--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you’ve got decent people under you…" description: "\"“If you’ve got decent people under you, there is probably nothing you can do to improve their chances of success more dramatically than to get yourself..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/tom-demarco-12134_decent-people_if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-th_376788.png" --- # If you’ve got decent people under you, there is probably… ![“If you’ve got decent people under you, there is probably nothing you can do to improve their chances of success more dramatically than to get yourself out of their hair occasionally.” quote by Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/tom-demarco-12134_decent-people_if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-th_376788.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/tom-demarco-12134_decent-people_if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-th_376788.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/tom-demarco-12134_decent-people_if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-th_376788.png) > ““If you’ve got decent people under you, there is probably nothing you can do to improve their chances of success more dramatically than to get yourself out of their hair occasionally.”” [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good leadership means stepping back to let capable team members act, rather than micromanaging. **In simple terms:** Let skilled people work; don’t hover. Key Takeaway Give autonomy to improve success. Themes leadership trust empowerment Mood reflective balanced Type advisory leadership When to use this quote - project management - software development - team meetings - performance reviews Key Concepts management theory delegation team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How often do you intervene in your team’s work? - When does stepping back become abandonment? A Different Perspective Too much distance can cause neglect of guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Failure comes when you don’t listen. You can’t put something out there and assume it’s great. 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For most people, when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/i-ve-studied-spanish-but-i-need-to-improve-i-ll-probably-improve-when/) [Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/) > [Sometimes the best thing you could do is a real bad film... you could improvise all over the place and probably only improve the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-glover/sometimes-the-best-thing-you-could-do-is-a-real-bad-film-you-could/) Bruce Glover > [Anyone who makes an effort at whatever they hope to accomplish can, and will, seriously improve their chances of succeeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/anyone-who-makes-an-effort-at-whatever-they-hope-to-accomplish-can/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [The only way to improve the chances for finding winners is to keep all the choices open and try them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/the-only-way-to-improve-the-chances-for-finding-winners-is-to-keep/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-anderson/our-lives-improve-only-when-we-take-chances-and-the-first-and-most/) [Walter Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-anderson/) > [Wherever we are, we can improve our chances of getting ahead by keeping a book in hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hyatt/wherever-we-are-we-can-improve-our-chances-of-getting-ahead-by/) [Michael Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hyatt/) > [Our lives improve only when we take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-inglis-anderson/our-lives-improve-only-when-we-take-chances/) [Walter Inglis Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-inglis-anderson/) > [Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/your-chances-of-success-in-any-undertaking-can-always-be-measured-by/) [Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/) > [In the armed forces, the chances of success are quite high. That's due to the clarity of the military structure - everything is sketched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdel-fattah-el-sisi/in-the-armed-forces-the-chances-of-success-are-quite-high-that-s-due/) [Abdel Fattah el-Sisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdel-fattah-el-sisi/) > [You enhance your chances for success when you understand that your yearning power is more important than your earning power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/you-enhance-your-chances-for-success-when-you-understand-that-your/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [You can work on a movie for years, and you won't know until you show it to an audience for the first time if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/you-can-work-on-a-movie-for-years-and-you-won-t-know-until-you-show/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [I always fielded the team that I felt had the greatest chances of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jupp-heynckes/i-always-fielded-the-team-that-i-felt-had-the-greatest-chances-of/) [Jupp Heynckes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jupp-heynckes/) > [“There are times in our lives when we labor so hard, for so long, that it may feel that we have nothing to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-buckley/there-are-times-in-our-lives-when-we-labor-so-hard-for-so-long-that/) [Jaime Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-buckley/) ## More by Tom DeMarco > [“More important than any gimmick you introduce is a change in attitude. People must learn that it’s okay sometimes not to answer their phones,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/more-important-than-any-gimmick-you-introduce-is-a-change-in-attitude/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“We have become so obsessed with getting rid of people who are burdened with the characterization overhead that we have ended up with organizations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/we-have-become-so-obsessed-with-getting-rid-of-people-who-are/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [The more you focus on control, the more likely you're working on a project that's striving to deliver something of relatively minor value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-more-you-focus-on-control-the-more-likely-you-re-working-on-a/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Product quality has almost nothing to do with defects or their lack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/product-quality-has-almost-nothing-to-do-with-defects-or-their-lack/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“Internal competition has the direct effect of making coaching difficult or impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/internal-competition-has-the-direct-effect-of-making-coaching/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“People under time pressure don’t work better—they just work faster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/people-under-time-pressure-don-t-work-better-they-just-work-faster/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The most obvious defensive management ploys are prescriptive Methodologies (“My people are too dumb to build systems without them” ) and technical interference by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-most-obvious-defensive-management-ploys-are-prescriptive/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The need for uniformity is a sign of insecurity on the part of management. Strong managers don’t care when team members cut their hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-need-for-uniformity-is-a-sign-of-insecurity-on-the-part-of/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [ “While this \[10 to 1\] productivity differential among programmers is understandable, there is also a 10 to 1 difference in productivity among software organizations” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/while-this-10-to-1-productivity-differential-among-programmers-is/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Training is practice doing a new task much more slowly than an expert would do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/training-is-practice-doing-a-new-task-much-more-slowly-than-an-expert/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [If you find yourself concentrating on the technology rather than the sociology, you're like the vaudeville character who loses his keys on a dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/if-you-find-yourself-concentrating-on-the-technology-rather-than-the/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“in the best organizations, the short term is not the only thing that matters. What matters more is being best. And that’s a long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/in-the-best-organizations-the-short-term-is-not-the-only-thing-that/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“Although your staff may be exposed to the message “work longer and harder” while they’re at the office, they’re getting a very different message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/although-your-staff-may-be-exposed-to-the-message-work-longer-and/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Computer system analysis is like child-rearing; you can do grievous damage, but you cannot ensure success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/computer-system-analysis-is-like-child-rearing-you-can-do-grievous/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [The pathology of setting a deadline to the earliest articulable date essentially guarantees that the schedule will be missed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-the-earliest-articulable-date/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) [Explore all 56 Tom DeMarco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) ## More Decent people quotes > [I guess the only thing to do now is meet his parents. I'm sure they're decent people. I mean they gotta be if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-guess-the-only-thing-to-do-now-is-meet-his-parents-i-m-sure-they-re/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“You may of course ask whether we really need to refer to "saints". Wouldn't it suffice just to refer to decent people? It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-emil-frankl/you-may-of-course-ask-whether-we-really-need-to-refer-to-saints/) [Viktor Emil Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-emil-frankl/) > [“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-human-history-avasarala-said/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [I have a treasure trove of Baker memories, all of which reinforce my sense of Howard Baker as one of the most decent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-have-a-treasure-trove-of-baker-memories-all-of-which-reinforce-my/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [Certain types of loudmouthism should be a capital offense among decent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/certain-types-of-loudmouthism-should-be-a-capital-offense-among/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ineos is a friendly organisation. Very few people leave. It's collegiate. There's not much politics, and we like decent people. We don't like arrogance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ratcliffe/ineos-is-a-friendly-organisation-very-few-people-leave-it-s/) [Jim Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ratcliffe/) > [Don't try to be fancy. Shoot for the center of mass. The world is full of decent people. Criminals we can do without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/don-t-try-to-be-fancy-shoot-for-the-center-of-mass-the-world-is-full/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [“On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-that-our-own-unaided-efforts/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“They just don't know you,' Penelope said, patting her on the hand. 'And they don't know \*you\*, either,' Lady Danbury quite pointedly replied ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/they-just-don-t-know-you-penelope-said-patting-her-on-the-hand-and/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/religious-factions-will-go-on-imposing-their-will-on-others-unless/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [ I explain how America hatred and Jew hatred are \[INDEMIC\] to Modern Liberalism and delve deeper into why it is the otherwise good and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-sayet/i-explain-how-america-hatred-and-jew-hatred-are-indemic-to-modern/) [Evan Sayet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-sayet/) > [When someone puts you down and treats you badly, just remember that there is something wrong with them, not you. Decent people will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/when-someone-puts-you-down-and-treats-you-badly-just-remember-that/) Unkown > [Most of my heroes are just decent people. Decency is rare and underrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/most-of-my-heroes-are-just-decent-people-decency-is-rare-and/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“No respecter of evidence has ever found the least clue as to what life is all about, and what people should do with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/no-respecter-of-evidence-has-ever-found-the-least-clue-as-to-what/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) Browse all 156 Decent people quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you’ve got decent people under you, there is probably nothing you can do to improve their chances of success more dramatically than to get yourself out of their hair occasionally.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom DeMarco" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-there-is-probably-nothing-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decent people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-there-is-probably-nothing-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/tom-demarco-12134_decent-people_if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-th_376788.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/tom-demarco-12134_decent-people_if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-th_376788.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/tom-demarco-12134_decent-people_if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-th_376788.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you’ve got decent people under you, there is probably nothing you can do to improve their chances of…” — Tom DeMarco", "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": "Tom DeMarco", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you’ve got decent people under...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-there-is-probably-nothing-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-there-is-probably-nothing-you/#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 } } ] } ```