Leadership Quotes: 23 of the most inspiring quotes about leadership

Leadership quotes are everywhere. Some leadership quotes can be a bit corny, but the best leadership quotes cause you to pause, think and reflect.

Here are 23 of our favorite leadership quotes that we found creating the Leadership Gratitude Journal. These quotes about leadership come from everyone from Ronald Reagan to JJ Watt to Mike Tyson. The mix of people quoted is unique, but it’s intentional. That’s because everyone is a leader, plain and simple.

Quotes About Leadership: 23 Leadership Quotes that inspire

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.
Ronald Reagan

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Theodore Roosevelt

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.
Albert Einstein

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

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.
Henry Ford

I heard someone say, ‘I can’t wait until I can finally say I’ve made it.’ The day you think you’ve ‘made it’ is the day you begin your decline.
JJ Watt

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.
John Buchan

Leaders are great listeners, they can hear what is not being said.
Kirk Dando

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

I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.
Robert E. Lee

If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.
Oprah Winfrey

The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.
Seth Godin

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

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
John F. Kennedy

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Dalai Lama XIV

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.
Chinese Proverb

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.
Greg Anderson

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.
Vince Lombardi

No amount of sales, marketing, neatly crafted core values or previous success can overcome incompetent leadership.
Kirk Dando

The man at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there.
Vince Lombardi

Remember there is plenty of room at the top — but not enough to sit down.
Zig Ziglar

Nothing impacts the wealth, health and happiness of others more than a leader.
Kirk Dando

You can have a great plan…until you’re punched in the face.
Mike Tyson

Do you have a favorite leadership quote? Leave it in the comments below – we may even use it in the next version of the Leadership Gratitude Journal.