21 Best Leadership Quotes

These are 21 of the best leadership quotes I have found in my research.

As a leader, you constantly need to speak and remind your team about principles of success and quotes add creditability to your speeches. By using sayings that great leaders and wise men of old have used before, you add the extra impact to the point you’re trying to make.

Leadership Quotes are quotes that teach you what it truly means to be a leader of men. This quotes I have chosen are specifically meant for that purpose. Use these quotes to inspire and motivate!

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All Leadership is influence.
-John C. Maxwell

A leader is one who influences a specific group of people to move in a God-given direction.
— J. Robert Clinton

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 is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, 'We did this ourselves.
— Lao-Tse

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
— Max DePree

You don't lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.
— Ken Kesey

Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time in leading yourself—your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers.
-Dee Hock

The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.
– Warren G Bennis

The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes. – Tony BlairThe very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision.
– Theodore Hesburgh

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.
– Rosalynn Carter

Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach.
– Rosabeth Moss Kantor

Good leaders must first become good servants.
– Robert Greenleaf

I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.
– Ralph Naber

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

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.
– Kenneth Blanchard

How do you know you have won? When the energy is coming the other way and when your people are visibly growing individually and as a group.
— Sir John Harvey-Jones

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

Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.
— Stephen R. Covey

High sentiments always win in the end, The leaders who offer blood, toil, tears and sweat always get more out of their followers than those who offer safety and a good time. When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic.
— George Orwell

The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men, the conviction and the will to carry on.
— Walter Lippmann

You will find more quotes about leadership and other aspects of leadership in the BONUS LINKS below. These are the top quotes about each aspect of leadership I have found and I recommend you use these quotes for your speeches and talks.

30 Top Attitude Quotes
Quotes about the having a great attitude.

30 Top Courage Quotes
Quotes about the value of courage.

20 Top Commitment Quotes
Quotes about the importance of commitment.

30 Top Vision Quotes
Quotes about having a vision in life.

30 Top Team Building Quotes
Quotes about building successful teams.

30 Top Change Quotes
Quotes about embracing change in life.

20 Top Integrity Quotes
Quotes about the need of integrity.

20 Top Self-Discipline Quotes
Quotes about disciplining oneself.

21 Top Passion Quotes
Quotes about living a passionate life.

21 Top Management Quotes
Quotes about management of people in organizations.

21 Top Leadership Quotes
Quotes about true effective leadership.

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