Duty Quote by Thomas Jefferson
“No duty the Executive had to perform was so trying as to put the right man in the right place.”
About This Quote
Source Letter to James Madison, 1790
Choosing the right person for a role is the most demanding responsibility for a leader.
In simple terms: Finding the best fit is a leader’s hardest task.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize fit over convenience.
Themes
leadership
decisionmaking
responsibility
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
political
practical
When to use this quote
- hiring
- team building
- government appointments
Key Concepts
Ethics
human resources
politics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess true capability?
- What safeguards prevent nepotism?
A Different Perspective
Balancing competence with political pressures can be difficult.
![“To seek out the best [persons to serve in the government] though the whole Union, we must resort to the information which from the best of men, acting disinterestedly and with ther purest motives, is something incorrect…No duty the Executive had to perform was so trying as to put the right man in…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7f5/thomas-jefferson-43_acting_to-seek-out-the-best-persons-to-serve-in_1035539.jpg)
![“[States and the Federal government are] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/401/thomas-jefferson-43_branches_states-and-the-federal-government-are-co_2619.jpg)
![“Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing [a people] to slavery.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00c/thomas-jefferson-43_change_single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-t_5515.jpg)
![“Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear their leading you out of [any difficult situation] in the easiest manner possible...” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ebe/thomas-jefferson-43_difficult_though-you-cannot-see-when-you-take-one_9828.jpg)
