The 60 best leadership phrases (very inspiring)

We consider a leader to be the person or persons capable of organizing and guiding the conduct of a group towards one or more specific objectives, being recognized by those they lead. This position, associated with power but also with responsibility and commitment, can become a heavy burden.

Leading is not easy: you have to assume the direction that the team takes, coping with difficulties both in task and between group members or the consequences and responsibilities arising from decisions taken. That is why in this article we will see some great leadership phrases that can serve as inspiration.

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Great leadership phrases for entrepreneurs and visionaries

There are multiple authors who have reflected their thoughts on what leadership implies, due to the high repercussion that the role of those who are considered leaders can have for all those who follow them or who direct.

Next we will see a small selection of phrases about leadership proposals by different thinkers, experts and leaders throughout history.

1. To lead the people, he walks behind them (Lao Tzu)

This first sentence reflects a fundamental fact: the leader is because he has someone who recognizes him and follows him, being a true leader. not who does what he pleases supported by power but who truly cares about those who have put him where he is.

2. He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander (Aristotle)

The author reflects the need for those who lead to know how to put themselves in the place of those who are led by them.

3. The task of the leader is to take people from where they are to where they have not been (Henry Kissinger)

Brief phrase that reflects that the leader arises when it is necessary to reach a point that the members of the group are not capable of solving individually or without coordination.

4. Power is not control. Power is strength and it is giving that strength to others. A leader is not someone who forces others to become stronger (Beth Revis)

This reflection makes clear reference to the existence of a difference between leading and oppressing to gain or maintain power.

5. A great person attracts great people and knows how to keep them together (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Phrase that he shows the relevance of personality and disposition towards others when leading effectively.

6. The good leader knows what is true; the bad leader knows what sells best (Confucius)

Confucius tells us in this sentence that the good leader is not the one who is dedicated to manipulating others to preserve the image of him and the power of him but the one that he works to achieve the well-being of those he leads despite the fact that he can harm.

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7. Wild ducks follow the leader of their flock by the shape of his flight and not by the force of his quack (Chinese Proverb)

This proverb reflects the idea that the important thing is to give and be an example, not to give an image of strength or oppress those led.

8. A good leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes them where they don't necessarily want to go but need to be (Rosalynn Carter)

The former First Lady refers to the fact that the decisions that must be made are not always in accordance with the current of majority thought, being sometimes necessary to promote an approach towards a certain position.

9. Anyone can hold the rudder when the sea is calm (Publilio Siro)

This author tells us that authentic leadership is shown when difficulties arise, being easy to lead without any real problem.

10. The supreme quality of leadership is integrity (Dwight Eisenhower)

Eisenhower tells us the importance of integrity in the role of the leader.

11. The best executive is the one who has the sense to choose good men to do what what they want to do and enough restraint not to mess with them while doing it (Theodore Roosevelt)

A good leader is able to take full advantage of the skills of those he leads, always respecting them for what they are: those who have placed him in a position of power.

12. It is better to lead from behind and put others in front, especially when things are going well. Instead, you must take the front line when there is danger. That is when people will appreciate your leadership (Nelson Mandela)

Mandela reflects in this sentence on the importance of letting others develop freely but acting quickly and showing up in times of need.

13. People should not feel obligated. They must be able to choose their own leader (Albert Einstein)

True leadership is the one that arises from recognition and not from imposition, as indicated by the well-known author of this phrase.

• Related article: "125 phrases of Albert Einstein about science and life"

14. The art of communication is the language of leadership (James Humes)

This phrase indicates the importance of the leader being able to correctly communicate the different objectives and aspects that those who follow him must take into account, as well as being able to accept and value the opinions of each one from them.

15. Don't go where the path leads. Go where there is no path and leave a mark (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Phrase that reflects that the leader is not limited to following the prescribed path, but is capable of creating new solutions and paths that others can follow.

16. In terms of style, swim with the flow. In terms of principles, remain like a rock (Thomas Jefferson)

This phrase reflects the need to be adaptable but at the same time maintain the principles and values ​​that guide you.

17. A good leader does not get stuck behind his desk (Richard Branson)

If someone wants to be a good leader, he cannot be passive: he must be able to observe and respond to changes in the environment. and the needs of what he leads, offering his support and truly exercising his role in contact with the reality

18. The example is not the main thing to influence others. It's the only thing (Albert Schweitzer)

As we have mentioned before, setting an example is what makes someone recognized and worthy of respect and even leadership.

19. A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one because of his actions and the integrity of his intention (Douglas MacArthur)

Being a leader is something that is not a right, but something that derives from the fact of deserving it. Also, the good leader is able to face what is necessary, what has to be done to achieve it and its consequences.

20. Stay with a leader when he's right, stay with him when he's still right, but leave him when he's not (Abraham Lincoln)

Phrase that refers to the need to show that leadership is not something eternal or absolute or that a leader does not have to be always right, being important not to be stubborn or idealize said leader and to know how to separate from him when he stops fighting for what Right.

21. There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader gains authority from him through knowledge and trust (Klaus Balkenhol)

Phrase that clearly differentiates between the position obtained by position or imposition and that obtained by respect.

22. A good leader is not a consensus seeker, but a consensus shaper (Martin Luther King)

The leader must not limit himself to waiting for everyone to agree, but he must actively seek that consensus is generated and directed towards something positive.

23. Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other (John F. Kennedy)

Leadership needs learning to be able to exercise and regulate its functions, while learning requires a guide to be able to carry it out

24. Leadership is unlocking the potential of people to make them better (Bill Bradley)

The good leader helps others to optimize themselves and develop their full potential

25. Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts, but about one life influencing another (John Maxwell)

The importance of leadership is actually the effect it has on those led and the repercussions that their actions can have on their lives.

26. Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but by the presence of clear strengths (John Zenger)

Although in some of the previous sentences we have mentioned some typical characteristics of a good leader, the truth is that this does not imply that they cannot have weaknesses: all of us have a wide assortment of defects and points skinny in what personalities who act as leaders stand out is usually in the existence of great strengths.

27. The secret of leadership is simple: do what you believe, draw a picture of the future and go there (Seth Godin)

Struggling to achieve a goal, and helping to guide it towards its achievement is ultimately the only meaning of leadership.

28. The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The Leader Fixes the Sails (John Maxwell)

The role of the leader is to guide the action, and must be a fundamentally active element in achieving the objectives.

29. If a leader does not transmit passion and intensity, then there will be no passion and intensity within the organization and they will begin to fall and become depressed (Colin Powell)

Phrase that reflects the need for those who lead to do so with motivation and with the purpose of generating it in the rest.

30. The challenge of leadership is to be strong but not rude, kind but not weak, thoughtful but not lazy, confident but not arrogant, humble but not shy, proud but not arrogant, humorous but not foolish (Jim Rohn)

We have already commented previously that the role of the leader is difficult, the existence of certain factors such as those mentioned being very useful, but without taking them to the extreme.

31. The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say "I." They don't think “I”. They think "we". They think "team" (Tom Peters)

phrase that highlights the importance of focusing on the well-being of the team and in that he reaches his goals, leaving aside the "himself".

32. Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results (George S. Patton)

The leader should not mark each step of the way, but indicate the direction in which to go and allow the capacities of each one to flow.

33. Leaders are visionaries with an underdeveloped sense of fear and no concept of the odds stacked against them (Robert Jarvik)

Although some prudence is good, fear should not allow leadership to run out of steam, but the leader must take risks and pursue the proposed goals.

34. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and be more, you are a leader (John Quincy Adams)

A leader not only directs, but also has to serve as an example and inspiration

35. People who are truly powerful are very humble. They do not try to impress, they do not try to influence others. They just are. Other people are magnetically attracted to them (Sanaya Roman)

Beautiful phrase that reflects that those who get the most recognition are usually the really humble, which usually makes them beloved leaders.

36. Leadership means that a group, large or small, is willing to entrust authority to a person who has demonstrated ability, wisdom, and competence (Walt Disney)

A brief but exact definition of what leadership implies.

37. A leader is better when people barely know he exists, when his work is done and his goal accomplished they will say: we did it (Lao Tzu)

This author reflects the idea that the best leader is the one who is capable of convincing others that the results obtained are due solely to their own actions, despite the fact that there has been a little perceived guide behind it. Likewise, this implies that the leader in question does not lead to obtain recognition but rather out of true interest in achieving the proposed goals.

38. Become the kind of leader people would willingly follow, even if you had no title or position (Brian Tracy)

In line with the meaning of the previous sentence, in this we are told of the importance that before To become a leader, let us try to be the type of person that we would really like follow, continue.

39. A leader is someone you follow to a place you would not go on your own (Joel Barker)

This phrase tells us again that good leadership allows all the members of a group to achieve results that they would not achieve on their own.

40. He who has great power should use it lightly (Seneca)

This last sentence tells us that power is not something to be abused, but should only be used when necessary.

41. Successful leaders see opportunities in every difficulty, rather than difficulties in every opportunity (Reed Markham)

Experts tend to put a lot of emphasis on the special vision that leaders have of reality.

42. Innovation is what distinguishes the leader from the followers (Steve Jobs)

If anyone knew about innovation, it was Steve Jobs.

43. The art of leadership is knowing how to say “no”, not saying “yes”. It is very easy to say "yes" (Tony Blair)

One of the most remembered British presidents in his country.

44. A leader is dedicated to selling hope (Napoleon Bonaparte)

A very striking way of defining leadership and the role of the leader.

45. A great leader is not necessarily one who does great things. He is the person who gets others to do them (Ronald Reagan)

This American president was very popular in his time.

46. It is better to have a lion at the head of an army of sheep than a sheep at the head of an army of lions (Daniel Defoe)

A famous phrase of the British writer author of the fantastic novel "Robinson Crusoe".

47. Leadership is the ability to turn a vision into a reality (Warren Bennis)

The superior vision of leaders helps them go places where no one has gone before.

48. Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others (Robert Louis Stevenson)

One of the main maxims to be a good leader.

49. A good leader is someone who is in charge of offering solutions where others see problems

To be a good leader it is necessary to have a global vision of any problem.

50. The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards he sets for himself (Ray Kroc)

Setting a high bar for themselves and others is one of the main characteristics of leaders.

51. Leaders are visionaries with an underdeveloped sense of fear and no concept of the odds stacked against them (Robert Jarvik)

Believing in yourself is one of the great keys to succeed as a leader in life.

52. Only the man who is not rowing has time to steer the boat.

Sailor allegories have always been widely used to exemplify leadership

53. If you seek to lead an orchestra, you must turn your back on the crowd

A beautiful musical metaphor about leadership well understood.

54. Without a vision or goal, a person cannot direct his own life, much less the lives of others (Jack Weatherford)

The objective and goals that we all have in life are essential to succeed.

55. When I give a minister an order, he leaves him to find ways to carry it out (Napoleon Bonaparte)

No one like Napoleon knew how to lead his armies to become the emperor of Europe.

56. Nothing so conclusively tests a person's ability to lead others as what he does day after day to lead himself (Thomas J. Watson)

A very common theme when characterizing leadership is the ability to lead oneself.

57. Many leaders of large organizations do not believe that change is possible. But if you look at history, things change and if your business is static, you have a good chance of having problems (Larry Page)

One of the most famous phrases of the co-founder of Google.

58. Leadership is problem solving. The soldiers, the employees, the citizens… must bring their problems to you. If they don't, they either don't trust you to help or they don't think you care about them. In either case, you have failed as a leader.

One of the main keys that every good leader must take into account.

59. You don't have to have a position to be a leader (Anthony J. D'Angelo)

Some leaders tend to come out of the most unexpected places.

60. Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to types of music that have yet to be heard (Warren Bennis)

A truly beautiful phrase about leadership in organizations.