--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No general can fight his battles alone…" description: "\"No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend upon his lieutenants, and his success depends upon his ability to select the right man for the r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/philip-danforth-armour-78540_ability_no-general-can-fight-his-battles-alone-h_2243636.png" --- # No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend… ![“No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend upon his lieutenants, and his success depends upon his ability to select the right man for the right place.” quote by Philip Danforth Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/philip-danforth-armour-78540_ability_no-general-can-fight-his-battles-alone-h_2243636.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/philip-danforth-armour-78540_ability_no-general-can-fight-his-battles-alone-h_2243636.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/philip-danforth-armour-78540_ability_no-general-can-fight-his-battles-alone-h_2243636.png) > “No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend upon his lieutenants, and his success depends upon his ability to select the right man for the right place.” [Philip Danforth Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-danforth-armour/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective leadership requires delegating tasks to capable subordinates and choosing the right people for each role. **In simple terms:** Leaders must rely on the right people. Key Takeaway Delegate wisely and match talent to tasks. Themes leadership delegation team building Mood determined pragmatic Type advice instructional When to use this quote - military command - corporate management - project coordination - nonprofit leadership Key Concepts strategic selection trust hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - How do you assess a person's fit for a role? - What criteria ensure the best match? A Different Perspective Choosing the wrong person can jeopardize the mission. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Battles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battles/) [Battles Depend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battles-depend-5096394/) [Depend Lieutenants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depend-lieutenants-5096395/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Good leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-leadership/) [Great leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-leader/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership by famous leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-by-famous-leaders/) [Leadership in education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-in-education/) [Leadership skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-skills/) [Lieutenants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lieutenants/) [Lieutenants Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lieutenants-success-5096396/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Right man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-man/) [Right place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-place/) [Select](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/select/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/leadership-does-not-always-wear-the-harness-of-compromise/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-hesburgh/you-can-t-blow-an-uncertain-trumpet/) [Theodore Hesburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-hesburgh/) > [He who has learned how to obey will know how to command.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solon/he-who-has-learned-how-to-obey-will-know-how-to-command/) [Solon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solon/) > [It is impossible to imagine anything which better becomes a ruler than mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-impossible-to-imagine-anything-which-better-becomes-a-ruler/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [A leader is best when people barely know that he exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witter-bynner/a-leader-is-best-when-people-barely-know-that-he-exists/) [Witter Bynner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witter-bynner/) > [Leaders aren't born they are made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/leaders-aren-t-born-they-are-made/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/he-who-has-never-learned-to-obey-cannot-be-a-good-commander/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Do not follow where the path may lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/do-not-follow-where-the-path-may-lead/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [You manage things, you lead people. We went overboard on management and forgot about leadership. It might help if we ran the MBAs out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/you-manage-things-you-lead-people-we-went-overboard-on-management-and/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [The real role of leadership in education ... is not and should not be command and control. The real role of leadership is climate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-role-of-leadership-in-education-is-not-and-should-not-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I give a minister an order, I leave it to him to find the means to carry it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/when-i-give-a-minister-an-order-i-leave-it-to-him-to-find-the-means/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/lead-me-follow-me-or-get-out-of-my-way/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [A good general not only sees the way to victory; he also knows when victory is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polybius/a-good-general-not-only-sees-the-way-to-victory-he-also-knows-when/) [Polybius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polybius/) > [That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/that-s-nonsense-in-fact-the-opposite-is-true-leaders-are-made-rather/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/my-own-definition-of-leadership-is-this-the-capacity-and-the-will-to/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) ## More by Philip Danforth Armour > [There is one element that is worth its weight in gold and that is LOYALTY. It will cover a multitude of weaknesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-danforth-armour/there-is-one-element-that-is-worth-its-weight-in-gold-and-that-is/) [Philip Danforth Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-danforth-armour/) > [I do not love the money. What I do love is the getting of it ... What other interest can you suggest to me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-danforth-armour/i-do-not-love-the-money-what-i-do-love-is-the-getting-of-it-what/) [Philip Danforth Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-danforth-armour/) [Explore all 3 Philip Danforth Armour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-danforth-armour/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No general can fight his battles alone. 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