Some people may have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly, by โdoin' what comes naturallyโ; and they don't stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.
John W. GardnerPerhaps the most striking feature of the [nonprofit] sector is its relative freedom from constraints and its resulting pluralism.
John W. GardnerThe idea for which this nation stands will not survive if the highest goal free man can set themselves is an amiable mediocrity. Excellence implies striving for the highest standards in every phase of life.
John W. Gardner