Sam Manekshaw Quotes

11 Sourced Quotes

I wonder whether those of our political masters who have been put in charge of the defence of the country can distinguish a mortar from a motor; a gun from a howitzer; a guerrilla from a gorilla, although a great many resemble the latter.

Sam Manekshaw
One thing remains the same, your task and your duty. You are required to ensure the security of this country against any offence. What is that means for you? That means, that you should have to fight, a fight to win. There is no roof for losers, if you loose don't come back.

Sam Manekshaw
Professional knowledge and professional competence are the main attributes of leadership. Unless you know, and the men you command know that you know your job, you will never be a leader.

Sam Manekshaw
It's nonsense that people join the army to serve the country, like the politicians do it only for the sake of the country.

Sam Manekshaw
Then I guess Pakistan would have won (the 1971 war).

Sam Manekshaw
The primary, the cardinal attribute of leadership is professional knowledge and professional competence. And you will agree with me... that you cannot be born with professional knowledge and professional competence. Not even if you are the son of the Prime Minister, an industrialist, or a Field Marshal. Professional knowledge has to be acquired the hard way. It is continuous study and you never acquire it in today's fast-moving technological world that you are living in. You have to keep up with your profession whatever you are in.

Sam Manekshaw
If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha.

Sam Manekshaw
A 'Yes man' is a dangerous man. He is a menace. He will go very far. He can become a minister, a secretary or a Field Marshall but he can never become a leader nor, ever be respected. He will be used by his superiors, disliked by his colleagues and despised by his subordinates. So discard the 'Yes man'.

Sam Manekshaw
Give me a man or a woman with common sense and who is not an idiot and I assure you can make a leader out of him or her.

Sam Manekshaw
The status of the field marshal of the country or the equivalent has to be unique for the nation.

Sam Manekshaw
There will be no withdrawal without written orders and these orders shall never be issued.

Sam Manekshaw