Leadership is a big role to fill, but anyone can do it if they set their mind to a goal. The best part is, no title is necessary to lead others, as you will learn in these quotes on leadership.
By being a good person, standing your ground, and working hard and honestly toward a goal, you can be a leader. If other people see good leadership qualities in you, they will want to follow and work toward the same goals.
Twenty Quotes on Leadership
Being a leader isn’t always easy, but it will always leave you feeling fulfilled and content. If you do what you know is right, you will be on a clear path to leadership. These quotes on leadership will help remind you how to lead the way, and they will give you the motivation to do it.
1. “You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” – Henry Ford
No matter what your title is, you can be a leader. Do what is right, work for the greater good, and show others how to do it, too. This is what makes you a leader, not the title or position you hold.
2. “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” – Gen. Colin Powell
There will always be differing opinions and doubts when it comes to decisions. A leader will look past that and decide the best solution instead of waiting for everyone to agree. Leaders understand that there will never be a perfect answer, but moving forward is always the best option.
3. “My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.” – General Montgomery
A leader will attract those who believe in the same thing and then lead them toward achieving it. They will promote confidence in those around them as they work toward a common goal.
4. “Leadership is something you earn, something you’re chosen for. You can’t come in yelling, ‘I’m your leader!’ If it happens, it’s because the other guys respect you.” – Ben Roethlisberger
Telling people that you are a leader will not make you a true leader. Instead, you have to earn respect if you want to be a leader. Everyone will resist against someone they don’t respect, but they will listen to and follow someone they do.
5. “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
You can be strong, kind, bold, thoughtful, humble, proud, and humorous and still be a good leader. All of these qualities described by Rohn are possible without all of the negative ones he mentions. Be a good person as you lead others, and they will stick around to help the cause.
6. “A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example.” – Joe DiMaggio
As stated before, you don’t have to have a leadership title to be a leader. By doing your best all the time, you will become a leader. People will follow what you are doing and strive to work just as hard as you.
7. “Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.” – Brian Tracy
Be kind, see the best in people, and be the kind of person people want to believe in. Don’t wait for permission or for a title to be this way. Instead, behave as a leader and treat people respectfully.
8. “Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.” – Walt Disney
To lead people, you have to coordinate them to work toward the same goal. If they aren’t working together, you will never achieve the desired results.
9. “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” – Douglas MacArthur
To be a leader, you can’t always stand with everyone else. You must be willing to stand alone and stand for what you believe in, even if it isn’t easy. Make the tough decisions that no one else is willing to make, and listen to what other people need, too.
Through these behaviors, you will quickly become a leader. People will want to follow you and believe in you, and they will learn from you along the way.
10. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” – Max Lucado
Lucado explains it perfectly. If you want to lead, you have to turn away from what the crowd wants from you. Do what is right and guide your team to do what is right while remaining true to yourself.
11. “I think one of the keys to leadership is recognizing that everybody has gifts and talents. A good leader will learn how to harness those gifts toward the same goal.” – Ben Carson
Good leaders recognize the good in every person and can see what talent each person has. Then, they put those talents to use in a way that benefits the entire team. Having people do what they are good at is the key to reaching goals and achieving great things.
12. “Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” – Sam Walton
Having a team with high self-esteem with be beneficial in every possible way. They will realize that they are capable of great things and put in their best effort.
13. “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results, not attributes.” – Peter Drucker
Being seen and well known will not help you be a better leader. Instead, the work you put in and the results you achieve will make you a successful leader. Let other people spend time talking and making friends while using that time to get the job done.
14. “True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed… Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.” – Sheryl Sandberg
There are no perfect leaders, only leaders who are authentic and true to themselves. They express who they are instead of doing what will please everyone else.
15. “Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.” – Brian Tracy
To be a leader, you have to focus on finding a solution and getting past the problem. Fixating on the problem won’t get you anywhere.
16. “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” – Jack Welch
You have to be willing to learn all the time and then put what you have learned into action. This is the only way to lead people to accomplish a goal.
17. “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt
If you choose the right people to be on your team, you must have faith that the job will get done. By meddling in their job, you will only be holding them back and causing frustration and set-backs.
18. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
A leader has to come up with new solutions to problems they hadn’t expected to encounter. Be innovative and come up with something that others couldn’t have.
19. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – President John Quincy Adams
When you do good things, others will want to follow suit. This will give them inspiration and motivation to do what you are doing, which will make you a leader.
20. “What you do has far greater impact than what you say.” – Stephen Covey
You can’t simply tell people what you want to accomplish. Instead, you have to show them how to do it and show them that you are working hard, too.
Final Thoughts on Quotes on Leadership to Help You Lead the Way
Being a leader is much more than having a leadership title, as these quotes on leadership explain. You can be a leader just by doing what is right and doing what is best to accomplish a goal. When you do this, others will begin to follow you down that path.
These quotes on leadership will help you lead others by offering tips and motivation to be a leader. Anyone can become a leader, and it just takes hard work and dedication. Set yourself apart from the rest and begin being the kind of leader you have always admired.
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