Leadership Quotes
I am asking for your best or favorite quote concerning leadership. Reply through the “comments” link and send a leadership principle, truth, characteristic, or any other idea centering on what a leader is, does, seeks, etc.
I don’t usually make comments available only because of time constraints that do not allow me to monitor or dialogue with them. I’m not a professional blogger. It’s just a hobby. However, this time I’m seeking an exchange of ideas.
Here are the rules:
(1) It probably should go without saying on a blog entitled Crossculture but I’m not going to take any chances and say from the beginning that any profanity will be deleted.
(2) No leadership comments that take shots at specific leaders (e.g. “my pastor really needs to learn . . .”)
(3) You are allowed and encouraged to quote other people.
(4) No more than three sentences.
(5) Seek to inspire the readers of this blog.
Any comment that doesn’t follow these rules will not be posted. I will still love you but I won’t post your comments 
So give me your best, Crossculture readers. Motivate me. Inform me. Inspire me. Challenge me. I want to know about leadership.
I believe it wad Ralph Nader who said, the finest in leadership produce more leaders not more followeres
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead
Another one i like but cant remember who said was….a leader leads by example whether he intends to or not
It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
Nelson Mandela
Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.
Dwight D Eisenhower
Leadership is solving problems. The day your people stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.
Colin Powell
Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.
Peter Drucker
Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.
Stephen Covey
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.
Warren Bennis
Leadership is influence.
John C Maxwell
Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control.
Tom Landry
Leadership comes in small acts as well as bold strokes.
Carly Fiorina
I don’t know what leadership is. You can’t touch it. You can’t feel it. It’s not tangible. But I do know this: you recognize it when you see it.
Bob Ehrlich
Ummm Dax….he said 3 sentences!…sounds like u just looked urs up on internet!
Have a passion for your purpose!
You cannot lead where you are not willing to go…lead by example, by example, by example!
Leadership is empowering others to reach their God-given potential.
When I think of a good leader it is one that puts his or herself ahead of others when making decisions. A good leader has high expectations of themselves and others they are leading. They have high ethical and moral standards and character.
With Kindness expressed with Tenderness, with Unity expressed with Harmony
with Agreeability expressed with Pleasantness, with Humility expressed with Modesty
and with Patience expressed with Persistence with a responsibility and obligation to serve
To hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen, LEAD ON BROTHER !
If you want to know what kind of leader you are look behind you.
Don Young told me that.
Leadership is developed, not discovered. Leadership is influence. – John Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You
The best summary of leadership that I have read is contained in Dr. Kevin Leman’s book on seven ancient principles of leadership: “The Way of the Shepard.”
One more thought that comes from my experience as a manager is contained in the statement by a new Vice President; “Management is not an exercise in being comfortable.” This goes to motivation. To many times leaders, managers, avoid the hard things because they make us uncomfortable. Good leaders sometimes have to make uncomfortable choices.
SOME REPLIES FROM FACEBOOK:
Kelly Morefield Denson: Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.
Warren G. Bennis
Sara Ford Gray: Tony Dungy’s book, “The Mentor Leader” is excellent. One of my favorite quotes from the book follows: “Mentor leadership works best when the ones being mentored are aware that the mentor leader has a genuine concern for their development and success. Those we lead will be more receptive if they believe we genuinely want them to succeed.” Also, “Unlike other types of leadership, mentor leadership is primarily concerned with building and adding value to the lives of people in the process.”
Rick Grewelle III: If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. John Quincy Adams
Tim Knowles: When asked about what people look for in leaders, Lou Holtz replied, “Three things: Can I trust you, are you committed to excellence, and do you care about me”.
Tammy Wells Peevyhouse: A good leader will train, mentor and love you so well that in his absence the others can take over and not miss a beat.
If you try to live a great life, you will fail. You are simply too small and the world is too big. Living for your own greatness is a deceitful and empty temptation centering on seeking your own glory. Therefore, to live a great life you will have to inspire greatness in others. Only then, when your life influence is multiplied through many people, do you have a real shot at changing the world.
I have 3. The last one is my favorite
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER: You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.
Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. St. Augustine
Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men — the other 999 follow women.
Groucho Marx
A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting. A boss is interested in himself or herself, a leader is interested in the group.
Russell H. Ewing
Nathan, I could spend much time discussing leadership. I spent 6+ years on special assignment and consulting in the development of leadership and organizational effectiveness. I even started writing a book several years ago on “Leadership and the Church”. In response to your request I will share some quotes on leadership.
1. “Leadership is establishing order and maintaining thrust”
2. “Managers use people and love things ….Leaders love people and use things”.
3. “Leaders lead” I love that one.
4.Here is one that I used to stress a pont in the Pastor search team; ” Lead, follow or get out of the way”
God, DNA, nurture, learn, practice, practice, and others will observe and make a judgement.
Here is one that I just have to add in a negative perspective. This is often seen in people who perceive themselves as leaders but are not.
“Where are my people? Which way did they go? I must find them! I am their leader”.
By the way, we could quote the book of Nehemiah. It is full of leadership principles.
To me, a great leader is 3 things:
-like the ultimate outlet – allowing his/her followers to plug in and be energized to shine brighter, be stronger, and reach levels of greatness they never envisioned.
-not threatened by his/her followers but learns and grows from the ideas, energy, talents and challenges they bring to the group.
-confident yet humble
Just one more:
“As a manger, don’t watch what I say, watch what I do.”
I just heard Congressman Allen West (R-FL), quote Alexander the Great saying “I would not fear an army of lions lead by a sheap, but I would fear an army of sheep lead by a lion”.
We the sheap of God are lead by the Lion of Judah and KIng of kings. He should be our example of leadership.
Lynn Anderson said it best for me when talking leaders of the church being shepheds and not administrators. He spoke about the leaders being out in the flock and not ruling over them. He titled his book by it “They smell like sheep”.
more posts from Facebook:
Teri Manire: 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 high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. Peter Drucker
Tina Terrell: “When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally.”
The greatest use of ones life is to spend it on something that will outlast it .. for the value of ones life it computed not by its duration but rather by its donation! Oswald Sanders Spiritual Leadership