What is a leader? A leader could be a manager, mentor, or anyone who inspires and motivates others to achieve a goal or work towards a collective vision. Leaders are innovative and dynamic, they have a clear vision, and they map out and communicate plans to the people they lead. 

If you're a leader or aspire to become one, we have some of the best leadership quotes to inspire you. Let's dive in!

Successful leaders have the ability to inspire others. Whether you're leading a team or running an entire company, these quotes provide some fresh perspectives on leadership.

Inspiring Leadership Quotes

1. "Good leaders organize and align people around what the team needs to do. Great leaders motivate and inspire people with why they're doing it." – Marillyn Hewson

2. "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." – John F. Kennedy

3. "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

4. "Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating." – Simon Sinek

5. "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

6. "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." – Martin Luther King Jr

7. "To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart." – Eleanor Roosevelt

8. "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

9. "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." – Peter Drucker

10. "No one is going to make you a leader. Take the reins, create your own opportunity, and build the career that you deserve." – Devin Bramhall

11. "Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want." – Dianne Feinstein

12. "Make the right decision even when no one is watching, especially when no one is watching, and you will always turn out okay." – Kim Kaupe

13. "Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal." – Walt Disney

14. "Successful change-makers spend their time looking for common ground. They focus their efforts and initiatives on areas where their stakeholders can agree on a common vision, purpose, and benefit." – Kylie Green

15. "A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example." – Joe DiMaggio

16. "True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed … Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection." – Sheryl Sandberg

17. "Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand." – Colin Powell

18. "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

19. "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." – Steve Jobs

Funny Leadership Quotes

Need a laugh? Here are some funny leadership quotes, from real-life and fictional leaders.

20. "In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way." – Tina Fey

21. "Leadership has been defined as the ability to hide your panic from others." – Lao Tzu

22. "The problem with being a leader is that you’re never sure if you're being followed or chased." – Claire A. Murray

23. "Sometimes you have to take a break from being the kind of boss that’s always trying to teach people things. Sometimes you just have to be the boss of dancing." – Michael Scott

24. "If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you. If you really make them think, they’ll hate you."
– Don Marquis

25. "People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything." – Thomas Sowell

We hope these leadership quotes have have motivated you to be the best leader you can be. If you're looking for more, check out these remote management best practices next.