Top 10 Leadership Quotes - leadpeople.com · Sir Richard Branson Leadership Quote #9: Sir Richard...

Top 10 Leadership Quotes

An eBooklet by LeadPeople LLC

© 2013 All Rights Reserved

© 2013, LeadPeople LLC, Curt Buermeyer PhD LLC, All rights reserved.

1 Leadership Quotes

May, 2013 LeadPeople.com

Table of Contents

Leadership Quote #10: Indra Nooyi ................................ 2

Leadership Quote #9: Sir Richard Branson ..................... 3

Leadership Quote #8: Bill Gates ...................................... 4

Leadership Quote #7: Warren Buffet.............................. 5

Leadership Quote #6: Sheryl Sandberg ........................... 6

Leadership Quote #5: Mother Teresa ............................. 7

Leadership Quote #4: Thomas Edison ............................ 8

Leadership Quote #3: Jack Welch ................................... 9

Leadership Quote #2: Leonardo daVinci ....................... 10

Leadership Quote #1: John Quincy Adams ................... 11

What’s Your Favorite Quote? ....................................... 12


2 Leadership Quotes


Indra Nooyi

Leadership Quote #10: Indra Nooyi

Who is Indra Nooyi?

Indra is the current Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, the second largest food-beverage company globally.

She’s consistently ranked among the top 100 most powerful women in business by Forbes.

REAL Leadership Analysis

This is a decent quote at first glance, but it gets better the more you stare at it. Many would argue that it’s not

even a leadership quote. So why'd it make the cut? Well, you’ve got to understand something deeper about

leadership to understand the value.

The foundation comes from parents. So maybe it’s her parents that should be pictured above.

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, two eminent leadership researchers, have asked the question thousands of times

over 35 years: Who’s been the best leader in your life? Consistently they find that parents rank as the most

frequently cited examples of extraordinary leaders. (Politicians are usually last.)

The other reason this quote made the list has to do with the dream aspect. Great leaders help people dream

about a better future and inspire people to reach higher. Great leaders catalyze the effort and reinforce the

momentum toward greatness.

“My parents made us dream that we could be anyone that we wanted to.”

10


3 Leadership Quotes


Sir Richard Branson

Leadership Quote #9: Sir Richard Branson

Who is Sir Richard Branson? Sir Richard Branson is the multi-billionaire chairman and founder of Virgin Group – a parent company of

over 400 companies, including Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Virgin Mobile.


This quote made the list because it speaks to the fact that a leader's philosophy cascades down and permeates

throughout the thinking of everyone in the company. Or in this case, throughout 400 companies…

This quote really speaks to the fact that it all starts at the top. In other words, the impact that a leader has on a

company’s culture cannot be understated.

Branson’s philosophies about having lots of fun, learning through trial and error, taking calculated risks, and

dusting yourself off after failures, have cascaded throughout the enterprise. Virgin cultures help attract top

talent, enhance retention, and accelerate a culture of fun and peak performance.

We all know it is true, the philosophy of leader, and especially for founder leaders, is a key differentiator. Try

to imagine Microsoft without Bill Gates’ early philosophies about putting MS DOS on computers for free. Try

to imagine Apple without Steve Jobs’ “reality distortion field” and belief that “the customer doesn’t know

what they want.”

“You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by

falling over.” Read more at

http://www.brainyquote.com/quot

es/authors/r/richard_branson.html

#Gj8DqY96g8S9LY7M.99.”

9


4 Leadership Quotes


Bill Gates

Leadership Quote #8: Bill Gates

Who is Bill Gates?

Bill Gates is… Well, what you’ve got to know is he is a co-founder and former CEO and Chairman of

Microsoft. What you’ve also got to know is he’s one of the world’s wealthiest people. With his wife Melinda,

they are the most philanthropic leaders in modern times through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.


This leadership quote doesn’t appear all that great at first pass. There are are a lot of things that this quote is

not. It’s not inspirational, visionary, results-focused or deep. So why did it make the top ten?

It connects important dots in a very subtle way. Specifically, the best leaders find a way to deliver great value

to customers and make lives easier.

The best leaders also recognize that they need to grow, develop, and learn. What and from whom should they

learn? Lots of things of course. But one key area is about learning the frustrations, sources of unhappiness

and pain that customers have. Removing those things makes for good business, and good karma. Currently,

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is taking the notion of “customer” to a global level, improving healthcare

and reducing poverty worldwide.

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

8


5 Leadership Quotes


Warren Buffet

Leadership Quote #7: Warren Buffet

Who is Warren Buffet?

Warren Buffet is one rich dude. He’s the CEO, Chairman and primary shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.

He’s considered the most successful investor in the 20th century. He’s also a major philanthropist with his

buddy Bill Gates. He’s successful, no doubt. But the way he measures success is different than you might

think.


Buffet makes it clear that success is not just about the money. He has consistently encouraged people to

follow their passions, find and drive toward achieving their purpose in life and go after what they enjoy.

While Buffet doesn’t directly call out “passion” as an ingredient for success, he has said in numerous

interviews this is what he believes – following your passion is the key to success – and is success.

From a very young age, Buffet had a passion for the entire process of money making – researching companies,

understanding perceived versus real value, and looking to get a great deal over the long haul. He’s just

following his passion and living his purpose.

“We enjoy the process far more than the proceeds.”

7


6 Leadership Quotes


Sheryl Sandberg

Leadership Quote #6: Sheryl Sandberg

Who is Sheryl Sandberg?

Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook. Before that she was Vice President of Global

Online Sales and Operations at Google. Before that, she served as Chief of Staff for the United States

Department of the Treasury. And now she’s got the best seller Lean In. How’s that for a résumé?!


Sandberg's quote speaks to engagement – the impact one has on the people around them. It also speaks to the

importance of being valuable. Many aspiring leaders focus on control, power, titles, promotions, etc. But

focusing on solving problems will increase value, and being incredibly valuable makes others want to follow

you. Having lots of people who want to follow you makes you a natural leader.

She’s also highlighted the truth that many mediocre leaders don’t fully grasp: it’s about the people you

develop and inspire that matters. People will work harder for you when they care about you and respect

you. Sandberg’s business results have come by her own efforts as well as the efforts of others, like all of us.

But there’s no way she could have been this successful if she didn’t inspire people around her to work hard for

the mission and for her because she was their leader.

“When you're more valuable, the people around you will do more to

make it work.”

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7 Leadership Quotes


Mother Teresa

Leadership Quote #5: Mother Teresa

Who is Mother Teresa?

Born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic nun who founded the congregation

Missionaries of Charity which is now operational in over 130 countries. The members, now in excess of 4,500

sisters, have vowed to give “wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.”


Demonstrating love to the sickest and poorest was the core of Mother Teresa’s actions as a leader. She

believed that as bad as any disease can be, it’s far worse when combined with feelings of loneliness, rejection

and being unloved. And the reverse is true. No matter how bad any disease is, life is much better when loved.

Mother Teresa will be known much more for her acts of kindness and impact on people – making them smile,

feel loved and wanted.

The quote isn’t to inspire you to be the next Mother Teresa. It’s here for you to reflect on how badly the

people around you want to be shown that they’re important, valuable and valued.

“The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of

being unwanted.”

5


8 Leadership Quotes


Thomas Edison

Leadership Quote #4: Thomas Edison

Who is Thomas Edison?

Thomas Edison, “The Wizard of Menlo Park,” is the fourth most prolific inventor in history with over a

thousand patents in his name. In addition to inventing the light bulb, phonograph and motion picture camera,

his inventions were involved in telecommunications, power generation, batteries, etc.


It was easy to get at least one Top 10 quote from Edison. Actually, I could have had an entire Top 10 of

Edison quotes. Since it was too hard to pick just one Edison quote, I didn’t. We’ll skip the analysis. He said:

“Leadership involves seizing opportunities and making things happen.”

“The hard part isn’t finding opportunities, it’s picking ‘em, focusing on ‘em and doing the hard work.”

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one

more time.”

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

And another favorite: “Hell, there ain’t no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something.”

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and

looks like work.”

4


9 Leadership Quotes


Jack Welch

Leadership Quote #3: Jack Welch

Who is Jack Welch?

Jack Welch is a leader and a leader-generator. He was the CEO and Chairman of General Electric from 1981

to 2001. He has historically focused on developing and grooming corporate talent over acquiring talent. In

2009, he founded the Jack Welch Management Institute.


A case could be made that this is the best leadership quote, because it calls out the truth: leaders need to be

leader developers. The higher you go up the corporate ladder, the more true this is. Why? The best leaders

know that the more strategic they become, the more they have to let go of the doing. Next, they need to be

facilitators of the work. Then, they need to facilitate learning and development, actively grooming and

managing succession.

At GE, Welch emphasized grooming internal talent, as opposed to “buying it” in the market. So an

employee’s career path would stagnate at GE if he or she didn’t have a well-developed successor. It’s

surprising how many companies don’t get this, and how often leaders view succession planning and career

management as a pain, HR’s role, or believe it should just be “self-directed.”

Sure, everyone must own their career path and take initiative for their development, but it’s myopic to believe

organizations shouldn’t be just as motivated to accelerate the development of succession candidates.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader,

success is all about growing others.”

3


10 Leadership Quotes


Leonardo daVinci

Leadership Quote #2: Leonardo daVinci

Who is Leonardo daVinci?

Leonardo daVinci is the most talented painter who ever lived. But beyond that, he’s also the most diversely

talented person to have ever lived. He was a master sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer,

inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer – a renaissance man like no other.


It’s ironic, given all his complex talents, that daVinci’s quote is about simplicity. The reason this quote made it

to the top is it’s timeless quality. daVinci might not have seen Twitter, iPhones, or GoogleGlass on the

horizon, but his logic applies today more than ever.

The other reason why this quote made the penultimate position is leaders need to simplify now more than at

any other time in history. Sure, complexity and change are constants. But the real difference between what’s

going on today and any other time in history is this: the pace of change is faster, and getting faster faster.

And corporate strategies have not kept pace. They’ve become either outdated, or overly complex and

inclusive of too many new realities – and thus incompressible to the people who are to execute strategy.

If you can’t simplify your core strategy in one succinct sentence, how do you expect to align people with the

strategy? And simplifying is not about “dumbing it down.” It’s about succinctly clarifying purpose.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

2




John Quincy Adams

Leadership Quote #1: John Quincy Adams

Who is John Quincy Adams?

President of the United States of America, John Quincy Adams was the sixth dude. He was the only President

to be elected to the House of Representatives after serving as president, a position he then held for 17 years.


John Quincy Adams’ leadership quote is truly one of the best I’ve seen. Why? It focuses on engagement – a

leader’s impact on people.

Also, Adams is giving a definition of leadership in his quote – one that’s centered on a leader’s emotional and

behavioral impact.

Conventional wisdom today still emphasizes Results over Relationships, unfortunately. But Quincy Adams’

quote gets it right. Results will come from inspired people who are eager to dream more, learn more and do

more.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become

more, you are a leader.”

1




What’s Your Quote?

What’s your quote?

To be clear…I don’t want to know your favorite quote from

a famous person – unless you’re famous.

I want to hear your own quote – something you’ve said before

or believe deeply as part of your philosophy as a leader or

philosophy of life.

Seriously. Pause here. Reflect. Write it down.

Having trouble? It’s not easy. Maybe this will help. Have you ever asked yourself the question “Why would

anybody want to follow me?” That’s a good place to start.

Think about what have you conveyed to others that truly inspired them and brought out their best? What

have you said that brought people together to accomplish something great? What might get put on your

tombstone?

What single statement captures it?

Your quote doesn't have to be captured in front of a live audience, of course. It doesn't even have to be

verbatim. Just give me the essence.

As an example, a saying of mine is:

“The best leaders have just two things: Results and Relationships.”

Please send your personal quote to [email protected] and let me know if I can post it on LeadPeople.com.

Also, let me know if you want a free copy of The Top 150 Leadership and Life Quotes.

mailto:[email protected]

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