Effective leadership is the catalyst that sparks positive transformation, whether in individual lives, the workplace, or society as a whole.

One of the most dangerous leadership myths is that leadership means prestige, glamour, and the power to exert authority over others. In reality, however, the most successful leaders of our time often exude characteristics and qualities of servant leadership, in which they see themselves as stewards of their people, not rulers over them. This requires grit and is often a path of discomfort and uncertainty. At times, it is lonely, but do not be deterred. Leadership is, ultimately, about championing change and inspiring others. When implemented effectively, the rewards are monumental.

We have curated this collection of thought-provoking leadership quotes to motivate and guide your leadership journey. These are grouped according to our behavioural change cycle of awareness, discovery, application, and follow-through to give you a roadmap for leadership transformation.

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Drawn from the minds of a diverse range of leaders and thinkers, these practical and inspirational words of wisdom might just change your life, and your circle of influence, for the better.

Leadership Quotes About Developing Character

Until leaders can manage themselves, they cannot manage anyone else. In other words, the cornerstone of leadership is strong character. Without it, they cannot lead others in a healthy way. We can all think of examples of leaders who, in failing to look inward with honesty and discipline, became corrupted. In the worst cases, they used their influence for destructive purposes.

When leaders nurture their inner worlds, they are better equipped to inspire and motivate their teams towards change. The following leadership insights will hopefully inspire you to lay crucial foundations of humility, strength, and self-awareness.

1. “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr, bestselling author of Life’s Little Instruction Book, originally wrote this adage as one of 90 pieces of life advice for his son.‍
2. “Privilege blinds, because it’s in its nature to blind. Don’t let your leadership be about privilege, but about purpose.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author of We Should All Be Feminists and public speaker, also known for her famous TED Talk, The Danger of a Single Story.

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3. “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, American entrepreneur and author of 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness.

4. “The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, writer, and public speaker. In this quote, he addresses the moral challenge of leadership and the importance of putting service before self.

5. “Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” — Michelle Obama, attorney and former First Lady of the U.S.A.

6. “No man is good enough to govern another man, without that other’s consent.” — Abraham Lincoln, 16th US president, from the famous anti-slavery Peoria speech of 1884.

7. “The art of leadership is saying ‘no,’ not saying ‘yes.’ It is very easy to say ‘yes.’” — Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister.

8. “A man who wants to lead an orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” — Written by an unknown author, this proverb encourages leaders to refrain from attention-seeking and focus on action instead.

9. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Carmin Gallo, bestselling author of The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, based on Steve Jobs’ life principles.

10. “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” — Andrew Carnegie, Scottish industrialist and philanthropist, went from rags to one of the richest men in the world. In his lifetime, he gave 90% of his wealth away to educational and philanthropic causes.

Leaders with strong character have a crucial advantage: they are considered trustworthy by those they lead. With this in hand, the next challenge lies in articulating a compelling vision to unite and motivate others.

Leadership Quotes About Building Vision

Once leaders have laid the groundwork by developing their emotional intelligence, they are ready to begin casting the vision for change and getting others on board. As they develop strong interpersonal connections and leverage the art of storytelling, leaders can effectively communicate the changes that need to happen and why.

11. “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” — Attributed to French writer and poet, Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

12. “You have been assigned this mountain so that you can show others it can be moved.” — This quote by an unknown author (though often attributed to self-development coach Mel Robbins) is a reminder to face our challenges with courage and use them as a vehicle to inspire others.

13. “Leaders must encourage their organisations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard.” — Warren Bennis, bestselling leadership writer, on how leadership actions can inspire others to dream.

14. “Stories are the single most powerful weapon any leader can arm themselves with – they are the currency of humanity. Those who tell captivating, inspiring, emotional stories rule the world.” — Steven Bartlett, British-Nigerian businessman, podcaster, and author of The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life.

15. “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” — Attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson, classic Scottish fiction author, essayist, and poet.

16. “I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” — Brené Brown, academic, public speaker, and writer on topics of leadership and vulnerability.

17. “The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.” — From Scottish writer and army officer John Buchan’s essay Montrose and Leadership.

18. “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” — Women’s rights activist Malala Yousafzai, known as the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban, became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2014.

19. “You must never disagree. In the midst of a negotiation, debate or heated argument, try and remember that the key to changing someone’s mind is finding a shared belief or motive that will keep their brain open to your point of view.” — Steven Bartlett, on how finding common ground is key to communicating your aims.

20. “In order to carry a positive action, we must develop here a positive vision.” — Attributed to 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

21. “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” — Theodore M. Hesburgh, a Catholic priest and civil rights activist, on translating vision into clear communication.

As powerful as vision is, it means nothing without action. This is where leadership is tested, in a willingness to take initiative, make decisions, and move ideas forward, even when the path ahead is uncertain.

Leadership Quotes About Taking Action

Good leaders instil a vision; great leaders make it happen. It is not enough for leaders to only tell others what to do; they need to demonstrate positive actions in both their personal and professional lives. By setting an example and trusting their team members with the tasks at hand, they will be paid dividends of loyalty and respect in the long run.

22. “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” — Attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US president, this wisdom explores the intersection between delegation and trust.

23. “A leader … is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realising that all along they are being directed from behind.” — Nelson Mandela on the value of humble leadership influence that seeks to encourage rather than control.

24. “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” — Attributed to Dale Carnegie, self-improvement author of How to Win Friends and Influence People.

25. “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” — Attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th US president, on how to get your aims fulfilled through delegation.

26. “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Muriel Strode, American author and poet, encourages readers to lead by breaking the boundaries of convention.

27. “In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” — Harry S. Truman, 33rd US president.

28. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” — Martin Luther King Jr. championed change through powerful public speeches and civil rights activism, a legacy that lives on to this day.

29. “Some people only ask others to do something. I believe that, why should I wait for someone else? Why don’t I take a step and move forward?” — Malala Yousafzai on leading change by taking responsibility for the first action.

30. “All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given us.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, encourages those who face “dark times” to take initiative and do the best with the resources they have.

31. “The greatest leaders mobilise others by coalescing people around a shared vision.” — Ken Blanchard, business professional and bestselling author of One Minute Manager.

32. “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” — Attributed to Ralph Nader, American lawyer and politician.

In a nutshell, the best way for a leader to succeed is not to try to fulfil a personal aim, but to work with others for the collective good of the group.

Leadership Quotes About Maintaining Momentum

While you may have success implementing personal and corporate transformation in the short term, there is always a temptation to slide back into old habits and systems. Here’s what the experts have to say about the importance of tenacity and maintaining long-term momentum in leadership.

33. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” — Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter and cultural icon, on servant leadership. According to Dolly, the aim of leadership is to help others reach their potential.

34. “The river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.” — James N. Watkins, award-winning author and public speaker, tells us to be tenacious in our efforts, even if we don’t see immediate results.

35. “Success always demands a greater effort.” — Winston Churchill, writing to Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies in 1940, warns about the futility of resting on the laurels of early success.

36. “It’s really important for organisations to demonstrate direction of travel — to be ambitious, and to keep up the momentum. It’s easy to become stuck and disheartened, and to feel that not much can be achieved. Change is possible; I have seen it.” — Baroness Valerie Amos, British politician and the first African-British woman to be inducted into the House of Lords.

37. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein, translated from a letter of advice to his son Eduard.

38. “To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.” — Aliko Dangote, Nigerian businessman and one of the richest men in the world.

39. “Just don’t give up what you’re trying to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” — Ella Fitzgerald understood the power of persevering in passion, going from a tumultuous childhood to one of the most beloved jazz singers of all time.

40. “Finding leadership requires vigilance, hard work, an abhorrence of complacency and self-satisfaction — and a willingness to make changes when changes are needed, no matter how painful they may be.” — Katharine Graham, former Washington Post publisher and the first female owner of a Fortune 500 company. Despite suffering from impostor syndrome, her leadership actions inspired in-depth investigative journalism that made the Post one of the most successful newspapers in America.

41. “Just because you are CEO, don’t think you have landed. You must continually increase your learning, the way you think, and the way you approach the organisation. I’ve never forgotten that.” — Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, encourages leaders to never stop learning, even after they seem to have reached the “top.”

42. “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” — Dame Julie Andrews, the star of classic movies like The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. She has persevered through a nearly 80-year career, overcoming challenges from movie flops to losing her singing ability. Today, she is considered a British national treasure.

Now It’s Your Turn.

It’s all well and good to get inspired by other great leaders, but are you ready to be a strong leader in your own right? If you want to take a tangible step forward towards successful leadership, today is the day to take action.

• Choose a quote or two that reflects an area you would like to see change in. Write them down and place them somewhere you will get to read them on a regular basis.
• Make a plan for how to implement the change you are looking for and begin putting it into practice.

If you would like someone to come alongside you to provide guidance on leadership development and how to implement either personal or corporate change, ChangingPoint is here. Contact us today and see how we can help.

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