--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always remember the regent’s axiom: a…" description: "\"“I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/nelson-mandela-248_leader_i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-l_2533674.jpg" --- # I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said… ![“I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind. It” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/nelson-mandela-248_leader_i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-l_2533674.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/nelson-mandela-248_leader_i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-l_2533674.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/nelson-mandela-248_leader_i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-l_2533674.jpg) > ““I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.   It”” [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A leader guides indirectly, positioning themselves behind the group so that followers think they act autonomously while being subtly directed. **In simple terms:** Leaders lead from behind, letting others think they lead. Key Takeaway Embrace subtle guidance and empower others. Themes leadership influence strategy Mood thoughtful strategic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team management - political movements - organizational change - community organizing Key Concepts psychology of authority collective behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders balance subtle guidance with openness? - When does indirect leadership become manipulation? A Different Perspective May lack transparency and cause mistrust if followers discover manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ## Related quotes > [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-leader-is-like-a-shepherd-he-stays-behind-the-flock-letting-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“What are you?” Lorcan ground out. The two others were now on their feet, the wounds in their heads already healed, bristling with menace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/what-are-you-lorcan-ground-out-the-two-others-were-now-on-their-feet/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“The revolution has no leader, I said. It was more like a raging wild horse that would buck anyone who tried to mount it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wael-ghonim/the-revolution-has-no-leader-i-said-it-was-more-like-a-raging-wild/) [Wael Ghonim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wael-ghonim/) > [“If you lead, we'll be behind you," one House leader said, "but we'll be way behind you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-lead-we-ll-be-behind-you-one-house-leader-said-but-we-ll-be/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/be-a-lamp-or-a-lifeboat-or-a-ladder-help-someone-s-soul-heal-walk-out/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Handel’s “He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd,” a popular anthem with elaborate part singing that the congregation performed faultlessly. As hundreds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/handel-s-he-shall-feed-his-flock-like-a-shepherd-a-popular-anthem/) [Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/) > [“Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care; In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-morgan/savior-like-a-shepherd-lead-us-much-we-need-thy-tender-care-in-thy/) [Robert J. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-morgan/) > [“Sheep get like shepherd, and shepherds like sheep, it is said; but slowly, and neither have long in the world. It is quicker and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/sheep-get-like-shepherd-and-shepherds-like-sheep-it-is-said-but/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“I network like a shepherd with a flock of sheep. I’m constantly on the lookout for wolves, and I’m always in the mood for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-network-like-a-shepherd-with-a-flock-of-sheep-i-m-constantly-on-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I realized that I needed to be more like the shepherd than the hired hand in protecting my team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/i-realized-that-i-needed-to-be-more-like-the-shepherd-than-the-hired/) [Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/) > [“Seriously, big guy, you just need to make like a shepherd and get the flock out of here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/seriously-big-guy-you-just-need-to-make-like-a-shepherd-and-get-the/) [Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/) > [“A king leads his people like a shepherd leads his flock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/a-king-leads-his-people-like-a-shepherd-leads-his-flock/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [It is our duty to give support to the brother leader ... especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-our-duty-to-give-support-to-the-brother-leader-especially-in/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## More by Nelson Mandela > [We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-must-work-together-to-ensure-the-equitable-distribution-of-wealth/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/courageous-people-do-not-fear-forgiving-for-the-sake-of-peace/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Some of the mission groups that have been responsible for our education have not been part of the government. In fact, they acted contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/some-of-the-mission-groups-that-have-been-responsible-for-our/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“I believed that I would become a counsellor to the Thembu king,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-believed-that-i-would-become-a-counsellor-to-the-thembu-king/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [What he means by this is that instead of saying you'll "try", you need to "do". And as we let our light shine, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/what-he-means-by-this-is-that-instead-of-saying-you-ll-try-you-need/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-learned-that-courage-was-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-the-triumph/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the financially powerful:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-need-to-exert-ourselves-that-much-more-and-break-out-of-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very easy to remain in the same place in jail while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/prison-is-a-still-point-in-a-turning-world-and-it-is-very-easy-to/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-fundamental-concern-for-others-in-our-individual-and-community/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I am aware of what the position is in the United States of America. If somebody gives to charity, then he gets a tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-am-aware-of-what-the-position-is-in-the-united-states-of-america-if/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It is our duty to give support to the brother leader ... especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-our-duty-to-give-support-to-the-brother-leader-especially-in/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of our own people became a hunger for the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-was-during-those-long-and-lonely-years-that-my-hunger-for-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) [Explore all 809 Nelson Mandela quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## More Leader quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [“A man who saw has turned blind, A hearer deaf, A leader now leads astray!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-lichtheim/a-man-who-saw-has-turned-blind-a-hearer-deaf-a-leader-now-leads-astray/) [Miriam Lichtheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-lichtheim/) > [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [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/) > [I really don't think you need a letter on your jersey to be a leader on a hockey club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-price/i-really-don-t-think-you-need-a-letter-on-your-jersey-to-be-a-leader/) [Carey Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-price/) > [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [Leadership is made for service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hyles/leadership-is-made-for-service/) [Jack Hyles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hyles/) > [“All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-to-often-on-the-long-road-up-young-leaders-become-servants-of/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. Patton was the epitome of what a leader should be like - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/notoriously-outspoken-his-sentences-always-punctuated-with/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) [Browse all 10,680 Leader quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.   It”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nelson Mandela" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-leader-he-said-is-like-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Leader" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-leader-he-said-is-like-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/nelson-mandela-248_leader_i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-l_2533674.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/nelson-mandela-248_leader_i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-l_2533674.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/nelson-mandela-248_leader_i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-l_2533674.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock…” — Nelson Mandela", "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": "Nelson Mandela", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I always remember the regent’s axiom:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-leader-he-said-is-like-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-always-remember-the-regent-s-axiom-a-leader-he-said-is-like-a/#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 } } ] } ```