Leadership Quotes From My Files

Like you, I have a collection of leadership quotes that have impressed me over the years for one reason or another. Since most leaders value reading leadership quotes, here are a few from my files to broaden your perspective and encourage you along the way.  If you provide  everyday leadership ... press on.

“Quiet leaders are realists. They try hard to see the world as it is. This means recognizing, almost as a sixth sense, that all sorts of things can happen and often do. And they happen because people act for all sorts of reasons, virtuous and vicious, clear and muddleheaded, sensible and nutty. Realism in other words, isn’t pessimism or cynicism. It is making ample room for the many ways in which people and deviants can surprise, dismay and astonish.” Joseph Badaracco, Jr., Leading Quietly

“Popularity is not leadership. Results are.” Peter Drucker, The Leader of the Future

"According to some scholars, the four Presidents prior to Abraham Lincoln were "compromise leaders", unwilling to confront the difficult issue of slavery between the North and the South. Then a mature leader with a solid sense of who he was, what he believed and valued - regardless of the consequences, took the Whitehouse. The strength and maturity of his character and conviction in many ways forced the nation to confront the reality of the abomination of slavery. The Civil War followed. The starting point for change in any nation, church or ministry has always been the leader." Peter Scazzero, The Emotionally Healthy Church

"Though credibility can be shattered in an instant, it is earned over time. Very seldom is there the opportunity to make some dramatic gesture that proves your credibility as a leader and makes others loyal to you. Most of the time the relationship builds over time in layers. Keeping promises, leading by example, and listening and responding to the concerns of others
gradually produces loyal, dedicated and productive followers." Michael Miller, The Kingdom Focused Leader

"Many younger leaders realize that authority does not come with a position and a title but that it has to be earned. It is established on the basis of trustworthiness and competence. They understand that leadership emerges as power is shared rather than as authority is exerted. That power may arise from the application of one's area of expertise, but it is based on trust and is reinforced as personal relationships are deepened and extended." Eddie Gibbs, Leadership Next

“All over the world, right at this moment, people are getting tapped on the shoulder. They’re being told that, starting now, they’re going to be in charge of something – a team, a project, an office, a committee, a business unit. It happens. Existing bosses die, move away, get fired, or are abducted by aliens. Some subordinate is asked to step up and take a stab at being boss. Welcome to accidental leadership.” Harvey Robbins, Michael Finley, The Accidental Leader

“Much of your ability to get people to do what they have to do is going to depend on what they perceive when they look at you.” Rudolph Giuliani, Leadership

“As Moms, we get so bogged down in the day-to-day business of raising a family that we don’t feel like leaders of anything, except maybe the cleanup crew. That just isn’t the case. If you have children, you are their leader. Other than God, you are the most important leader they will ever have.” Teresa Bell Kindred, Mom PhD

“If leaders are not aiming at something but are merely responding or reacting to situations as they arise, they have already virtually surrendered leadership. Circumstances or situations are leading the way and effectively determining what is going to be done. The role of the leaders has become a maintenance or an operational one, because their attention is focused on the present and the past, rather than on the future.” Tom Marshall, Understanding Leadership

“Leadership is no picnic. If you are going to learn how to be a good leader, you are going to have to open your mind to new ideas without discarding all of your old ideas. Moving into the future does not mean letting go of everything you have done in the past. It means getting perpetually smarter about how you integrate the old and the new. It means taking what you know about the science of leadership and blending that with the finesse that comes from the art of leadership.” John Beck, Neil Yeager, The Leaders Window