Authority & Leadership: English Vocabulary List

used to imply that it is easier to find people who are willing to follow and do the work, but it is much harder to find someone who has the skills and qualities to lead a group effectively

"Good leaders are rare — it is easy to find a thousand soldiers but hard to find a good general."

"The talent pool was large but genuine leadership was scarce — it is easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a good general."

used to imply that effective leadership is more important than size or strength, as a skilled leader can inspire a weaker group to triumph over a stronger one with poor leadership

"Leadership determines outcomes more than numbers — an army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep."

"The smaller team with exceptional leadership outperformed its rival — an army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep."

used to suggest that people will often take advantage of the absence of authority or supervision to do things that they wouldn't do if they were being watched

"The cat is away, mice will play."

"When the teacher left the room, the students started talking loudly because when the cat is away, the mice will play."

used to say that in a situation where everyone else is ignorant or inexperienced, even someone with limited knowledge or abilities can be considered superior or an expert

"Among those with less, even a small advantage makes you the best — in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."

"He became the team leader simply because he had read one book on the subject, showing that in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."

used to imply that when there are issues or wrongdoing within a group, it is often due to a failure of leadership or a lack of accountability at the highest levels

"Problems in an organisation start at the top — fish always rots from the head down."

"The culture of dishonesty had come directly from senior leadership — fish always rots from the head down."

used to imply that even a small gesture is enough to satisfy a naive or foolish person who is easily impressed by those in positions of power or influence

"The powerful can manipulate the foolish with small gestures — a nod from a lord is a breakfast for a fool."

"The vague approval from the director was enough to motivate those who did not understand how little it meant — a nod from a lord is a breakfast for a fool."

used to suggest that it is preferable to have some control or authority over a small organization than to be under the control of a larger and more powerful one

"It is better to lead something small than follow something great — better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion."

"She turned down the prestigious junior role to run a smaller team — better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion."

used to imply that people are attracted to those with higher social or economic status and overlook their negative traits in order to be associated with them or benefit from their power and influence

"People are always impressed by status and title — everyone loves a lord."

"The room fell silent and attentive the moment the senior official entered — everyone loves a lord."

used to imply that treating subordinates with kindness, respect, and fairness leads to loyal and hardworking employees

"Good leadership produces good followers — good masters always make good servants."

"The department's strong performance reflected the quality of its director — good masters always make good servants."

used to imply that those in positions of power or authority often face great responsibilities and many challenges, which can lead to stress, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping

"Power comes with constant pressure — uneasy lies the head that wears the crown."

"She had wanted leadership for years, but uneasy lies the head that wears the crown — the pressure was relentless."

used to imply that if one offers low wages, one is likely to attract and retain workers who are of lower quality, have less experience, or are less motivated to do their job well

"Low pay attracts poor quality — if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys."

"The budget cuts to salaries had predictable consequences — if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys."