Leadership
Favorite Selections from ToInspire.com
Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all. - Dwight D. Eisenhower
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
The leader seeks to communicate his vision to his followers. He captures their attention with his optimistic intuition of possible solutions to their needs. He influences them by the dynamism of his faith. He demonstrates confidence that the challenge can be met, the need resolved, the crisis overcome. - John Haggai
Ethics must begin at the top of an organization. It is a leadership issue and the chief executive must set the example. - Edward Hennessy
There is great force hidden in a gentle command. - George Herbert
Leaders must invoke an alchemy of great vision. - Henry Kissinger
Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. - Vince Lombardi
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. - John C. Maxwell
Show me the leader and I will know his men. Show me the men and I will know their leader. - Arthur W. Newcomb
The best leaders are those most interested in surrounding themselves with assistants and associates smarter than they are. They are frank in admitting this and are willing to pay for such talents. - Amos Parrish
When placed in command -- take charge. - Norman Schwarzkopf
The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same. - Henri B. Stendhal
There are seasons when to be still demands immeasurably higher strength than to act. - Margaret Bottome
Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power. - Tao Te Ching
I regret that I have but one life to give for my country. - Nathan Hale
A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be. - Rosalynn Carter
He who reins within himself and rules passions, desires, and fears is more than a king. (from 'Paradise Lost') - John Milton
There is nothing permanent except change. (observation made in 513 B.C.) - Heraclitus of Greece
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. (from 'The Prince') - Niccolo Machiavelli
We give up believing that we design the world into existence, and instead take up roles in support of its flourishing. We work with what is available and encourage forms to come forth. We foster tinkering and discovery. We help create connections. We nourish with information. We stay clear about what we want to accomplish. We remember that people self-organize and trust them to do so. (from 'A Simpler Way' - 1996) - Wheatley and Kellner-Rogers
The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. (founder, McDonalds Corporation) - Ray Kroc
Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there. - John Kotter
Often, the greatest challenge facing an organization is recognizing and acting on opportunity rather than solving a problem. - Peter Ginter
The new source of power is not money in the hands of a few, but information in the hands of many. - John Naisbitt
Confidence to which has been added competence is leadership. Confidence to which has been added the desire to get one's own way is arrogance. The true leader knows the difference. - Lee Hardy
We need a leader to tell us: Who, precisely, do we serve? What is our core strength? Of the many things we can measure in our business, which one measure of success should we focus on? And, what specific actions can we take right now to improve our business? - Marcus Buckingham
The very essence of leadership is that you have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet. - Theodore Hesburgh
Successful people ask better questions and as a result they get better answers. - Anthony Robbins
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. - John Quincy Adams
Its so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem. - Malcolm Forbes
The best leaders of all, the people know not they exist. They turn to each other and say, we did it ourselves. - Zen saying
Life’s most urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others? - Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am a leader by default, only because nature does not allow a vacuum. - Desmond Tutu
You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people, if you don't serve the people. - Cornel West
I only achieve simplicity with enormous effort. - Clarice Lispector