He is the richest man who enriches his country most; in whom the people feel richest and proudest; who gives himself with his money; who opens the doors of opportunity widest to those about him; who is ears to the deaf; eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. Such a man makes every acre of land in his community worth more, and makes richer every man who lives near him.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
The successful man doesn’t use others, other people use the successful man, for above all the success is of service.
—Mark Caine
An order that can be misunderstood will be misunderstood.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
If you lead a country like Britain, a strong country, a country which has taken a lead in world affairs in good times and in bad, a country that is always reliable, then you have to have a touch of iron about you.
—Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) British Head of State
Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.
—Tom Peters (b.1942) American Management Consultant, Author
I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.
—Indira Gandhi (1917–84) Indian Head of State
The best leader is the one who has the sense to surround himself with outstanding people and self-restraint not to meddle with how they do their jobs.
—Indian Proverb
The most important quality in a leader is that of being acknowledged as such. All leaders whose fitness is questioned are clearly lacking in force.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
It often happens that I wake at night and begin to think about a serious problem and decide I must tell the Pope about it. Then I wake up completely and remember that I am the Pope.
—Pope John XXIII (1881–1963) Italian Catholic Religious Leader, Pope
The high sentiments always win in the end, the leaders who offer blood, toil, tears and sweat always get more out of their followers than those who offer safety and a good time. When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
Efficiency tends to deal with Things. Effectiveness tends to deal with People. We manage things, we lead people
—Unknown
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
The person who renders loyal service in a humble capacity will be chosen for higher responsibilities, just as the biblical servant who multiplied the one pound given him by his master was made ruler over ten cities.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
Search others for their virtues, thy self for thy vices.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Napoleon affords us an example of the danger of elevating one’s self to the absolute, and sacrificing everything to the carrying out of an idea.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The world of the 1990s and beyond will not belong to ‘managers’ or those who can make the numbers dance. The world will belong to passionate, driven leaders—people who not only have enormous amounts of energy but who can energize those whom they lead.
—Jack Welch (1935–2020) American Businessperson
Leadership is not magnetic personality—that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not making friends and influencing people—that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.
—John C. Maxwell (b.1947) American Christian Professional Speaker, Author, Clergyman
When I think of this life I have led; the desolation of solitude it has been; the masoned, walled-town of a Captain’s exclusiveness, which admits but small entrance to any sympathy from the green country without—oh, weariness! heaviness! Guinea-coast slavery of solitary command!
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
A leader is one who, out of madness or goodness, volunteers to take upon himself the woe of the people. There are few men so foolish, hence the erratic quality of leadership in the world.
—John Updike (1932–2009) American Novelist, Poet, Short-Story Writer
The nation will find it very hard to look up to the leaders who are keeping their ears to the ground.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
The character and qualifications of the leader are reflected in the men he selects, develops and gathers around him. Show me the leader and I will know his men. Show me the men and I will know their leader. Therefore, to have loyal, efficient employees-be a loyal and efficient employer.
—Arthur W. Newcomb
All business success rests on something labeled a sale, which at least momentarily weds company and customer.
—Tom Peters (b.1942) American Management Consultant, Author
Outstanding leaders appeal to the hearts of their followers—not their minds.
—Unknown
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him. But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: “we did it ourselves.”
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
We praise old times, but show no curiosity about modern events.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
The first thing a great person does, is make us realize the insignificance of circumstance.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
In this and like communities public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed; consequently he who moulds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes and decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible to be executed.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Among the blind the one eyed is king.
—Common Proverb
A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads, and the boss drives.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
Education is the mother of leadership.
—Wendell Willkie (1892–1944) American Politician, Lawyer
Those that rule must hear and be deaf, must see and be blind.
—German Proverb
When placed in command—take charge.
—H. Norman Schwarzkopf (1934–2012) United States Army General
I’ve always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team.
—Lee Iacocca (1924–2019) American Businessperson
No affection and a great brain, these are the people to command the world.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
If you want to be comfortable—take an easy job. If you aspire to leadership, take off your coat.
—Indian Proverb
An army of deer would be more formidable commanded by a lion, than a an army of lions commanded by a stag.
—Common Proverb
Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
The golden rule for every business man is this: “Put yourself in your customer’s place.”
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
Eagles don’t flock—you have to find them one at a time.
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
It is a great pity when the one who should be the head figure is a mere figure head.
—Charles Spurgeon (1834–92) English Baptist Preacher
The measure of a master is his success in bringing all men around to his opinion twenty years later.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.
—John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) American Oil Magnate, Philanthropist
True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not the enrichment of the leaders.
—Robert C. Townsend (1920–98) American Businessman
You do not lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American Head of State, Military Leader
To be omnipotent but friendless is to reign.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) English Poet, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist
Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the
blame and a little less than his share of the credit.
—John C. Maxwell (b.1947) American Christian Professional Speaker, Author, Clergyman