Being kind doesn't mean being soft or a wuss. Kindness is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of confidence. If you have developed a reputation for kindness and consideration, then even the most unpleasant decisions will go down easier because everyone will understand why you are doing what you are doing. They will realize that your decision must be necessary, and is not arbitrary or without empathy. As the old saying puts it, 'To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.'

Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity.

When you decide to get involved in a military operation in a place like Syria, you've got to be prepared, as we learned from Iraq and Afghanistan, to become the government, and I'm not sure any country, either the United States or I don't hear of anyone else, who's willing to take on that responsibility.

We got rid of a terrible dictator. We gave the Iraqi people an opportunity for a new life under a representative form of government.

There are lots of countries that are having these kinds of internal civil wars in other parts of the world and nobody is talking about intervening.

I have never seen a good organization where the standards weren't high.

Almost invariably, whoever doesn't win the argument is going to be unhappy.