40 inspiring business leadership quotes in 2025

40 business leadership quotes to give you an extra boost

Here are some quotes to reflect on in times when you are dealing with burnout and need extra motivation:

1. “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
2. “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” – Gen. Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State
3. “True leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders.” – Tom Peters
4. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – President John Quincy Adams
5. “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
6. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”– President Ronald Reagan
7. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John Maxwell
8. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
9. “The leader has to be practical and a realist yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist.” – Eric Hoffer
10. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu
11. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
12. “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
13. “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” – Andrew Carnegie
14. “Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.” – Brian Tracy
15. “Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” – Sam Walton
16. “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.” – Amy Poehler
17. “Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar.” – Orrin Woodward
18. “Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama
19. “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” – Ralph Nader
20. “True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed… Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.” – Sheryl Sandberg
21. “The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been.” – Henry Kissinger
22. “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” – Harvey S. Firestone
23. “A leader is a person you will follow to a place you would not go by yourself.” – Joel Barker
24. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
25. “Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.” – David Star Jordan
26. “The greatest leaders mobilize others by coalescing people around a shared vision.” – Ken Blanchard
27. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” – Dolly Parton
28. “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek
29. “Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” – Bill Bradley
30. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – President Ronald Reagan
31. “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” – Ray Kroc
32. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
33. “A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them.” – M.D. Arnold
34. “The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.” – Tony Blair
35. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis
36. “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” – Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh
37. “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
38. “Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished.” – Lisa Cash Hanson
39. “Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation.” – Simon Sinek
40. “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” – Ralph Nader

Conclusion

Remember, true leadership isn’t just about position or power, it’s about vision, integrity, and the ability to bring out the best in others. As you apply these insights to your leadership behavior and style, you’ll not only transform your business but also leave a lasting positive impact on those you lead.