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 “doin' what comes naturally”; and they don't stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.

The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursuing his education.

There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure-all your life.

Creativity requires the freedom to consider unthinkable alternatives, to doubt the worth of cherished practices.

Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.

Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

The first and last task of aleader is to keep hope alive.