Leadership Quotes

Teaching thoughtful, inspiring, and familiar quotes is a valuable lesson for a leadership class. Present the quotes listed below to your class. Allow them time to process the quote and then have them interpret what the author is trying to communicate. Once you have discussed the various quotes, let the students create their own thoughtful / inspirational quotes. Teaching students how to reference quotes is another great exercise, as well. Students can learn how to incorporate famous quotes into future speeches or papers, in an attempt to better clarify the points they are trying to make


“Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value.” Albert Einstein Nobel Prize winner 1922

“To be trusted is a better compliment than to be loved.” George MacDonald Scottish Poet

“Honesty is the cornerstone of character. The honest man or woman seeks not merely to avoid criminal or illegal acts, but to be scrupulously fair, upright, fearless in both action and expression. Honesty pays dividends both in dollars and in piece of mind.” B.C. Forbes founder of Forbes Magazine

“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” John Wooden Hall of Fame basketball coach

“Spectacular achievements are always preceded by unspectacular preparation.” Roger Staubach Hall of Fame football player

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” John F. Kennedy 35th President of the United States

“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.” Mark Twain Author

“Procrastination is the fear of success. Because success is heavy, it carries a responsibility with it. It is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.” Denis Waitley Author

“Real intelligence is a creative use of knowledge, not merely an accumulation of facts. The slow thinker who can finally come up with an idea of his own is more important to the world than a walking encyclopedia who hasn’t learned how to use this information productively.” D. Winebrenner

“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” George S. Patton general U.S. Army

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.” Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States


“Goal setting is the strongest force for the human motivation. Set a goal and make it come true.” Dan Clark Author

“The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” George Bernard Shaw, Author

“It takes three weeks to prepare a good ad-lib speech.” Mark Twain, Author

“You don’t write because you want to say something; you write because you have something to say.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Writer

“When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practical man relies on the language of the first.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Writer

“Knowledge alone is not enough to get desired results. You must have the more elusive ability to teach and to motivate. This defines a leader, if you can’t teach and you can’t motivate, you can’t lead.” John Wooden, Hall of Fame basketball coach

“A leader has two important characteristics; first, he is going somewhere; second, he is able to persuade other people to go with him.” Maximilien Robespierre, principal figure in the French Revolution

“Unless the job means more than the pay, it will never pay more.” H. Bertram Lewis

“Find Something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Harvey MacKay, entrepreneur

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” Henry Ford, American Industrialist

“The most important thing to do in solving a problem is to begin.” Frank Tyler

“The only thing wrong with doing nothing is that you never know when you are finished.” Anonymous

“Individual commitment to a group effort- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, and civilization work.” Vince Lombardi Hall of Fame football coach

“You are only as good as the people you hire.” Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s

“The great secret of success in life is for a man to be ready when his opportunity comes.” Benjamin Disraeli, British Politician

“Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible.” Frank Gaines

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” Theodore Roosevelt 26th President of the Untied States
 

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