Quite often, we hear that leaders are BORN! We hear that leaders are HIRED. We hear that leaders are chosen. Those may be true in many cases but they are certainly not accurate generalities. Most often, a leader simply chooses to be courageous.
If you are wondering about your own leadership capability or capacity, these quotes are meant to help you see the purposeful leader in you.
20 Quotes To Inspire You To Lead
1. “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” —Les Brown
2. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” —Mother Teresa
3. “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” George Patton
4. “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.” Nelson Mandela
5. “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.” Rosalynn Carter
6. “We’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 Goldberg
7. “Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.” Patrick Lencioni
8. “Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar.” Orrin Woodward
9. “A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them.” M.D. Arnold
10. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” Max Lucado
11. “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” John Maxwell
12. “A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see and who sees before others see.” – Leroy Eimes
13. “You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.” – Sam Rayburn
14. “If you think you are leading and turn around to see no one following, then you are just taking a walk.” – Benjamin Hooks
15. “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” —Max DePree
16. “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” —Jack Welch
17. “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” —Publilius Syrus
18. “Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.” —Brian Tracy
19. Lead and inspire people. Don’t try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead. —Ross Perot
20. “You don’t need a title to lead. You simply need the courage to go first.” – Robert Kennedy III (Had to put this in 🙂)
These quotes have allowed me to reflect on my why and my how. Ultimately, it comes down to PEOPLE, the relationships you form with them and HOW you show them that you value and care for them.
Which is your favorite leadership quote? Please share it in the comments below.