20 inspirational quotes from leaders

If you’re in need of some inspiration, try these words of wisdom from leaders who’ve been there and done that.

1. “You manage things; you lead people.” – Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper
2. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Kenneth Blanchard
3. “Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.” – Arianna Huffington
4. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” – Nelson Mandela
5. “I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it”. – Estee Lauder
6. “If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” – Benjamin Franklin
7. “If you sit and wait to feel like you are the most confident person in the room, you are probably going to be left by yourself.” – Jacinda Ardern
8. “If you want to win in the 21^st century, you have to empower others, making sure other people are better than you. Then you will be successful.” – Jack Ma
9. “If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” – Maya Angelou
10. “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.”  – Bill Bradley
11. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Ghandi
12. “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
13. “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” John F. Kennedy
14. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” – Sheryl Sandberg
15. “You have to look at leadership through the eyes of the followers and you have to live the message. What I have learned is that people become motivated when you guide them to the source of their own power and when you make heroes out of employees who personify what you want to see in the organisation.” – Anita Roddick
16. “Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.” – Tom Peters
17. “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need within ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” – J.K. Rowling
18. “Be passionate and bold. Always keep learning. You stop doing useful things if you don’t learn.” – Satya Nadella
19. “Make a difference about something other than yourselves.” – Toni Morrison
20. “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’ “. – Lao Tzu

You may find this blog post useful: ‘What can you learn from inspirational leaders?’

Dawn is the author of ‘The Feedback Book’ and ‘How to be Zoomly at work’

Image credits:

Bubble of inspiration - @cifotart - Depositphotos