--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: hadn’t even had the guts to say this to…" description: "\"“hadn’t even had the guts to say this to Arnie. “Yeah, set up a system that really works, a system that recognizes the good ones and gives them what th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/tom-clancy-1751_big-deal_hadn-t-even-had-the-guts-to-say-this-to_947391.jpg" --- # hadn’t even had the guts to say this to Arnie. “Yeah, set… ![“hadn’t even had the guts to say this to Arnie. “Yeah, set up a system that really works, a system that recognizes the good ones and gives them what they deserve. You know how hard that is in any organization? Hell, it was a struggle at my shop, and Treasury has more janitors than I had trading…” quote by Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/tom-clancy-1751_big-deal_hadn-t-even-had-the-guts-to-say-this-to_947391.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/tom-clancy-1751_big-deal_hadn-t-even-had-the-guts-to-say-this-to_947391.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c14/tom-clancy-1751_big-deal_hadn-t-even-had-the-guts-to-say-this-to_947391.jpg) > ““hadn’t even had the guts to say this to Arnie. “Yeah, set up a system that really works, a system that recognizes the good ones and gives them what they deserve. You know how hard that is in any organization? Hell, it was a struggle at my shop, and Treasury has more janitors than I had trading executives. I’m not even sure where to start a job like that,” Winston said. He would be one to grasp the scope of the dream, his President thought. “Harder than you think, even. The guys who really do the work don’t want to be bosses. They want to work. Cathy could be an administrator. They offered her the chair at the University of Virginia Medical School—and that would have been a big deal. But it would have cut her patient time in half, and she likes doing what she does. Someday Bernie Katz at Hopkins is going to retire, and they’ll offer his chair to her, and she’ll turn that down. Probably,” Jack thought. “Unless I can talk her out of it.” “Can’t be done, Jack.” TRADER shook his head. “Hell of an idea, though.” “Grover Cleveland reformed the Civil Service over a hundred years ago,” POTUS reminded his breakfast guest. “I know we can’t make it perfect, but we can make it better. You’re already trying—you just told me that. Think about it some.” “I’ll do that,” SecTreas promised, standing. “But for now, I have another revolution to foment. How many enemies can we afford to make?” “There’s always enemies, George. Jesus had enemies.”” [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) ## 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 grapples with reforming a flawed system, balancing meritocracy with practical constraints and personal ambitions. **In simple terms:** Changing a system is hard and requires compromise. Key Takeaway Pursue fair reforms while recognizing limits. Themes leadership reform ethics politics bureaucracy Mood determined reflective cautious Type advice dialogue political. When to use this quote - government agencies - corporate structures - academic institutions - healthcare administration - military command Key Concepts Meritocracy institutional inertia personal ambition Questions to Reflect On - What compromises are acceptable when improving a system? - How do personal goals affect institutional change? 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But as President Obama says, it's a make-or-break moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/today-families-like-the-one-i-grew-up-in-still-believe-in-that/) [Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/) > [“He felt suddenly like Winston Smith in Room 101 of the Ministry of Love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-silva/he-felt-suddenly-like-winston-smith-in-room-101-of-the-ministry-of/) [Daniel Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-silva/) > [Boris Johnson is nothing like Winston Churchill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/boris-johnson-is-nothing-like-winston-churchill/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [Jobs are central to the American dream - and President Obama has focused on jobs from day one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/jobs-are-central-to-the-american-dream-and-president-obama-has/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [I don't want anyone who is Muslim not to be able to dream that they can be President of the United States, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scooter-braun/i-don-t-want-anyone-who-is-muslim-not-to-be-able-to-dream-that-they/) [Scooter Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scooter-braun/) > [Winston Churchill was like Winston Churchill because of his experiences in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/winston-churchill-was-like-winston-churchill-because-of-his/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [All babies look like Winston Churchill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/all-babies-look-like-winston-churchill/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [I gave my legs to protect our way of life and the prosperity of the American Dream, and now, President Biden is destroying it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mast/i-gave-my-legs-to-protect-our-way-of-life-and-the-prosperity-of-the/) [Brian Mast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mast/) > [“But what I remember most is the sense of impossibility with which Obama regarded the Trump presidency. I confess to basically feeling the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/but-what-i-remember-most-is-the-sense-of-impossibility-with-which/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [I was the network president. I thought I knew everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-littlefield/i-was-the-network-president-i-thought-i-knew-everything/) [Warren Littlefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-littlefield/) > [I had a dream that I would be here this week, receiving something from the president, but I thought it would be the front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/i-had-a-dream-that-i-would-be-here-this-week-receiving-something-from/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [And you know, we have an African-American president, and you would have thought that he would have done a much better job for African-American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/and-you-know-we-have-an-african-american-president-and-you-would-have/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Tom Clancy > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [I understand why we do that now. It’s a help, not a threat. It’s something to remind you how important words are. Ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/i-understand-why-we-do-that-now-it-s-a-help-not-a-threat-it-s/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [People, I am actually fairly smart. Why has this not occurred to anyone? The information is all out there, if you go looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/people-i-am-actually-fairly-smart-why-has-this-not-occurred-to-anyone/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Sunday was the normal day for the political awareness session at sea. Ordinarily Putin would have officiated, reading some Pravada editorials, followed by selected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/sunday-was-the-normal-day-for-the-political-awareness-session-at-sea/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/fix-your-eyes-forward-on-what-you-can-do-not-back-on-what-you-cannot/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Speak your dialogue out loud. If it sounds like the way people talk, then write it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/speak-your-dialogue-out-loud-if-it-sounds-like-the-way-people-talk/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Two questions form the foundation of all novels: "What if?" and "What next?" (A third question, "What now?", is one the author asks himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/two-questions-form-the-foundation-of-all-novels-what-if-and-what-next/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [The smaller the mind, the greater the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-smaller-the-mind-the-greater-the-ego/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you, but your dream will not... Responsibilities need not erase it. Duties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/nothing-is-as-real-as-a-dream-the-world-can-change-around-you-but/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [An overnight success is ten years in the making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/an-overnight-success-is-ten-years-in-the-making/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Bill Clinton is a man who thinks international affairs means dating a girl from out of town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/bill-clinton-is-a-man-who-thinks-international-affairs-means-dating-a/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [The objective of a terrorist is to create political change in the society he targets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-objective-of-a-terrorist-is-to-create-political-change-in-the/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [“The Good of the People was a laudable enough goal, but in denying a man's soul, an enduring part of his being, Marxism stripped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-good-of-the-people-was-a-laudable-enough-goal-but-in-denying-a/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [(Stereotyping) is only for those without the imagination to see people as they are instead of being like someone else they understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/stereotyping-is-only-for-those-without-the-imagination-to-see-people/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [“The dead were gone and didn't know or care what they left behind.. If the dead still lived on the surface of this earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-dead-were-gone-and-didn-t-know-or-care-what-they-left-behind-if/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) [Explore all 209 Tom Clancy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) ## More Big deal quotes > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [“But in the parent department, he had won the lottery. So, he'd always known that when he finally told them, they'd make him feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/but-in-the-parent-department-he-had-won-the-lottery-so-he-d-always/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Perspective is everything. If your “why” is big enough, you can deal with almost any “what.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/perspective-is-everything-if-your-why-is-big-enough-you-can-deal-with/) [Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [“You weren't out there that long, were you? I can't bear to think that no one found you right away." Noah shook his head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-weren-t-out-there-that-long-were-you-i-can-t-bear-to-think-that/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Everyone's just laughing at me. I hate it. Big breasts, big ass, big deal, Can't I be anything else ? Gee, how long can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/everyone-s-just-laughing-at-me-i-hate-it-big-breasts-big-ass-big-deal/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [“Eventually, Edgard said, “She doesn’t know anything about me. Not even that we were roping partners. Not that we were…” He looked at Trevor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorelei-james/eventually-edgard-said-she-doesn-t-know-anything-about-me-not-even/) [Lorelei James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorelei-james/) > [Humility simply means that you do a great job at everything and it isn't really a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/humility-simply-means-that-you-do-a-great-job-at-everything-and-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Being responsible for someone’s childhood is a big deal. We not only create our own memories, but we create our child’s memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-macy-stafford/being-responsible-for-someone-s-childhood-is-a-big-deal-we-not-only/) [Rachel Macy Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-macy-stafford/) > [I've never been truly closeted on the air; it's just something I never really made a big deal out of because I never felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-duran/i-ve-never-been-truly-closeted-on-the-air-it-s-just-something-i-never/) [Elvis Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-duran/) > [Tom Stafford was an odd character, you know - a brilliant guy. He looked weird and I think he took a really defensive attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-fritts/tom-stafford-was-an-odd-character-you-know-a-brilliant-guy-he-looked/) [Donnie Fritts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-fritts/) > [When you're standing around for an hour doing stand up it's no big deal but when you're standing around watching a show for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/when-you-re-standing-around-for-an-hour-doing-stand-up-it-s-no-big/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [People make such a big deal about how people in bands look, especially if you're a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/people-make-such-a-big-deal-about-how-people-in-bands-look-especially/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [“What’s wrong with you?” John asks suspiciously. I give him a ‘what chu talkin’ ‘bout Willis?’ look and he explains. “You just woke up.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelin-lamontagne/what-s-wrong-with-you-john-asks-suspiciously-i-give-him-a-what-chu/) [Katelin LaMontagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelin-lamontagne/) > [I never said Kristen ruined my wedding. At the time, when a million other things had fallen apart that day, I felt like she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scheana-shay/i-never-said-kristen-ruined-my-wedding-at-the-time-when-a-million/) [Scheana Shay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scheana-shay/) [Browse all 1,273 Big deal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-deal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“hadn’t even had the guts to say this to Arnie. “Yeah, set up a system that really works, a system that recognizes the good ones and gives them what they deserve. You know how hard that is in any organization? Hell, it was a struggle at my shop, and Treasury has more janitors than I had trading executives. I’m not even sure where to start a job like that,” Winston said. He would be one to grasp the scope of the dream, his President thought. “Harder than you think, even. The guys who really do the work don’t want to be bosses. They want to work. Cathy could be an administrator. They offered her the chair at the University of Virginia Medical School—and that would have been a big deal. But it would have cut her patient time in half, and she likes doing what she does. Someday Bernie Katz at Hopkins is going to retire, and they’ll offer his chair to her, and she’ll turn that down. Probably,” Jack thought. “Unless I can talk her out of it.” “Can’t be done, Jack.” TRADER shook his head. “Hell of an idea, though.” “Grover Cleveland reformed the Civil Service over a hundred years ago,” POTUS reminded his breakfast guest. “I know we can’t make it perfect, but we can make it better. You’re already trying—you just told me that. Think about it some.” “I’ll do that,” SecTreas promised, standing. “But for now, I have another revolution to foment. How many enemies can we afford to make?” “There’s always enemies, George. 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