"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."

“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.”

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

“One thing remains the same. That is, your task and your duty. You are required to ensure the security of this country against any aggressor. What does that mean for you? It means that you should have to fight, and fight to win. There is no room for the loser. If you lose, don't come back.”

“Whether an atom bomb is necessary or not, in this world if you want to be recognized, if you don’t want to be kicked about, you have to be powerful both militarily and economically.”

“You know I have no political ambitions. My job is to command my army and see that it is kept as a first rate instrument. Your job is to look after the country.”

“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.”