Kouzes Leadership Quotes & Sayings

Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. — James M. Kouzes

If you think you're a leader and you turn around and no one is following you, then you're simply out for a walk. — James M. Kouzes

The Kouzes-Posner First Law of Leadership: If you don't believe in the messenger, you won't believe the message. Leaders — James M. Kouzes

Here, in the Land of Israel, we returned and built a nation. Here, in the Land of Israel, we established a State. The Land of the prophets, which bequeathed to the world the values of morality, law and justice, was after two thousand years, restored to its lawful owner - the members of the Jewish People, On its Land, we have built an exceptional national Home and State. — Yitzhak Rabin

He had hoped to spot the flickering shadow of a murderer as he turned the file's pages, but instead it was the ghost of Lula herself who emerged, gazing up at him, as victims of violent crimes sometimes did, through the detritus of their interrupted lives. — Robert Galbraith

I'm a very, very proud Canadian, and having the privilege to represent my country on the international level was the highlight of my 18-year career. — Paul Henderson

Girls at war opt for a quieter cruelty than fistfights and drive-by shootings. Girls circumvent the corporeal and go straight for each other's souls. The bleeding is harder to stanch. — Jillian Lauren

An acre in Middlesex is better than a principality in Utopia. — Thomas Babington Macaulay

We have to recognize that however smart we are, we're not smarter than everyone else combined ... We can't lose sight of the fact that no matter how important our own contributions are, we couldn't have gotten anywhere without the help and hard work of lots of other people. — James M. Kouzes

Two of the biggest drivers of airline profit are change fees and baggage fees. — Paul Hudson

Part of their problem was Percy. He fought like a demon, whirling through the defenders' ranks in a completely unorthodox style, rolling under their feet, slashing with his sword instead of stabbing like a Roman would, whacking campers with the flat of his blade, and generally causing mass panic. Octavian screamed in a shrill voice - maybe ordering the First Cohort to stand their ground, maybe trying to sing soprano - but Percy put a stop to it. He somersaulted over a line of shields and slammed the butt of his sword into Octavian's helmet. The centurion collapsed like a sock puppet. Frank — Rick Riordan

I'm much better at working out ideas in action than I am in theorizing about it and then transferring my thinking to action. I don't work that way. I work with tentative ideas and I experiment and then with that experimentation in action, I finally come to the conclusions about what I think is the right way to do it. — Myles Horton

Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize you're already in heaven now. — Jack Kerouac

Challenge is the opportunity for greatness. People do their best when there is an opportunity to change how things currently stand. Maintaining the status quo facilitates mediocrity. Those who embrace this practice do not wish to rest on their laurels. They motivate others to exceed their limits and look for innovative ways to improve the organization. — James M. Kouzes

They've been lying from the start. From the first time we read the words 'once upon a time,' we're fed the idea that these girls - these gorgeous, demure, singing-with-the-wildlife girls - get a happy ending. And I get it. Poor thing had to do some chores around the house, fine. But the idea that she needs a magic old lady to come down and skim off the dirt so the prince will see her beauty? That's ridiculous. Maybe she should have been working on her lockpicking skills instead of serenading squirrels. She could have busted out, hitched a ride to the castle, and impressed the prince with her safe-cracking prowess. Sorry, magic-fairy lady. She didn't need your help. — Kelsey Macke

Leaders encourage others to continue the quest and inspire others through courage and hope. Leaders give heart by visibly recognizing others' contributions to the common vision. With a thank you note, a smile, an award, and public praise, the leader lets others know how much they mean to the organization. — James M. Kouzes

There is no more effective public interest watchdog in Washington, D.C. — Bill Moyers

Most men use their knowledge only under guidance from others because they lack the courage to think independently using their own reasoning abilities. It takes intellectual daring to discover the truth. — Immanuel Kant

I was like a turd inside someone who'd accidentally swallowed an engagement ring: I was nothing, yet I carried something uniquely special. — Alissa Nutting

If we're going to be authentic in our leadership, we will have to be willing to serve, and we have to be willing to suffer. — James M. Kouzes

Leadership isn't the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It's a process ordinary people use when they're bringing forth the best from themselves and others. Liberate the leader in everyone, and extraordinary things happen. — James M. Kouzes

Leaders strengthen credibility by demonstrating that they are not in it for themselves, instead they have the interests of the institution, department, or team and its constituents at heart. Being a servant may not be what many leaders had in mind when they chose to take responsibility for the vision and direction of their organization or team - but serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks. — James M. Kouzes

There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing. — James M. Kouzes

Leaders must know where they are going if they expect others to willingly join them on the journey. — James M. Kouzes

The best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present. — James M. Kouzes

Here's the rub. Leadership can be learned; however, not everyone wants to learn it, and not all those who learn about leadership master it. Why? Because becoming the very best requires a strong belief that you can learn and grow, an intense aspiration to excel, the determination to challenge yourself constantly, the recognition that you must engage the support of others, and the devotion to practice deliberately. Moreover, the best leaders realize that no matter how good they might be, they always can be even better, and are open to learning how to do so.4 — James M. Kouzes

Sometimes you've got to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you've got to think about the greater good! — J.K. Rowling