Leadership quotes
3.4K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
Explore further
Browse quotes that often appear alongside leadership — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
Quote collection
Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.
"The more that social democracy develops, grows, and becomes stronger, the more the enlightened masses of workers will take their own destinies, the leadership of their movement, and the determination of its direction into their own hands."
"Show me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are."
"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them."
"I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people."
"I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men."
"The true leader is always led."
"An order that can be misunderstood, will be misunderstood."
"Nobody can hurt me without my permission."
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
"Enthusiasm is caught, not taught."
"I'm absolutely, utterly, and completely certain that God wouldn't be homophobic. I'd much rather go to hell - I really would much rather go to hell - than go to a homophobic heaven."
"Nothing that I can do or say will change the structure of the universe. But maybe, by raising my voice, I can help the greatest of all causes — good will among men and peace on earth."
"Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self interest."
"What chance gathers, she easily scatters. A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together."
"To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself."
"The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men."
"Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done."
"[Margaret] Thatcher had just become prime minister; there was talk about whether it was an advance to have a woman prime minister if it was someone with policies like hers: She may be a woman but she isn't a sister, she may be a sister but she isn't a comrade."
"You have to be burning with "an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right." If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out."
"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder."
