61 Leadership Quotes to ‘Keep On Keeping On’ Jonathan Herrick Being the leader of the pack means that you have followers–even on days when you’re not sure whether you are worthy to be followed. As you probably already know, the most effective leaders are those who are confident in their ability to lead, so make sure you keep your head on straight and your ducks in a row by remembering some words of advice about leadership. Here are 61 leadership quotes to live by: Always look for the fool in the deal. If you don’t find one, it’s you. —Mark Cuban, AXS TV chairman and entrepreneur Fall seven times and stand up eight. –Japanese Proverb To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted. — George Knelle There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. – Colin Powell I didn’t fail the test. I just found 100 ways to do it wrong. –Benjamin Franklin The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. – Mark Zuckerberg Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf Eventually all things fall into place. Until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moments, and know everything happens for a reason. – Albert Schweitzer The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes. — Tony Blair Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position. — Brian Tracy Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. — Peter Drucker Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself. — Oprah Winfrey Wonder what your customer really wants? Ask. Don’t tell. —Lisa Stone, BlogHer co-founder and CEO When I’m old and dying, I plan to look back on my life and say ‘wow, that was an adventure,’ not ‘wow, I sure felt safe. — Tom Preston-Werner Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical. — Howard Schultz The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it. — Debbi Fields A meeting is an event at which the minutes are kept and the hours are lost. – Unknown The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do. – Dennis Waitley Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect. — Jack Dorsey Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. — Napoleon Hill No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team. – Reid Hoffman The difference between a boss and a leader: A boss says go!-A leader says Let’s Go! –E.M. Kelly Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you’re generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make. — Donald Trump Everyone has an idea, but it’s really about executing the idea and attracting other people to help you with the idea. – Jack Dorsey I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’ — Muhammad Ali If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you. — Zig Ziglar If you see a bandwagon, it’s too late. – James Goldsmith You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. –Maya Angelou I daydreamed for motivation. I didn’t lie to myself and talk about my passions and how if I was passionate enough about something I could be successful at it. — Mark Cuban You must be the change you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. — Thomas Edison A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. –Unknown “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. — Vidal Sassoon Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.-Michael Jordan If you ain’t making waves, you ain’t kickin’ hard enough. — Unknown How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top. — Yvon Chouinard (Founder of Patagonia) I think when you move past your fear and you go after your dreams wholeheartedly, you become free. Know what I’m saying? Move past the fear. — LL Cool J Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work. –— Robert Orben Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself. — George Bernard Shaw Bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. —Abraham Lincoln You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose. – Dr. Seuss Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. — Les Brown The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. — Marcus Aurelius When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reach, don’t adjust the goals; adjust the action steps. — Confucius Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. — Theodore Roosevelt I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself. —Albert Einstein Do just once what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again. — James R. Cook Forget all the reasons it won’t work and believe the one reason that it will. — Author Unknown Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. — Robert Louis Stevnson Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in awhile, you don’t do things right once in awhile, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. – Vince Lombardi Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive — Howard Thurman Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. –John Lennon Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. Dwight D. Eisenhower Never tell someone how to do something. Just tell them what needs to be done and they will amaze you with their ingenuity. – General George S. Patton Do what you feel in your heart to be right–for you’ll be criticized anyway. – Eleanor Roosevelt Earn your leadership every day. – Michael Jordan The way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first. — Iyanla Vanzant Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want. — Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator You have to look at leadership through the eyes of the followers and you have to live the message. What I have learned is that people become motivated when you guide them to the source of their own power and when you make heroes out of employees who personify what you want to see in the organization.” — Anita Roddick, businesswoman I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.” — Marissa Mayer, Yahoo Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.” — Anne Sweeney, Walt Disney Share these quotes on social media or with your leadership-minded friends. Celebrating Small Business Customers View Now