8,953 Quotes About Leadership

Statesmen should remember that they have been elected to persuade and to lead, and not just to accept as fixed the momentary moods and pernicious prejudices of the public.

What you realize is that everyone has her own priorities—her own constituency. Often, being a leader is not about making grand proclamations or telling people what to do; it’s about balancing all these priorities and constituencies.

Leaders don’t hide good news from their followers. As long as they discover knowledge, they share knowledge. They leave part of them with people they meet; hence they are hardly missed when they are gone.

The agony of defeat is always greater than the pain of preparing for victory.

The nature of your work does not have to be the culture of your team.

Be good. Do good.

The boards as top leadership team can no longer avoid, delegate, or ignore the need for technical competency among their ranks.

Because discipline is misunderstood or not as valued as it has been, the United States—and some might argue the world—is experiencing a cultural leadership crisis.

Part of knowing how to be prepared comes from being self-aware—being able to anticipate what you’ll need (or screw up) and planning accordingly. I know I am rarely, if ever, the smartest person in the room. And that’s totally OK. What’s not OK is (1) not recognizing that and (2) not coming ready to participate in a meaningful way.