In today’s economy, businesses face unprecedented challenges of all sorts and the new technologies are the ones that get pointed at most of the times. Yet, it’s my personal belief that they are not the only ones. The possible answer behind some of today’s main business challenges has a lot to do with something else. Too many organizational leaders are wasting the goodwill of people without realizing what a priceless resource that is for the company they manage.
So, I said to myself that maybe it would be a good idea to share with you some of my favourite quotes about leaders’ role and leadership. I have not chosen these quotes randomly! It’s about true leaders reminding us that leadership has to do with people, not headcounts. It’s a reminder about those unheralded people who actually make things happen for leaders and shareholders altogether.
- “As leaders, it is our sole responsibility to protect our people and, in turn, our people will protect each other and advance the organization together. As employees or members of the group, we need the courage to take care of each other when our leaders don’t. And in doing so, we become the leaders we wish we had.” — Simon Sinek, Founder & Visionary at Start With Why
- “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” — Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), American General
- “A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others so that they may have the strength to stand on their own.” — Beth Revis, Fantasy & Science Fiction Author
- “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.” — Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), American President
- “The leader is one who, out of the clutter, brings simplicity … Out of discord, harmony … And out of the difficult, opportunity.” — Albert Einstein (1879-1955), Scientist and Nobel Prize winner
- “Leaders may need to embrace a more complex code of ethical behaviour than they may have learned as children.” — Joseph L. Badaracco, professor of Business ethics at Harvard Business School
- “At almost every turn in my life, I learned that people look to leaders and observe what they do. Saying the right things is nice, but walking the walk is what really matters.” — Peter Georgescu, Romanian author, speaker, Chairman Emeritus of Young & Rubicam
- “Leaders don’t just manage by walking around. They sit down and listen to the voices of the people they serve.” — Adam Grant, author and professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), German writer and statesman
- Where people of goodwill get together and transcend their differences for the common good, peaceful and just solutions can be found even for those problems which seem most intractable.” — Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), South African political leader and philanthropist
- “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” — Jack Welch, author, former chairman & CEO of General Electric
Photo by Josh Calabrese on Unsplash
