--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is required for the composition of…" description: "\"There is required for the composition of a great commander not only massive common sense and reasoning power, not only imagination, but also an element..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/winston-churchill-95_beaten_there-is-required-for-the-composition-of_740565.jpg" --- # There is required for the composition of a great commander… ![“There is required for the composition of a great commander not only massive common sense and reasoning power, not only imagination, but also an element of legerdemain, an original and sinister touch, which leaves the enemy puzzled as well as beaten.” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/winston-churchill-95_beaten_there-is-required-for-the-composition-of_740565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/winston-churchill-95_beaten_there-is-required-for-the-composition-of_740565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/winston-churchill-95_beaten_there-is-required-for-the-composition-of_740565.jpg) > “There is required for the composition of a great commander not only massive common sense and reasoning power, not only imagination, but also an element of legerdemain, an original and sinister touch, which leaves the enemy puzzled as well as beaten.” [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great commanders need common sense, reasoning, imagination, and cunning that confuses and defeats enemies. **In simple terms:** Leaders need logic, creativity, and clever tactics. Key Takeaway Cultivate strategic ingenuity. Themes leadership strategy creativity Mood strategic reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - military planning - business competition - political negotiation Key Concepts military tactics psychological warfare Questions to Reflect On - What role does deception play in effective leadership? - When is imagination insufficient? A Different Perspective Cunning can be risky if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beaten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beaten/) [Commanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Composition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composition/) [Element Legerdemain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/element-legerdemain-5782992/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enemy Puzzled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-puzzled-5782990/) [Great Commander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-commander-369317/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Legerdemain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legerdemain-5782989/) [Legerdemain Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legerdemain-original-5782991/) [Massive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massive/) [Originals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originals/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Puzzled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puzzled/) [Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoning/) [Sinister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinister/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [The great commander, who seemed by expression of his visage to be always on the look-out for something in the extremest distance, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-great-commander-who-seemed-by-expression-of-his-visage-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“a skillful soldier is not violent, an able fighter does not rage, a mighty conqueror does not give battle, a great commander is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/a-skillful-soldier-is-not-violent-an-able-fighter-does-not-rage-a/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [“Eisenhower on Patton: "Fundamentally, he is so avid for recognition as a great commander that he won't with ruthlessly suppress any habit that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-edward-smith/eisenhower-on-patton-fundamentally-he-is-so-avid-for-recognition-as-a/) [Jean Edward Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-edward-smith/) > [“The great commander knows that in order to win one needs to know the remote and also the immediate reasons for the war, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-magris/the-great-commander-knows-that-in-order-to-win-one-needs-to-know-the/) [Claudio Magris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-magris/) > [“The great commander can certainly move fast and strike like lightning, but his art of war consists first and foremost in moderation, measured geometric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-magris/the-great-commander-can-certainly-move-fast-and-strike-like-lightning/) [Claudio Magris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-magris/) > [The proof given by Wright, that non-adaptive differentiation will occur in small populations owing to "drift," or the chance fixation of some new mutation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/the-proof-given-by-wright-that-non-adaptive-differentiation-will/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [“Colin: "1 dinna understand why we canna just go to bed and have sex." 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What is down, you never look up. But you forgot there is always something missing,the missing piece that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-cliff/what-is-up-you-never-look-down-what-is-down-you-never-look-up-but-you/) [Ricky Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-cliff/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. What has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/like-a-morning-dream-life-becomes-more-and-more-bright-the-longer-we/) [Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) ## More by Winston Churchill > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [This is no time for ease and comfort. 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The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [God alone knows how great it is. All I hope is that it is not too late. I am very much afraid that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/god-alone-knows-how-great-it-is-all-i-hope-is-that-it-is-not-too-late/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Writing a book is an adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/writing-a-book-is-an-adventure/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/all-men-make-mistakes-but-only-wise-men-learn-from-their-mistakes/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [People who are not prepared to do unpopular things and defy the clamor of the multitude are not fit to be ministers in time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/people-who-are-not-prepared-to-do-unpopular-things-and-defy-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [To meet Roosevelt with all his buoyant sparkle, his iridescence, was like opening a bottle of champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/to-meet-roosevelt-with-all-his-buoyant-sparkle-his-iridescence-was/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-am-always-ready-to-learn-although-i-do-not-always-like-being-taught/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There are plenty of good ideas, if only they can be backed with the power of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/there-are-plenty-of-good-ideas-if-only-they-can-be-backed-with-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) [Explore all 1,366 Winston Churchill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) ## More Beaten quotes > [I think children have talent and insight, but it gets beaten out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-think-children-have-talent-and-insight-but-it-gets-beaten-out-of/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [It's kind of the yin and yang that fascinate me. 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