[May 13, 2014] My son asked me the other day to give him a list of a few leadership quotes that were practical for him to use as he starts his career – something that “helps people think about leadership in everyday life.” Please connect any time to see more at www.theleadermaker.com.
The easy part was getting the list, the hard part was figuring out what would be only a few.
The list of quotes below shows us that the idea that leadership is multifaceted, complex, and yet simple. No, this is not a contradiction.
Leadership has been recognized as something special since the beginning of humankind. We find reference to it in the earliest of writings and is one theme that seems to travel with humans wherever we may go.
Here are a few for today’s consumption:
- If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. – John Quincy Adams –
- He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander. – Aristotle
- A leader is a dealer in hope. – Napoleon Bonaparte
- Where there is no vision, the people perish. – Proverbs 29:18
- Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. – Warren Bennis
- Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. – General George Patton
- I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. – Ralph Nader
- Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. – Publilius Syrus
- Leadership is influence. – John C. Maxwell
- The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. – Kenneth Blanchard
- Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – General Dwight Eisenhower
- Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand. – General Colin Powell
In earlier posts, I selected more than I like thought supported my argument. Please feel free to recommend the top ones you like.
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