150+ Best Inspiring Quotes About Leadership & Leaders In 2023

We have learned so much from the greatest leaders of all time. It has been decades and centuries of teachings and learnings. Yet, here we are struggling with our lives.

We all need motivation and inspiration from time to time from our Leaders, and this is vice-versa too. This keeps us going even when we have hardships.

It’s not necessary that quotes that speak about leaders or are spoken by leaders are the right leadership quotes.

best inspiring quotes about leadership

The ones which enhance your personality to become a leader is also a good leadership quote.

There are millions of quotes and thoughts that were said by the greatest leaders and people of all time which cannot be collected in one place.

But here is our try to bring to you the best of the leadership quotes that might push you through your life and make things seem easier.

Positive leadership quotes for 2023

The first on our list is the positive leadership quotes. Even if you are a great leader but lack the quality of positivity you might not be able to inspire others. It is one of the greatest qualities of leaders to inspire and motivate through their own positivity. 

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

 “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

-Steve Jobs

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

– Colin

“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.”

Oprah Winfrey

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”

– Oscar Wilde
best motivational leadership quotes

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” 

– Winston Churchill

“The real test is not whether you avoid this failure because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”

Barack Obama

“It always seems impossible until it’s done. “

– Nelson Mandela

“Think Thousand times before making a decision But – After making a decision never turn back even if you get Thousand difficulties!!”

-Adolf Hitler
quotes by leaders, leadership traits

“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.”

Stephen

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” 

– Mark Caine

“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

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” 

Charles R. Swindoll
most leadership quotes

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”

– Oscar Wilde

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– H. Jackson Brown Jr

“When I was 5 years old my mother told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “ happy”. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. “

John Lenon

Leadership quotes for Work

Leadership is not always for a group of people who want to bring change or do something unusual. It is in our everyday life how we react to our work or colleague’s behavior. If you want to be a good leader among your work team as well you need to have the best qualities of a leader. For knowing how you can have the motivation for your work while being a good leader here are some quotes to help you.

“If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my axe.“

-Abraham Lincoln
Leadership quotes for Work

“The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.” 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands — your own.

– Mark Victor Hansen

“You do not lead by hitting people over the head — that’s assault, not leadership.”

Dwight Eisenhower
inspiring motivational quotes on leadership

“How wonderful it is that nobody needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

-Anne Frank

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.” 

– Helen Keller

“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.” 

-Charles Kingsleigh

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

Paulo Coelho

Leadership quotes for Students

We all know the journey of becoming a leader starts when you are a child. We must teach our kids, our students about great leaders and their thoughts which can help them become one themselves a day. Here in this section, we have jotted down the best quotes that will be perfect for students who are in their growing age and are going to become strong and influential leaders one day. 

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

– Walt Disney

“Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed, or offended. But what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.”

 – Joel Osteen

“Don’t watch the clock, do what it does. Keep going.“

Sam Levenson

 “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” 

– Michael Jordan

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal — a commitment to excellence — that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”

– Mario Andretti

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Paulo Coelho
best quotes on leadership

“There are four things a person needs for success: a medium amount of intelligence, a bit of imagination, self-confidence, and failure.”

Chetan Bhagat

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” 

– Albert Einstein

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.”

– Norman Vincent Peale
Leadership quotes for Student

“A champion is someone who does not settle for that day’s practice, that day’s competition, that day’s performance. They are always striving to be better. They don’t live in the past.” 

-Briana Scurry

 “Whatever your situation might be, set your mind to whatever you want to do and put a good attitude in it, and I believe that you can succeed.”

Bethany Hamilton

“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It’s just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” 

Paulo Coehlo

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” 

– George Lorimer
leadership quotes from inspiring leaders

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” 

– Theodore Roosevelt

” If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means “first Attempt In Learning”

  The end is not the end if fact E.N.D. means “Effort Never Dies”

  If you get No as an answer, remember N.O. means “Next Opportunity”.

  So Let’s be positive. “Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam of feel LIFE”

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

“I will always remember the game for other reasons because I learned a very important personal lesson. It taught me never to resort to unethical ways and to play the sport with honesty and integrity at all times.”

― Sachin Tendulkar

“Don’t quit. It will happen one day.”

Chetan Bhagat
powerful quotes on leadership

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

 – Will Rogers

“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.”

– Roy T. Bennett

Funny Leadership quotes

Is it not right that we remember our leaders as serious personalities? There is no doubt that we do. But there have been many instances when they said something so inspirational and motivational in a funny way that it taught you the lesson at the same time brought a smile to your face. In this section, we will read some funny inspirational quotes by the greatest leaders. 

Life doesn’t imitate art, it imitates bad television.

– Woody Allen
leadership quotes

You can’t have everything where you would put it. 

– Steven Wright

Trying is the first step towards failure.

– Homer Simpson

I always wanted to be somebody but now I think I should have been specific.

Lily Tomlin

If you are going to be thinking you may as well think big. 

– Donal Trump

The elevator to success is out of order. You will have to take the stairs one at a time. 

– Joe Girard
Funny Leadership quotes

Age is of no importance unless you are cheese. 

– Billie Burke

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished – If you’re alive it isn’t.” 

– Richard Bach

 “Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it.”

– Salvador Dal

Leadership quotes for Team Leader

You can only become a successful leader when you are a team player. This is why it is said that not everybody can be a leader. You might be good at something but you have to be better at that while taking everyone with you. That is what makes anyone a true leader. Let’s read some quotes by leaders which show the importance of team leaders. 

“If you want to lift the performance of the organization, you have to lift yourself…my message to my team was always meet my bar, and that bar would constantly be moved up.”

Indra Nooyi

“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” 

Andrew C.

“My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better.”

-Steve Jobs
Leadership quotes for Team Leader

 “A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.” 

– Justin Sewell

“The bottom line in managing your emotions is that you should put others – not yourself – first in how you handle and process them. Whether you delay or display your emotions should not be for your own gratification. You should ask yourself, What does the team need? ” What will make me feel better?”

John C. Maxwell

“My story—the story of the son of Jainulabdeen, who lived for over a hundred years on Mosque Street in Rameswaram island and died there; the story of a lad who sold newspapers to help his brother; the story of a pupil reared by Sivasubramania Iyer and Iyadurai Solomon; the story of a student taught by teachers like Pandalai; the story of an engineer spotted by MGK Menon and groomed by the legendary Prof. Sarabhai; the story of a scientist tested by failures and setbacks; the story of a leader supported by a large team of brilliant and dedicated professionals. This story will end with me, for I have no belongings in the worldly sense. I have acquired nothing, built nothing, possess nothing—no family, sons, daughters.”

APJ Abdul Kalam

 “Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses… on your powers, instead of your problems.”

Paul J Meyer

“Great leaders help in building teams that work as one entity, trying to achieve the same common goal.”

– Pooja Agnihotri

“Some choices are better than others and we, as mortal humans, cannot be expected to always choose the best ones. What we can control is how we evaluate past decisions. Our readiness to reflect and realize that we were wrong. Our ability to admit our wrongs and move forward. To say we are sorry or make amends for mistakes. To apply what we’ve learned from past follies and choose wiser in the present. I contend that in a random and often chaotic world of choices, that is what we can control.”

Spencer Fraseur

“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”

– Gautama Buddha

Here in this list, we have come to the point where we are discussing the very legend, John Maxwell. The man needs no introduction and has a reputation of being a guide and leader to many. He is an author, speaker, and pastor. When we are talking about influential leaders we cannot miss them from the list. He has written the greatest books of all time on leadership and his quotes especially are inspiring and motivational. Let us forward and read some of his best quotes.

  1. “Learn to say no to the good so you can say yes to the best.”
  2. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. 
  3. The greatest day in your life and mine is the day we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.
powerful leadership quotes
  1. A man must be big enough to admit his mistake, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.
  2. People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.
  3. The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.
  4. A good leader is one who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.

Leadership quotes by Great Leaders

Leadership quotes by Great Leaders

Every leader is great and has taught us all something useful and beneficial for our life. This is why we come back to their knowledge and wisdom to understand those points better and implement them in our lives too. Some quotes that are said by one of the greatest leaders of all time are selected and written here just for you. Let’s have a look at what the greatest leaders of all time have to say to us to make our lives better and easier. 

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” 

– Dalai Lama

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” 

– Aristotle

“Make a difference, change the game for the better, leave a legacy, be a guide that someone else can follow and make better, and then someone else will follow that and make that better.”

Carlos Wallace

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words,

Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits,

Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”

–  Mahatma Gandhi

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” 

– Steve Jobs

Leadership Quotes by Women Entrepreneurs

Often in the list of the greatest leaders, we forget about the ones who are the foundation of society. In this section, we will read the quotes by the most influential leaders and personalities of all time. They have changed the perspective of society towards women.

“You must have some kind of vision for your life.”

Ohrah Winfrey

“Lean in, speak out, have a voice in your organization, and never use the word, ‘sorry.”

-Trish Bertuzzi

“There is nothing like a concrete life plan to weigh you down. Because if you always have one eye on some future goal, you stop paying attention to the job at hand, miss opportunities that might arise, and stay fixedly on one path, even when a better, newer course might have opened up.”

Indra Nooyi

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” 

Arianna Huffington
motivational leadership quotes

“Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.”

– Martina Navratilova

“Stick to your true north― build greatness for the long term.”

-Ruth Porat

“Building a brand means knowing your story and building and sharing that story”

– Tamara McCleary

. “The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.”

-Padmasree Warrior 

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

– Oprah Winfrey

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

– Sheryl Sandberg
Leadership Quotes by Women Entrepreneurs

“Part of leadership is knowing when to go ahead with a decision that’s within your authority because you’re really convinced it’s the right thing, even if other people don’t understand it at that point.”

Dr. Ingrid Mattson

 “Leadership is about the team – the culture they keep and embrace, it’s about empathy for your customers, clients, employees and the communities where you do business, it’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons, being confident enough to take risks and responsible enough to think of those who your decisions and risks may affect.”

– Kat Cole

Why do we need leadership quotes?

All of us once in our lives might have taken the help of inspirational quotes. It is our one source that fills us with courage and energy instantly. All of us can’t stay inspired all the time in our lives. After a point of working or struggling, there comes a time where we need a push; it could be a personal push or by someone whom we admire, or by someone else’s sayings. That is why we hear and see people often repeating inspirational quotes. 

It is scientifically proven that after reading the inspirational quote a person gets a sense of fulfillment. It fills the gap that we were feeling because of our past failures and gives us a sense of accomplishment that anything could be possible. We need it so we won’t lack behind or sit behind crying over our mistakes and failures. 

Benefits of reading leadership quotes

There is an instant feeling and a rush of inspirational waves in all of us as soon as we read a leadership quote. You won’t have to wait for someone else to come and motivate you when you read inspirational leadership quotes. Some of the times you might be wondering if these inspirational and motivational quotes by such big legends and leaders really work. Let’s try it instantly.

“You only live once, but if you do it right once is enough”, said Mae West.

Hereafter reading this line you might have had a flood of thoughts about how you can make the best out of your life. This is the magic of inspirational quotes that leaves us with an amazing feeling of working towards what we desire. 

Most asked questions about leadership

While everyone wants to become a great leader it is possible for very few people. But we all need them sometimes in situations of trouble when we need to feel motivated. We should find everything possible that is the first sign of becoming a leader. While I have read many quotes and articles about leadership I saw certain questions which were constant from people”s side about leadership. In this article, we are going to discuss a few of them in detail so you could also find a way to become a successful leader. 

How to become a good leader? 

The first step towards becoming a leader starts when you are young. It is necessary that you teach your kids to be strong and willful from the start. We have heard great stories about leaders from their childhood that stuns us all. This is why I say when the foundation is strong the building will be stronger and nothing will stop you from becoming a leader.

If you are someone who chooses others before yourself then that is truly a leader because a leader always chooses the others and their followers before them. If your followers or teammates are making mistakes, the leader is the first one to take the blame from them. They don’t let others take the blame. Especially when it is their mistake they accept it and come forward for it. 

Whenever you and your team have done something great a leader would never come forward for taking credit for it. They stay behind and let others enjoy the taste of success. This quality has been seen by many great leaders and sportspeople. 

Have mindfulness all the time when you are making a decision. Your decisions should not be taken by any kind of impulse or rush. The decision that you might take in hurry will affect your whole community of followers and will bring downfall to you and to them as well. 

You should always set an example of being a leader.

 Your actions should speak louder than your words. This is necessary because after watching your traits your followers will also get on that path which is necessary. 

A leader creates another leader. Leaders are never greedy for position and power. They are greedy for the success of their teammates and followers. They try that every member and person that follows them should become a leader one day. They never try to keep their qualities to them only. 

Who needs leadership quotes?

Almost everyone needs leadership quotes. These quotes push you toward success and leadership. The quality of leadership is needed in small places as well where we cannot think of that. But let’s find out who needs it the most:

Students

Just as I described above, leadership qualities are generated at the very start of life. A student who is in school or graduating college needs the leadership quotes to keep going. This stage of life is not easy and demands a lot of attention and focus which sometimes makes the student feel lost. But leadership quotes help them feel inspired again. Even creating their own identity among their peers and mentors is necessary for them.

Sportsperson

Every time we see a sports person we get a sense of determination and hard work from them. That is also a sign of a good leader. This is why it is said that a sportsperson needs to be a good leader too. It will help you in inspiring your team. A good leader will tag along with their team in every step of the game. This will let your team listen to you more. If you are always inspired you will be better at inspiring too.

Teachers

Teachers are the strongest and most influential leaders of our society. People often forget that they are the ones who mold us and give shape to our perspective and life. This is why teachers need inspirational leadership quotes the most. They can even help their students learn and inspire from them when they themselves read these inspirational quotes. 

Influential personalities

We have seen many people who are looked upon by most people in the world because of their influential personalities. They are someone who has taught people the way to live life. This is the reason why people look forward to them. But there are times when they are also not feeling inspired. That’s why they need inspirational leadership quotes. 

Politicians

Politicians are the true leaders of the country. They run our country and work for the welfare of the nations. In this situation, it is necessary that they have inspiration and motivation filled into them. Some people might not agree that politicians are leaders but truly they are. They need to read the leadership quotes the most. 

Business owners

Business owners are the ones who generate employment for the nation. Maybe they are generating opportunities for a smaller group but they are ultimately doing it. . We see many small businesses, startups, getting started every now and then. They need to keep going towards their final goal and become a leader to their team. That is why they need to read the leadership quotes. 

What must you do to become a true leader?

After reading all these we come to the situation where we have to face reality. This is when you realize that just by reading leadership quotes no one can become a true leader. For this, you need to work hard. Working hard doesn’t mean just growing professionally but keeping others in your path as well. Here in this section, we will read what you need to do to become a true leader.

  • Start now

I have seen many people wait for the perfect day to start implementing anything. If you want to become a true leader then you will have to start your journey right now. Do not wait for the situation to be right, but, create the right situation for yourself. 

  • Grow and let them grow

True leaders think strategically for their growth and also plan to make others grow as well.

  • Think big

No matter what your plan is with the life you must always think big. This Plan of yours should include your team as well. 

  • Read and gain knowledge

In order to become a leader, you need to learn from other leaders. Read what they did with the life that made them influential and big. 

  • Communication

If your followers and team fear you and are not able to come to you about doubts and issues then you are not the right kind of leader. Your communication should be your biggest power, not your fear. 

  • Decision skills

       The journey of becoming a leader starts when you decide to become one. This shows that decision-making skills are important. Maybe your intentional decision was right but it gave bad results that will have a wrong impact on your team. You should be sure of your decisions and stick to them till the end.

Wrap Up

After reading all these amazing quotes on Leadership, it is time to imply them in your life and see the difference that it makes in you.

Sharpen your Leadership traits and qualities, yes, it is possible to improve and build them over time.

You can definitely achieve all your goals and dreams that you have for which you were reading this entire article of thoughts and quotes. 

Latest Post:

About Author: Vishesh Gupta

blogger and creator of website cheapandbesthosting.com, Web Hosting Reviewer, SEO and Digital marketing expert
Blogger and Creator of cheapandbesthosting.com

Seasoned Professional with 15 years of experience in Sales and Marketing. Entrepreneur, Consultant and Blogger helping people earn through jobs and blogging. Experienced Hosting Reviewer who likes to collect detailed info about existing players and share it with my audience. Previously worked with leading Banks and Telecom Companies.

I completed my Masters in Management with specialization in Finance and Marketing.

Visit our Hosting Review and Blogging Guide for more interesting articles.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get GRAMMARLY

20% OFF, Only $9.6 Today

👉Grab Deal Here