Leadership Quotes

"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."

"The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes."

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."

"The speed of the leader is the speed of the gang."

"A 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."

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

"Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge."

"Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers."

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers."

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel."

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

"The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority."

"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit."

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."

"Great leaders are willing to sacrifice their own personal interests for the good of the team."

"The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully."

"No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it."

"You don't lead by hitting people over the head — that's assault, not leadership."

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions."

"The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example."

"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."

"The price of greatness is responsibility."

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."

"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership."

"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."

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being."

"Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front."

"Don't tell people how to do things; tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."

"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them."

"People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision."

"Earn your leadership every day."

"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."

"Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people."

"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."

"The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible."

"Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose."

"He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander."

"The world is filled with willing people; some willing to work and some willing to let them."

"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm."

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves."

"A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd."

"The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well."

"Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D."

"You manage things; you lead people."

"Real leadership is leaders recognizing that they serve the people that they lead."

"A leader without followers is just a person taking a walk."

"Never give an order that can't be obeyed."

"There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them."

"Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems."

"It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front."

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

"The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on."

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."

"The real leader has no need to lead — he is content to point the way."

"Action is the foundational key to all success."

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it."

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

"First deserve then desire."

"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."

"No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you're playing a solo game, you'll always lose out to a team."

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

"Hire character. Train skill."

"Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others."

"In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves."

"The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion."

"The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been."