Misquote

Anyone who reads my articles will already be familiar with the quote I use at the top of each page - "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.". For me, this cuts to the very heart of agile and lean techniques. Being successful is not about being powerful, or even knowledgeable in the traditional sense, but about being adaptable and smart.

Way back in June an anonymous poster pointed out that the quote was misattributed to Charles Darwin. To my shame, I sat on the comment until I had the time and patience to research the correct answer.

I can now confirm that you were absolutely correct, Mr Anonymous. It was misattributed. The quote most likely comes from the writings of Leon C. Megginson, Professor of Management and Marketing at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge. The quote is a paraphrasing of Darwin.

I won't bore everyone with details, but here are links to the corroborating articles.

One thing Darwin didn't say: the source for a misquotation
Survival of the Pithiest

Update: the quote got the thorough Quote Investigator treatment in 2014.