Leaders are those people who inspire us all to do something more than we would have if left on our own. Some of us are born leaders and some learn to become leaders through life’s experiences. One thing you can count on are great quotes from our leaders, saying that inspire us to achieve greater success. Here are some great quotes on leadership by some great leaders:
- The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.- John Buchan
- Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. — Jack Welch
- A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. — John Maxwell
- Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Harold R. McAlindon
- No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it. —Andrew Carnegie
- Leaders aren’t born; they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. – Vince Lombardi
- Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position. — Brian Tracy
- Leadership: the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
- To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way. — Pat Riley
- Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. —General George Patton
- Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. — Norman Schwarzkopf
- The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. ― Ronald Reagan
Here is one of my favorite leadership quotes from the book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
“It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.” ― J.K. Rowling
One of my all time favorite leadership quotes comes from the movie, Remeber the Titans. It’s the scene where the players just finished a 3 a day practice and are required to get to know players of the other race. A conversation between Bertier and Julius;
Julius: Well, what I’ve got to say, you really don’t wanna hear ‘cuz honesty ain’t too high upon your people’s priorities.
Bertier: Honesty? You want honesty? Honestly, I think you’re nothing. Nothing but a pure waste of God-given talent. You don’t listen to nobody, man! Not even Doc or Boone! Shiver push on the line everytime and you blow right past ’em! Push ’em, pull ’em, do something! You run over everyone in this league, and everytime you do you leave one of your teammates hanging out to dry, me in particular!
Julius: Why should I give a hoot about you, huh? Or anyone else out there? You wanna talk about the ways you’re the captain?
Bertier: Right.
Julius: You got a job?
Bertier: I’ve got a job.
Julius: You been doing your job?
Bertier: I’ve been doing my job.
Julius: Then why don’t you tell your white buddies to block for Rev better? Because they have not blocked for him worth a blood nickel, and you know it! Nobody plays. Yourself included. I’m supposed to wear myself out for the team? What team? Nah, nah what I’m gonna do is look out for myself and I’ma get mine.
Bertier: See man, that’s the worst attitude I ever heard.
Julius: Attitude reflects leadership, captain.
The script is good and brings home the point that the attitude of the players reflects the leadership they follow. If you really want to get the point check out the clip from You Tube: