“He who is not a good servant will not be a good master.”

— Plato

Daily Inspiration @rainbowquotes
RainbowQuotes Logo
Thumbnail variation selection Thumbnail variation selection Thumbnail variation selection Thumbnail variation selection Thumbnail variation selection
#Humility #Leadership #Service #Success

“He who is not a good servant will not be a good master.”

— Plato Plato
(Unknown -- Present)
Origin: Indian
Known for: Author
✨
Meaning
This quote emphasizes that the ability to lead effectively is rooted in the experience of having followed others with humility and diligence. By understanding the challenges and responsibilities of those they lead, a master becomes more empathetic and effective. Practically, this encourages aspiring leaders to embrace entry-level roles and learn from their mentors with a spirit of service. It suggests that true authority is earned through a deep understanding of the work and the people involved. Plato believed that those who have learned to obey reason are the only ones fit to command others. This principle fosters a culture of mutual respect and continuous learning within any organization.
🔗 View Original Source
Plato
Author Spotlight

Plato

Plato was a Greek philosopher. A Greek philosopher and founder of the Academy in Athens. His quotes explore truth, justice, and knowledge, making him highly searched in philosophy topics. Their teachings on wisdom, self-awareness and the search for meaning continue to guide people seeking clarity and inner strength.

Related Authors: A. A. Milne A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Aaron Sorkin Abraham Lincoln Adam Smith

Keep exploring

More Quotes on These Topics

"It is not the failure of others to appreciate…"-- Confucius
"“Service without humility is selfishness and egotism.”"-- Mahatma Gandhi
"A great man is hard on himself; a small…"-- Confucius
"The day you think there is no improvement to be…"-- Lionel Messi
"“A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. This…"-- Aesop
"You cannot help anyone, you can only serve. Look upon…"-- Swami Vivekananda
"I am the wisest man alive, for I know one…"-- Plato
"He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult…"-- Confucius
"One human life is no more than a tiny…"-- Dalai Lama
"“Silence is just as important as sound in music. Such…"-- Arijit Singh
"I am the same person I have always been."-- Lionel Messi
"“Example is the best precept. This simple truth continues to…"-- Aesop
"The only way to escape the personal corruption of praise…"-- Albert Einstein
"“Appearances are often deceiving. This simple truth continues to resonate…"-- Aesop
"The superior man is distressed by the limitations of…"-- Confucius
"“I’m a very humble person, but I’m also very proud…"-- Cristiano Ronaldo
"If you’re co-founder or CEO, you have to do all…"-- Elon Musk
"“I am constantly trying to unlearn and learn new ways…"-- Arijit Singh
"“Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by…"-- Aesop
"A superior man is modest in his speech, but…"-- Confucius
"I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he…"-- Albert Einstein
"I never set out to be the best player in…"-- Lionel Messi
"Is he not a man of complete virtue, who…"-- Confucius
"If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise…"-- Mother Teresa
"Where there is ego, there is distance from God."-- Premananda Maharaj
"We are all visitors to this planet."-- Dalai Lama
"“Change is the law of the universe. You can be…"-- Krishna
"The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;…"-- Mother Teresa
"Don’t worry that no one knows you, but seek…"-- Confucius
"“Truth without humility would be an arrogant caricature.”"-- Mahatma Gandhi
"Wisdom grows when pride decreases."-- Premananda Maharaj
"Humility attracts divine grace."-- Premananda Maharaj
"The stars are not afraid to appear like fireflies.…"-- Rabindranath Tagore
"The duty of a leader is to serve their people,…"-- Elon Musk
"I’m lucky to be part of a team who help…"-- Lionel Messi
"The empty vessel makes the greatest sound."-- William Shakespeare
"The empty vessel makes the loudest sound."-- Plato
"“Music is my life, my soul, my everything. Such is…"-- Arijit Singh
"The roots below the earth claim no rewards for…"-- Rabindranath Tagore
"I am just one human being."-- Dalai Lama
"The burden of the self is lightened with I…"-- Rabindranath Tagore
"If A is a success in life, then A equals…"-- Albert Einstein
"“Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties. This…"-- Aesop
"An educated man without character and humility is more dangerous…"-- B. R. Ambedkar
"We come nearest to the great when we are…"-- Rabindranath Tagore
"“I don’t plan my career. I just go with the…"-- Arijit Singh
"The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest…"-- Confucius
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a…"-- Mother Teresa
"“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.…"-- Aesop
"“I still learn, but I think it’s the best thing…"-- Cristiano Ronaldo
"“A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks…"-- Aesop
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s…"-- Confucius
"If I am walking with two other men, each…"-- Confucius
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise…"-- William Shakespeare
"The grass must bend, when the wind blows across…"-- Confucius
"“Every song has its own journey and its own soul.…"-- Arijit Singh
"“A fool can become a genius when he understands he…"-- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"There are no great things, only small things with great…"-- Mother Teresa
"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply…"-- Confucius

From the same voice

More From This Author

"Our object in the construction of the state is the…"
"Knowledge is the food of the soul."
"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy."
"The excessive increase of anything causes a reaction in the…"
"Justice means minding one’s own business and not meddling with…"
"The empty vessel makes the loudest sound."
"Pleasure is the bait of sin."
"He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than…"
"No one knows whether death, which people fear to be…"
"You should not honor men more than truth."
"He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly…"
"Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and…"
"It is right to give every man his due."
"Love is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for…"
"In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to…"
"When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody…"
"There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers…"
"Education is teaching our children to desire the right things."
"The madness of love is the greatest of heaven’s blessings."
"Those who tell the stories rule society."
"If women are expected to do the same work as…"
"There is truth in wine and children."
"Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how…"
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to…"
"The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be…"
"Do not train a child to learn by force or…"
"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers…"
"Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins…"
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder…"
"To love rightly is to love what is orderly and…"
"There are two things a person should never be angry…"
"The beginning is the most important part of the work."
"Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than…"
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
"Man is a being in search of meaning."
"Justice in the life and conduct of the State is…"
"Love is a serious mental disease."
"I am the wisest man alive, for I know one…"
"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated…"
"Death is not the worst that can happen to men."
"Books are immortal sons deifying their sires."
"Character is simply habit long continued."
"Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on…"
"Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us…"
"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm…"
"No one is more hated than he who speaks the…"
"A good decision is based on knowledge and not on…"
"Necessity is the mother of invention."
"The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to…"
"Excellence is not a gift, but a skill that takes…"
"Thinking: the soul talking to itself."
"Courage is knowing what not to fear."
"The measure of a man is what he does with…"
"Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and…"
"Better a little which is well done, than a great…"
"At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet."
"Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil."
"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the…"
"The direction in which education starts a man will determine…"
"Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools…"

Understanding the quote

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked

This quote is attributed to Plato. Plato was a Greek philosopher. A Greek philosopher and founder of the Academy in Athens. His quotes explore truth, justice, and knowledge, making him highly…

This quote emphasizes that the ability to lead effectively is rooted in the experience of having followed others with humility and diligence. By understanding the challenges and responsibilities of those they lead, a master becomes more empathetic and effective. Practically, this encourages aspiring leaders to embrace entry-level roles and learn from their mentors with a spirit of service. It suggests…

The wording and attribution are documented at en.wikiquote.org. Use the original source linked on this page to verify the exact phrasing and context.

Related Topics

Humility QuotesLeadership QuotesService QuotesSuccess Quotes

Related Authors

A. A. MilneA. A. MilneA. P. J. Abdul KalamA. P. J. Abdul KalamAaron SorkinAaron SorkinAbraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAdam SmithAdam SmithAdeleAdeleAesopAesopAl PacinoAl PacinoAlan WattsAlan WattsAlbert CamusAlbert Camus
Scroll to Top