do-is-to-take-a-look-at/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [Barack himself is very much a regular guy, not a silver spoon, incredibly smart, but, you know, he's a scholarship kid, made good use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/barack-himself-is-very-much-a-regular-guy-not-a-silver-spoon/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [You really need to love something or someone in order to work hard enough to be very successful. You have to believe in something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/you-really-need-to-love-something-or-someone-in-order-to-work-hard/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [We can do much to help our communities loosen their boundaries and begin to welcome a multitude of ways of being to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/we-can-do-much-to-help-our-communities-loosen-their-boundaries-and/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [My whole family was Muslim, and most of the people I knew were Muslim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/my-whole-family-was-muslim-and-most-of-the-people-i-knew-were-muslim/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [I like that there are young people being given opportunities to explore and learn and grow and become themselves with a path that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/i-like-that-there-are-young-people-being-given-opportunities-to/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [The rich emotional tapestry of being a mother, becoming a mother, connects you to your own mother. I didn't realize how much I'd become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/the-rich-emotional-tapestry-of-being-a-mother-becoming-a-mother/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [My mother would have enjoyed the idea that her name was being used to build bridges. She cared a great deal and was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/my-mother-would-have-enjoyed-the-idea-that-her-name-was-being-used-to/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [You really need to love something or someone in order to work hard enough to be very successful. You have to believe in something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/you-really-need-to-love-something-or-someone-in-order-to-work-hard-2/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [Faith and optimism come from love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/faith-and-optimism-come-from-love/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [I've always kept a journal and brought storytelling into my teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/i-ve-always-kept-a-journal-and-brought-storytelling-into-my-teaching/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [Being told that I looked like I belonged everywhere and to everyone helped me feel my fledgling pride in my own multiracialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/being-told-that-i-looked-like-i-belonged-everywhere-and-to-everyone/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [It was as a mother that I needed my mother back, and I needed to conjure her anew and think about what she would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/it-was-as-a-mother-that-i-needed-my-mother-back-and-i-needed-to/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) [Explore all 47 Maya Soetoro-Ng quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) ## More Caring quotes > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [A happy family needs a loving and caring father, and he who knows how to be a mother sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-happy-family-needs-a-loving-and-caring-father-and-he-who-knows-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Just remember that when nobody was there for you, I was. And when nobody else gave a damn, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-remember-that-when-nobody-was-there-for-you-i-was-and-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Hmmm! life zz about caring the life that u have as the rest of the things are of secondary value tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-life-zz-about-caring-the-life-that-u-have-as-the-rest-of-the/) [Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/) > [You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved ,the rest is up to the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-make-someone-love-you-all-you-can-do-is-be-someone-who-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/) [Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/) > [“As you travel along the roads in life, there is a certain kind of peace that comes with knowing you're on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-nkosazana/as-you-travel-along-the-roads-in-life-there-is-a-certain-kind-of/) [Amaka Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-nkosazana/) > [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,651 Caring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Government is supposed to lead by example in many cases. 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