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Inspirational Leadership Quotes From The World’s Wisest Minds

Today’s collection of inspirational leadership quotes can remind us of the importance of having a strong sense of purpose, striving for excellence, and inspiring those around us to do their best work.

Whether it’s in a team setting or leading an organization, these quotes can help motivate you to be the very best leader possible.

Inspirational leadership quotes to live by

1. “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.” – Jim Rohn

2. “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

3. “Become the kind of leader that people would follow involuntarily, even if you had no title or position.” – Brian Tracy

4. “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” – John C. Maxwell

5. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs

6. “When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is.” 

7. “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” – Arnold Glasow

8. “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration.” – Robin S. Sharma

9. “A successful person finds the right place for himself. But a successful leader finds the right place for others.” – John C. Maxwell

Humble, inspiring leadership quotes

10. “Leadership is about making others better.” 

11. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu

12. “There are three essentials to leadership: Humility, Clarity and Courage.” – Fuchan Yuan

13. “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.” – Mother Teresa

14. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

15. “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn

16. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” – C.S. Lewis

17. “Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.” – Confucius

18. “Don’t blow off another’s candle for it won’t make yours shine brighter.” – Jaachynma N.E. Agu

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19. “It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom.” – Mahatma Gandhi

20. “We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll

21. “Earn your leadership every day.” – Michael Jordan

Short leadership inspirational quotes

22. “Leadership is a choice, not a position.” – Stephen R. Lovely

23. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis

24. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

25. “The supreme quality of leadership is integrity.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

26. “A leader is a dealer in hope.” – Napoleon

27. “Don’t find fault, find a remedy.” – Henry Ford

28. “A leader is someone who demonstrates what’s possible.” – Mark Yarnell

29. “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” – Bill Bradley

30. “Lightning makes no sound until it strikes.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

31. “The price of greatness is responsibility.” – Winston Churchill

32. “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy

33. “Leaders create results by letting others shine.” – Skip Prichard

34. “The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.” – Sheryl Sandberg

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35. “To be the best, you must be able to handle the worst.” – Wilson Kanadi

36. “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

37. “Integrity, insight, and inclusiveness are three essential qualities of leadership.” – Sadhguru

Famous inspirational leadership quotes

38. “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” – Bill Gates

39. “The mediocre leader tells. The good leader explains. The superior leader demonstrates. The great leader inspires.” – Steve Buchholz and Thomas Roth

40. “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” – Ralph Nader

41. “We change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.” – Sheryl Sandberg

42. “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” – John F. Kennedy

43. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

44. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” – Dolly Parton

45. “I never lose. I either win or learn.” – Nelson Mandela

44. “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.” – Andrew Carnegie

45. “The beauty in this world is that everyone can change it.” – Maurice Lévy

46. “Anyone, anywhere, can make a positive difference.” – Mark Sanborn

47. “A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self-promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity.” – Mollie Marti

48. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

49. “Good leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” – Jack Welch

Final Thoughts

Leadership can be a challenging position, but it is also the foundation for success in any organization.

With these inspirational leadership quotes to help guide you, you can be sure that you are on the right path.

Whether you are trying to inspire yourself or others around you, these quotes can help you focus on becoming the leader you know you can be.

Leadership isn’t about power or prestige, but rather about helping to create a better future.

When you lead with integrity and courage, you are sure to make a difference.

So take these quotes to heart and continue to move forward, leading with passion, strength, and positivity!

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InspiredLife ShopWear Your Motivation. Inspire Your Space.