Outstanding Leadership Quotes:

Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.

- Sam Walton

source: Attributed in "The 101 Greatest Business Principles of All Time" by Leslie Pockell, November 23, 2004.

topic: Motivational, Leadership, Educational, True Leader, Inspirational Self Esteem

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

topic: Motivational, Inspiring, Leadership, Women Leadership, Outstanding Leaders

The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning? Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict?

- Max De Pree

source: Max De Pree (1987). “Leadership is an Art”, Doubleday Business

topic: Learning, Grace, Followers, Outstanding Leadership

Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.

- Vince Lombardi

topic: Motivational, Leadership, Graduation, True Leader, Funny Leadership

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

source: Strength to Love (1963) ch. 3

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Inspirational Addiction Recovery, Inspirational Adversity

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.

- John F. Kennedy

topic: Inspirational, Leadership, Educational, Live And Learn, Top Management

Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths.

- John Peter Zenger

topic: Leadership, Weakness, Absence, Outstanding Leaders, Outstanding Leadership

A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.

- John C. Maxwell

topic: Inspirational, Success, Leadership, True Leader, Inspirational Passion

People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.

- Theodore Roosevelt

topic: Leadership, Differences, People, Management Motivation, Innovation And Leadership

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

- Eleanor Roosevelt

topic: Inspirational, Heart, Use, Great Minds, Inspiration To Others

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

- Ken Blanchard

topic: Inspirational, Successful, Keys, Top Management, Influencing People

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

topic: Motivational, Leadership, People, True Leader, Funny Leadership

A ruler should be slow to punish and swift to reward.

- Ovid

topic: Leadership, Rewards, Should, True Leader, Leadership By Famous Leaders

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure - which is: Try to please everybody.

- Herbert Bayard Swope

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Put First Things First, Funny Leadership

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.

- Jim Rohn

topic: Leadership, Strong, Humor, True Leader, Leaders Motivational

Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.

- Albert Schweitzer

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Success, Influencing People, Inspiring Leader

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

- Robert Louis Stevenson

topic: Inspirational, Strength, Success, Inspiring Leader, Leadership And Management

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

- Jack Welch

source: Jack Welch, Janet Lowe (2007). “Jack Welch Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Business Leader”, John Wiley & Sons

topic: Leadership, Leader, Growing, Innovative Leadership, Workforce

Leaders are not born, they're made.

- Vince Lombardi

topic: Leadership, Discipline, Effort, True Leader, Sports 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.

- Laozi

topic: Inspirational, Leadership, Wisdom, Managing People, Funny Leadership

Leadership is lifting a person's vision to high sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.

- Peter Drucker

topic: Leadership, Sight, Personality, True Leader, Inspiring Leader

A cowardly leader is the most dangerous of men.

- Stephen King

topic: Leadership, Men, Leader, Inspiring Leader, Outstanding Leadership

Earn your leadership every day.

- Michael Jordan

topic: Leadership, Inspiring Leader, Leadership By Famous Leaders, Leadership By Great Leaders, Motivational Leadership

To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

topic: Leadership, Difficult, Command, Inspiring Leader, Leaders Motivational

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

source: Twitter post from Mar 18, 2016

topic: Motivational, Average, Leader, Inspiring Others, Outstanding Leaders

He who has learned how to obey will know how to command.

- Solon

topic: Leadership, Command, Inspiring Leader, Leadership By Famous Leaders, Leadership In Education

Be strong, but not rude; Be kind, but not weak; Be bold, but not bully; Be humble, but not timid; Be prooud, but not arrogant.

- Zig Ziglar

source: FaceBook post by Zig Ziglar from Dec 27, 2013

topic: Leadership, Strong, Humble, True Leader, Leaders Motivational

I can't give you the sunset, but I can give you the night.

- Erin McCarthy

topic: Sunset, Night, Giving, Put First Things First, Inspiring Students

The leader works in the open and the boss in covert. The leader leads, and the boss drives.

- Theodore Roosevelt

source: Theodore Roosevelt (1926). “The Works of Theodore Roosevelt”

topic: Leadership, Boss, Outstanding Leaders, Leaders Motivational, Leadership Training

The building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.

- Peter Drucker

topic: Personality, Normal, Building, True Leader, Leadership And Change

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.

- Theodore Hesburgh

source: Interview with Philip Scarpino, tobiascenter.iu.edu. January 6, 2009.

topic: Leadership, Business, Blow, True Leader, Innovative Leadership

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.

- Max De Pree

source: Max De Pree (1987). “Leadership is an Art”, Doubleday Business

topic: Leadership, Responsibility, Reality, Funny Leadership, Workforce

A leader is best when people barely know that he exists.

- Witter Bynner

topic: People, Boss, Leader, Managing People, Funny Leadership

Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.

- Brian Tracy

topic: Leadership, People, Titles, True Leader, Inspiring Leader

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

- Brian Tracy

topic: Inspirational, Thinking, Leader, True Leader, Inspiring Leader

Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.

- Peter Drucker

topic: Inspirational, Leadership, Basketball, True Leader, Inspiring Leader

The led must not be compelled; they must be able to choose their own leader.

- Albert Einstein

topic: Leadership, Leader, Able, Innovation And Leadership, Leading On

Power isn't control at all-power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn't someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.

- Beth Revis

source: Beth Revis (2011). “Across the Universe”, p.250, Penguin

topic: Motivational, Inspiring, Leadership, Outstanding Leaders, Outstanding Leadership

I am reminded how hollow the label of leadership sometimes is and how heroic followership can be.

- Warren G. Bennis

topic: Leadership, Labels, Heroic, Outstanding Leadership, Followership

Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don't take too much advice - keep at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers that move the world.

- Noah Porter

topic: Inspirational, Art, Determination, Leadership By Famous Leaders, Outstanding Leadership

Those who try to lead the people can only do so by following the mob.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde (2000). “Oscar Wilde - The Major Works”, p.279, OUP Oxford

topic: Leadership, People, Trying, Innovation And Leadership, Leading On

There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust.

- Klaus Balkenhol

topic: Leadership, Differences, Boss, Outstanding Leaders, Outstanding Leadership

It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.

- Adlai E. Stevenson

topic: Inspirational, Funny, Motivational, Funny Leadership, Leaders Motivational

If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see.

- Henry David Thoreau

topic: Believe, Men, Doe, Outstanding Leaders, Outstanding Leadership

We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.

- John C. Maxwell

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Outstanding Leadership, Exam Motivational

Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control.

- Tom Landry

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Gaining Confidence, American Football

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

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Inspiring, Leadership Skills, Leading On

Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.

- Patrick Lencioni

source: Patrick M. Lencioni (2010). “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable”, p.58, John Wiley & Sons

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Inspiring, Inspiring Team Building, Inspiring Teamwork