65 Inspiring Short Leadership Quotes

ByGemma Kate Last Update:

This inspiring collection of short quotes is all about leadership. 

Whether you lead a huge organization, a community group, a small team, yourself, a nation or a household, it’s always interesting to consider the qualities that make a great leader and why.

What Makes a Good Leader?

Good leaders are people who believe in their own potential and they can inspire others to do the same. They create an environment where everyone feels valued—and personal morale is high.

Of course, depending on ‘what’ you are leading, there will be different qualities and experience, however certain qualities such as honesty, integrity, knowledge, focus and confidence are generally considered to be characteristics of successful leaders.

Here are some short but inspiring quotes about leadership that will encourage you to be a better leader (or get inspired if you’re already leading):

Short Leadership Quotes

 

When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’ Lao Tzu

 

A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit. Arnold H. Glasow

 

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions. Harold S. Geneen

 

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. John C. Maxwell

 

Example is leadership. Albert Schweitzer

 

I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people. Mahatma Gandhi

 

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

 

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. Alexander the Great

 

Lead from the back and let others believe they are in front. Nelson Mandela

 

The greatest gift of leadership is a boss who wants you to be successful. Jon Taffer

 

Strong convictions precede great actions. James Freeman Clarke

 

If you command wisely, you’ll be obeyed cheerfully. Thomas Fuller

 

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

 

No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it. Andrew Carnegie

 

Leadership is working with goals and vision; management is working with objectives. Russel Honore

 

The sharp employ the sharp. Douglas William Jerrold

 

Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther. J. P. Morgan

 

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Peter Drucker

 

A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. Max Lucado

 

The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes. Tony Blair

 

Today a reader, tomorrow a leader. Margaret Fuller

 

Clarity affords focus. Thomas Leonard

 

The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. Ray Kroc

 

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples. Mother Teresa

 

The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. Harvey S. Firestone

 

If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right. Henry Ford

 

Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing. Tom Peters

 

Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed. Mwai Kibaki

 

When placed in command, take charge. Norman Schwarzkopf

 

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. Steve Jobs

 

Leadership does not depend on being right. Ivan Illich

 

Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. Paul Hawken

 

Doing is a quantum leap from imagining. Barbara Sher

 

The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been. Henry Kissinger

 

High expectations are the key to everything. Sam Walton

 

Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation. Simon Sinek

 

Leadership is not a popularity contest; it’s about leaving your ego at the door. The name of the game is to lead without a title. Robin S. Sharma

 

Don’t find fault, find a remedy. Henry Ford

 

A man always has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason. J. P. Morgan

 

If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade. Tom Peters

 

In fair weather prepare for foul. Thomas Fuller

 

The cost of leadership is self-interest. Simon Sinek

 

A leadership culture is one where everyone thinks like an owner, a CEO or a managing director. It’s one where everyone is entrepreneurial and proactive. Robin S. Sharma

 

A leader is a dealer in hope. Napoleon Bonaparte

 

Leadership is a choice, not a position. Stephen Covey

 

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Different times need different types of leadership. Park Geun-hye

 

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them. John C. Maxwell

 

Leadership is hard. It’s a skill. It’s a technique. Jocko Willink

 

Leadership is about being a servant first. Allen West

 

You don’t lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership. Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

The real leader has no need to lead – he is content to point the way. Henry Miller

 

When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat. Ronald Reagan

 

Everything rises and falls on leadership. John C. Maxwell

 

Well, I think that – I think leadership’s always been about two main things: imagination and courage. Paul Keating

 

The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. Ralph Nader

 

There is no finish line to leadership. Julia Hartz

 

People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything. Thomas Sowell

 

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. Theodore Roosevelt

 

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. Steve Jobs

 

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out. Stephen Covey

 

Problems are only opportunities in work clothes. Henry J. Kaiser

 

Leadership is influence. John C. Maxwell

 

Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. David Joseph Schwartz

 

Where there is no vision, there is no hope. George Washington Carver

 

For more inspiring words, be sure to check out:

 

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