20 Quotes About Leadership

Some days you just need a little motivation, a little extra encouragement from people who have been there before. Nobody knows leadership better than the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, and Henry Ford. We’re here to help give you that needed “oomph” from some of the world’s top leaders in history.

1. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
   -Sheryl Sandberg
2. “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.”
   -Bill Bradley
3. “The x-factor of great leadership is not personality, it’s humility.”
   -Jim Collins
4. “Lead from the back- and let others believe they are in front.”
   -Nelson Mandela
5. “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”
   -John Maxwell
6. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
   -Benjamin Franklin
7. “The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.”
   -John Wooden
8. “You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things.”
   -Mother Teresa
9. “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
   -Winston Churchill
10. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
    -Maya Angelou
11. “Treat employees like they make a difference and they will.”
    -Jim Goodnight
12. “Being a leader is not about you. It’s about the people that are on your team and how you can help them be successful.”
    -Susan Vobejda
13. “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.”
    -Henry Ford
14. “It is not fair to ask others what you are unwilling to do yourself.”
    -Elenor Roosevelt
15. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”
    -John Quincy Adams
16. “Mountaintops inspire leaders but valleys mature them.”
    -Winston Churchill
17. “We rise by lifting others.”
    -Robert Ingersoli
18. “Leadership is action, not position.”
    -Donald H. McGannon
19. “A leader is someone who demonstrates what’s possible.”
    -Mark Yarnell

And last but not least…

20. “Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation.”
    -William Arthur Wood

Feel free to tweet your favorites (we put our favorites in bold!), or add to our list with some of your own favorite quotes on leadership in the comment section!