---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At times we expected the allies…"
description: "\"At times we expected the allies unquestioningly to follow our leads; sometimes we failed to consult them in advance before reversing policies; at other..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c27/richard-kerry-77583_advance_at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquesti_2150539.png"
---

#  At times we expected the allies unquestioningly to follow…

![“At times we expected the allies unquestioningly to follow our leads; sometimes we failed to consult them in advance before reversing policies; at other times we ignored their requests.” quote by Richard Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c27/richard-kerry-77583_advance_at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquesti_2150539.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c27/richard-kerry-77583_advance_at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquesti_2150539.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c27/richard-kerry-77583_advance_at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquesti_2150539.png)

> “At times we expected the allies unquestioningly to follow our leads; sometimes we failed to consult them in advance before reversing policies; at other times we ignored their requests.”

Richard Kerry

## About This Quote

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

Highlights the need for consistent consultation with allies to avoid missteps and maintain trust.

**In simple terms:** Consult allies before changing policies.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize ally input.

Themes

diplomacy leadership trust

Mood

strategic pragmatic

Type

leadership political

When to use this quote

- international negotiations
- policy development
- team coordination

Key Concepts

strategic communication conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- How can leaders balance speed and consultation?
- What mechanisms ensure ally voices are heard?

A Different Perspective

May be impractical in emergencies.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [As I change and grow, different things excite me and I just follow where that leads me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-dukes/as-i-change-and-grow-different-things-excite-me-and-i-just-follow/)

[Frank Dukes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-dukes/)

> [Lion chasers are humble enough to let God call the shots and brave enough to follow where He leads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/lion-chasers-are-humble-enough-to-let-god-call-the-shots-and-brave/)

[Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/)

> [“It’s a simple premise: follow the leads that arise from contact with the work itself, and your technical, emotional and intellectual pathway becomes clear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/it-s-a-simple-premise-follow-the-leads-that-arise-from-contact-with/)

[David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/)

> [She who is really a wife, one in heart, flesh, and bone, must follow wherever he leads, in whom her life, her strength, her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/she-who-is-really-a-wife-one-in-heart-flesh-and-bone-must-follow/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [If you want to be productive, follow leads and dig. Whether it is for oil, gold or information, it requires action - your action.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-saul/if-you-want-to-be-productive-follow-leads-and-dig-whether-it-is-for/)

[Andrew Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-saul/)

> [“I don’t know that she necessarily has the ability to lead others (or rather, to inspire others to follow her), but she certainly doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-don-t-know-that-she-necessarily-has-the-ability-to-lead-others-or/)

[Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/)

> [But there are things you can't consult anybody about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/but-there-are-things-you-can-t-consult-anybody-about/)

[Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/)

> [No matter if you know a thousand things, still consult him who knows one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/no-matter-if-you-know-a-thousand-things-still-consult-him-who-knows/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [When I do something, I consult my family, so that when you get me, you get my whole family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-mccaffrey/when-i-do-something-i-consult-my-family-so-that-when-you-get-me-you/)

[Ed McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-mccaffrey/)

> [Consult the Genius of the Place in all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/consult-the-genius-of-the-place-in-all/)

[Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/)

> [That we may consult concerning others, and not others concerning us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/that-we-may-consult-concerning-others-and-not-others-concerning-us/)

[Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/)

> [Consult the genius of the place, that paints as you plant, and as you work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/consult-the-genius-of-the-place-that-paints-as-you-plant-and-as-you/)

[Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/)

> [It is also right that we continue to consult with front line workers and the public to ensure that targets are reasonable and achievable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hutton/it-is-also-right-that-we-continue-to-consult-with-front-line-workers/)

[John Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hutton/)

> [“CONSULT YOUR GUT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/consult-your-gut/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [Those that consult more, make less mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-torrijos/those-that-consult-more-make-less-mistakes/)

Omar Torrijos

## More by Richard Kerry

> [Americans are inclined to see the world and foreign affairs in black and white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kerry/americans-are-inclined-to-see-the-world-and-foreign-affairs-in-black/)

Richard Kerry

> [They seem not to listen to what I have to say, so I'm going to quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kerry/they-seem-not-to-listen-to-what-i-have-to-say-so-i-m-going-to-quit/)

Richard Kerry

Explore all 3 Richard Kerry quotes

## More Advance quotes

> [I don't think we should tell them what we're going to do in advance. Let them think. Worry. Wonder. Uncertainty is the most chilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-a-walters/i-don-t-think-we-should-tell-them-what-we-re-going-to-do-in-advance/)

[Vernon A. Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-a-walters/)

> [It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-illness-will-start-in-the/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [The advance of science spares us from irrational dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-advance-of-science-spares-us-from-irrational-dread/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/)

[Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/)

> [My priority in life is my whanau, followed by my work as an artist, which has blessed me with the ability to provide opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/my-priority-in-life-is-my-whanau-followed-by-my-work-as-an-artist/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [Others have said it before me. If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu. And so it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/others-have-said-it-before-me-if-you-don-t-have-a-seat-at-the-table/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/what-i-have-in-advance-are-people-i-want-to-write-about-and-a-problem/)

[Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/)

> [Error is discipline through which we advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/error-is-discipline-through-which-we-advance/)

[William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/)

> [I think it's important to earn your fan base and not just try to immediately advance to the top. If you ride to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/i-think-it-s-important-to-earn-your-fan-base-and-not-just-try-to/)

[Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/)

> [The Chinese public is deeply nationalist, which matters to China's unelected political leadership as much as U.S. nationalism does to American politicians. As China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-chinese-public-is-deeply-nationalist-which-matters-to-china-s/)

[Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/)

> [Some might complain that nuclear disarmament is little more than a dream. But that ignores the very tangible benefits disarmament would bring for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/some-might-complain-that-nuclear-disarmament-is-little-more-than-a/)

[Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/)

> [Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/let-our-advance-worrying-become-advance-thinking-and-planning/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Let us not bankrupt our todays by paying interest on the regrets of yesterday and by borrowing in advance the troubles of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-w-sockman-2/let-us-not-bankrupt-our-todays-by-paying-interest-on-the-regrets-of/)

Ralph W. Sockman

> [In times of failing health, don't hopelessly pray for the intervention of a mythical god; wish hopefully for an advance in medical science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/in-times-of-failing-health-don-t-hopelessly-pray-for-the-intervention/)

[Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/)

> [Clearly, unless thinking beings inevitably wipe themselves out soon after developing technology, extraterrestrial intelligence could often be millions or billions of years in advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/clearly-unless-thinking-beings-inevitably-wipe-themselves-out-soon/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

Browse all 263 Advance quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "At times we expected the allies unquestioningly to follow our leads; sometimes we failed to consult them in advance before reversing policies; at other times we ignored their requests.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Kerry"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kerry/at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquestioningly-to-follow-our-leads/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Advance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kerry/at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquestioningly-to-follow-our-leads/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c27/richard-kerry-77583_advance_at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquesti_2150539.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c27/richard-kerry-77583_advance_at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquesti_2150539.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c27/richard-kerry-77583_advance_at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquesti_2150539.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“At times we expected the allies unquestioningly to follow our leads; sometimes we failed to consult them in…” — Richard Kerry",
                "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": "Richard Kerry",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kerry/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "At times we expected the allies...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kerry/at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquestioningly-to-follow-our-leads/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kerry/at-times-we-expected-the-allies-unquestioningly-to-follow-our-leads/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
