Leadership Quotes

Leadership is not defined by the exercise of power but by the capacity to increase the sense of power among those led. The most essential work of the leader is to create more leaders.

I will always welcome joyfully any opportunity that comes my way to be of service to you

When we step on the battlefield, I will be The First Boots On and the Last Boots Off.

The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.

Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led.

We're not going to have the America that we want until we elect leaders who are going to tell the truth - not most days, but every day.

You can't run a government from one single person. What instead matters is that leadership be about gathering around extraordinary individuals and getting the best out of them.

What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

Don't talk unless you can improve the silence.

Effective leaders help others to understand the necessity of change and to accept a common vision of the desired outcome.

We should learn ... to do our best for the sake of our communities and for the sake of those for whom we pave the way.

Good leaders must first become good servants.

The older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.

Leadership does not mean domination.

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.

Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles.

You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.

Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.

The leader is a teacher who succeeds without taking credit. And, because credit is not taken, credit is received.

Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will.

Leaders who refuse to listen, will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing helpful to say

The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born.

Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It's about mastering the art of letting go.

Black women are going to have to take more leadership. I think we are prepared because we bring a tenaciousness with us. We do not fear losing friends, allies, or jobs.

When I've seen an opportunity I haven't sat down and called a committee meeting, We've gone and done it.

You manage things, you lead people. We went overboard on management and forgot about leadership.

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.

Enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit.

A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.

No printed word, nor spoken plea can teach young minds what they should be. Not all the books on all the shelves - but what the teachers are themselves.

Success, cannot be attained alone. Any person's time and power is limited. A wise leader enlists others in working toward organizational goals.

Do not desire to fit in. Desire to oblige yourselves to lead.

You have to take ownership and leadership of tomorrow. For that to be possible, you have to strengthen your capacity and widen your vision as a global citizen.

If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.

We must move as quickly as possible to a one-world government; a one-world religion; under a one world leader.

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

Pessimism is a losing strategy. Leadership demands both confidence and optimism in abundance.

After the Shah's departure from Iran, I will not become a president nor accept any other leadership role. Just like before, I limit my activities only to guiding and directing the people.

Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one's superiors; care for one's crew.

If you look after your staff, they'll look after your customers. It's that simple.

Leadership, like swimming, cannot be learned by reading about it.

The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.

To manage a system effectively, you might focus on the interactions of the parts rather than their behavior taken separately.

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

The best form of saying is doing.

It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies.

No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.

Leadership is the self-confidence of working with people smarter than you.