MOTIVATING TIPS

Leon C. Megginson

American business professor and management theorist

1 verified quote1 topicAll with editorial commentary

[ Life ]

A Louisiana State University business professor whose name became attached to one of the most misattributed quotes in modern history. Megginson spent his career teaching management and organizational behavior at LSU's College of Business Administration, where he developed a reputation for clear-eyed thinking about adaptation and survival in competitive markets. His teaching spanned the Cold War era, when American business anxiously watched Soviet advances and reconsidered its own flexibility.

[ Words & Works ]

In a 1963 speech, Megginson articulated what audiences heard as "it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change"—a reformulation often credited to Darwin. The statement stuck, migrating into motivational literature, boardroom presentations, and corporate training materials for decades. Whether Megginson originated the phrasing or borrowed it matters less than the fact that his name became the quote's anchor point. His actual contribution was packaging evolutionary logic for mid-century managers who needed permission to abandon tradition.

Frequently asked

What are the best Leon C. Megginson quotes?

Leon C. Megginson is best known for quotes on On Starting Over. Among the most cited: "It is not the strongest of..." from Convention speech paraphrasing Darwin.

How many Leon C. Megginson quotes does MotivatingTips have?

MotivatingTips has 1 verified Leon C. Megginson quote, each with editorial commentary and source verification. Quotes are organized across On Starting Over.

What book are Leon C. Megginson's quotes from?

Quotes on MotivatingTips are sourced from Convention speech paraphrasing Darwin.

Are these Leon C. Megginson quotes verified?

Every Leon C. Megginson quote on MotivatingTips includes verified attribution with source, book, chapter, or speech reference where available.

Best Leon C. Megginson Quotes

Hand-picked, verified, and explained.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

VerifiedConvention speech paraphrasing Darwin, Louisiana State University, 1963
Why This Matters

What separates the survivors from the extinct is not raw power or cleverness, but a kind of humble flexibility—the willingness to shed yesterday's solutions when the world demands something new. Most people hear this and think "adaptability," which misses the sharper point: responsiveness means you're *watching* and *listening* first, adjusting second, whereas intelligence alone can trap you into defending positions you've already constructed. A manufacturing plant that pivots its production line when demand shifts, or a long-established retailer that learns to sell online before it's too late, understands this in their bones—not because they're smarter than their competitors, but because they stayed awake to what was actually changing around them.

Read full quote →
Leon C. Megginson quotes by topic

Works cited

  • Convention speech paraphrasing Darwin1 quote
    View →

Authors you might also like

Cite This Page

Use the following citations to reference this page in academic or professional work.

APA Style

Leon C. Megginson Quotes. (n.d.). MotivatingTips. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/leon-c-megginson

Chicago Style

Leon C. Megginson Quotes. MotivatingTips, DSS Media, 2026. https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/leon-c-megginson, accessed May 8, 2026.

MLA Style

"Leon C. Megginson Quotes." MotivatingTips. DSS Media, 2026. 8 May 2026. https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/leon-c-megginson

By Email

One quote. Every morning. No fluff.

Join 100,000+ readers who start their day with a carefully chosen quote and brief reflection. Unsubscribe anytime.

By WhatsApp

Same quote. On WhatsApp. Reply and it talks back.

Get your daily quote delivered to WhatsApp. Ask questions, get related quotes, or just reply to share your thoughts.

Open in WhatsApp