42 inspiring leadership quotes to motivate your success
Leadership is not easy.
In a large workplace it can be a lonely road to travel with few friends, mixed with sycophants that may or may not be telling you the truth.
A real leader has to grasp the nettle… with conviction.
And live under a microscope of constant scrutiny.
And most people have experienced a leader that had failed upwards and wasn’t really up to the demands of the job.
To that point, since childhood, I have always loved this witty poem by Roger McGough…
“I wanna be the leader
I wanna be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I?
I can?
Promise?
Promise?
Yippee! I’m the leader
I’m the leader
OK what shall we do?”
To avoid being the hapless “leader” of the poem above, here are some of the most inspiring quotes on leadership for motivation into being even better as a person who others will follow.
Inspiring Leadership quotes
A leader is a dealer in hope
Napoleon BonaparteI’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya AngelouDo what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticised anyway
Eleanor RooseveltThe ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King, JrWhat I have learned is that people become motivated when you guide them to the source of their own power and when you make heroes out of employees who personify what you want to see in the organisation.
Anita RoddickLeaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work
Vince LombardiOne of the criticisms I've faced over the years is that I'm not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I'm empathetic, it means I'm weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong
Jacinda AhernDon’t find fault, find a remedy.
Henry FordContinuous learning leads to continuous improvement. Commit yourself to advancing your knowledge, skills, and expertise. The business environment is quickly changing, and your understanding of the leading practices, thinking, and emerging tools will help you manage for better results. Be a lifelong student.
Pamela Gill Alabaster (Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Centric Brands)The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity
Dwight EisenhowerYou’re never too small to make a difference
Greta ThunbergPeople work better when they know what the goal is and why. It is important that people look forward to coming to work in the morning and enjoy working.
Elon MuskYour job as leader is to stay as close in touch as possible with those closest to the action.
Kat Cole (COO, Focus Brands)A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves
Lao TzuIf your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.
Dolly PartonGreat things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people
Steve JobsSuccess isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.
Michelle ObamaSuccess consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm
Winston ChurchillWe need to accept that we don’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes. Understand that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.
Arianna HuffingtonYou don’t lead people by hitting them over the head. That’s assault, not leadership.
Dwight EisenhowerRarely are opportunities presented to you in a perfect way. In a nice little box with a yellow bow on top. 'Here, open it, it's perfect. You'll love it.' Opportunities – the good ones – are messy, confusing and hard to recognize. They're risky. They challenge you.
Susan Wojcicki (CEO Youtube)Keep exploring. Keep dreaming. Keep asking why. Don’t settle for what you already know. Never stop believing in the power of your ideas, your imagination, your hard work to change the world. Barack Obama
People respond well to those that are sure of what they want.
Anna WintourA person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
Albert EinsteinIt’s okay to admit what you don’t know. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s more than okay to listen to the people you lead – in fact, it’s essential.
Mary Barra (CEO, General Motors)In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.
Tina FeyA leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.
Rosalynn Carter (Former First Lady of the United States)Do, or do not. There is no try
YodaJust because you are CEO, don't think you have landed. You must continually increase your learning, the way you think, and the way you approach the organisation.
Indra Nooyi (CEO, PEpsiCo India)Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
George PattonA good leader is able to paint a picture of a vision for the future and then enlist others to go on the journey with her. A truly conscious leader recognizes that it is not about her, but that the team is looking to her for inspiration and direction. Keeping her ego in check is essential.
Tamra Ryan (CEO, Women’s Bean Project)Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it
Winston ChurchillThe ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.
Padmasree Warrior (CEO & Founder, Fable)If you’re co-founder or CEO, you have to do all kinds of tasks you might not want to do… If you don’t do your chores, the company won’t succeed… No task is too menial
Elon MuskNinety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.
Dianne FeinsteinIt doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do
Steve JobsLeadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.
Sheryl SandbergIf you decide that you’re going to do only the things you know are going to work, you’re going to leave a lot of opportunity on the table.
Jeff BezosWe're here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.
Whoopi GoldbergYou can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.
Walt DisneyI know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together.
Queen Elizabeth IIEarn your leadership every day.
Michael Jordan
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