Leader Follow Quotes & Sayings

If you can't influence people, then they will not follow you. And if people won't follow, you are not a leader. That's the Law of Influence. — John C. Maxwell

Leadership is not always about getting things done "right." Leadership is about getting things done through other people ... When a leader can't find someone to hand things off to, it is time for him to look in the mirror. We must never forget that the people who follow us are exactly where we have led them. — Andy Stanley

I worked, long ago, in New York City, in construction, like many young men of the Mohawk Nation. I found that whites were often like us, and I could not hate them one at a time. But they do not know the earth or love it. They do not speak from the heart, usually. They do not act from the heart. They are more like the actors on the movie screen. They play roles. And their leaders are not like our leaders. They are not chosen for virtue, but for their skill at playing roles. Whites have told me this, in plain words. They do not trust their leaders, and yet they follow them. When we do not trust a leader, he is finished. Then, also, the leaders of the whites have too much power. It is bad for a man to be obeyed too often. But the worst thing is what I have said about the heart. Their leaders have lost it and they have lost mercy. They speak from somewhere else. They act from somewhere else. But from where? Like you, I do not know. It is, I think, a kind of insanity. — Robert Anton Wilson

And uh, so, I'm running for a reason. I'm answering this question here and the answer is, you cannot lead America to a positive tomorrow with revenge on one's mind. Revenge is so incredibly negative. And so to answer your question, I'm going to win because people sense my heart, know my sense of optimism and know where I want to lead the country. And I tease people by saying, "A leader, you can't say, follow me the world is going to be worse." I'm an optimistic person. I'm an inherently content person. — George W. Bush

If you can't force or are unwilling to force your people to follow you, with or without threats, you are not a leader. — Lee Kuan Yew

Adolin nodded curtly. He was still angry, Dalinar could see, but he chose to follow Dalinar - and part of following a leader was supporting him even when the battle turned against him. — Brandon Sanderson

People will not follow a leader with moral incongruities for long. Every time you compromise character you compromise leadership. The foundation of firm leadership is character. — Bill Hybels

Be an example to teach, be a role model to follow, and be a leader to emulate. — Debasish Mridha

We have to remember not to tell them, each of them, that they are our new leader. It would only frighten them off, W. says. No one should ever know he or she is our leader, we agree. Only we should know. And we should follow them in secret. — Lars Iyer

I've been a leader practically my whole life. I don't know what it is to follow. — Eli Manning

We, the Black masses, don't want these leaders who seek our support coming to us representing a certain political party. They must come to us today as Black Leaders representing the welfare of Black people. We won't follow any leader today who comes on the basis of political party. Both parties (Democrat and Republican) are controlled by the same people who have abused our rights, and who have deceived us with false promises every time an election rolls around. — Malcolm X

Don't follow leaders, watch your parkin' meters. — Bob Dylan

If a leader demonstrates competency, genuine concern for others, and admirable character, people will follow. — Richard Chase

Never forget, organizational values start and end with you, the leader. Whether your example is good or bad, expect most employees to follow your lead. — Mac Anderson

Why in times of need do we call on that one person? Why do we confide in that one person. Why do we feel safe with that one person? Why would we follow that one person anywhere? Because that person is a leader. — Ben Greenhalgh

Don't be a leader to dictate, but be a person whom everyone wants to emulate and follow. — Debasish Mridha

Having a title only doesn't make one a leader; talented people without a title don't follow blindly, they practice leadership via influence. — Pearl Zhu

There goes my people. I must follow them, for I am their leader. — Mahatma Gandhi

It is astonishing how foolish humans can be in groups, especially when they follow their leader without question. — Brian Herbert

If you want to be a leader whom people follow with absolute conviction, you have to be a likable leader. Tyrants and curmudgeons with brilliant vision can command a reluctant following for a time, but it never lasts. They burn people out before they ever get to see what anyone is truly capable of. — Travis Bradberry

The crowd will follow a leader who marches twenty paces ahead of them, but if he is a thousand paces ahead of them, they will neither see nor follow him. — Georg Brandes

Now, everybody is searching for managers with a little dose of leadership (not too much but it should be clearly there). Some "bosses" say that their employees either have leadership skills or they don't, that this is an innate ability. Others think leadership can be learned and they train their employees through various courses on this topic. The main aspect to observe here is that the majority of employers do not train or want their employees to become "distinct" leaders and follow their path in the world. They want and train them to stay in their company and successfully deliver more to the company. Of course, the rule is validated by exceptions, so there are companies that give birth, from their environment and trainings, to great and very influential leaders. — Elena D. Calin

Listen for the call of your destiny, and when it comes, release your plans and follow. — Mollie Marti

Great leaders inspire. They maintain a hopeful attitude, even in the face of discouraging setbacks, constant criticism and abundant opposition. People don't follow discouraged leaders. They follow those who persist with hope. — Rick Warren

There's a lot of false prophets around and that's the trouble. People say they think they know what's right and other people get people to follow them because they have a certain type of charisma, and there's always people willing to take over. People want a leader. And there will be more and more of them. — Bob Dylan

Great leaders create movements by empowering the tribe to communicate. They establish the foundation for people to make connections, as opposed to commanding people to follow them. — Seth Godin

Burn a Bush cause for peace he no push no button.
Killing over oil and grease, no weapons of destruction,
How can we follow a leader when this a corrupt one? — Common

Churches should be places where people come to hear the story of God and to tell their own. That's how we find out how the two relate. Tell your story with all of its shadows and fog, so people can understand their own. They want a leader who's authentic, someone trying to figure out how to follow the Lord Jesus in the joy and wreckage of life. They need you, not Moses, — Angie Smith

Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men
the other 999 follow women. — Groucho Marx

A charismatic leader doesn't use fear and guilt in order to control his team. He will rely on his positive outlook that's going to make people follow him happily. — Jack Robinson

Be a follower. Be a leader. Learn what it means to be both. Don't follow a follower. Follow your heart. Be careful of frauds. They are all around us. — Sadiqua Hamdan

Think well before selecting your leader, and when you have selected him, follow him. But in case you find his policy detrimental to your interests, kick him out. — Muhammad Ali Jinnah

As Kylie buried her head on the camp leader's shoulder, she heard Burnett scold, "I thought I told you to wait at the camp."
Kylie felt Holiday tense at the reprimand, and then she raised her head. "And I thought you knew I don't follow anyone's orders."
"Does anyone listen to me around here?" Burnett asked, his frustration making his tone sound almost comical.
"Obviously not," one of the FRU agents said, and chuckled. — C.C. Hunter

A leader may lead, but you have to follow to reach the destination. — Debasish Mridha

To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn't know where he is going. — Joe Namath

When people follow a leader because they have to, they will do only what they have to. People don't give their best to leaders they like least. They give reluctant compliance, not commitment. They may give their hands but certainly not their heads or hearts. — John C. Maxwell

ATTITUDE 1: FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE ATTITUDE 2: REQUIRE AGREEMENT ATTITUDE 3: SOW ONLY GOOD SEED ATTITUDE 4: BE A SERVANT-LEADER ATTITUDE 5: DELEGATE AND EMPOWER ATTITUDE 6: WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN ATTITUDE 7: BE SLOW TO JUDGE ATTITUDE 8: BE FAIR IN DISCIPLINE ATTITUDE 9: MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE ATTITUDE 10: OBSERVE A SABBATH REST ATTITUDE 11: HAVE A VISION ATTITUDE 12: NURTURE JOY ATTITUDE 13: MIND THE SEASONS ATTITUDE 14: BE VIGILANT — William C. Oakes

To some Germans and, no doubt, to most foreigners it appeared that a charlatan had come to power in Berlin. To the majority of Germans Hitler had - or would shortly assume - the aura of a truly charismatic leader. They were to follow him blindly, as if he possessed a divine judgment, for the next twelve tempestuous years. — William L. Shirer

To oppose the policies of a government does not mean you are against the country or the people that the government supposedly represents. Such opposition should be called what it really is: democracy, or democratic dissent, or having a critical perspective about what your leaders are doing. Either we have the right to democratic dissent and criticism of these policies or we all lie down and let the leader, the Fuhrer, do what is best, while we follow uncritically, and obey whatever he commands. That's just what the Germans did with Hitler, and look where it got them. — Michael Parenti

Don't you understand? The answer is inside each of you! Don't follow anyone else! Be your own leader! Lead yourselves! — Tim Dorsey

Follow your dreams, not the crowd. — Matshona Dhliwayo

I must follow them. I am their leader. — Abbott Lawrence Lowell

I know you feel raw, and I know the pack is begging for swift retribution. But you must remember that you are taoiseach, not them. You're the leader, and they are to follow what you decide, not the other way around. Don't let your emotions sway you. The pack doesn't need you armed with a torch and pitchfork screaming for vengeance. — Lish McBride

Why did Africa let Europe cart away millions of Africa's souls from the continent to the four corners of the wind? How could Europe lord it over a continent ten times its size? Why does needy Africa continue to let its wealth meet the needs of those outside its borders and then follow behind with hands outstretched for a loan of the very wealth it let go? How did we arrive at this, that the best leader is the one that knows how to beg for a share of what he has already given away at the price of a broken tool? Where is the future of Africa? — Ngugi Wa Thiong'o

Moral authority is another way to define servant leadership because it represents a reciprocal choice between leader and follower. If the leader is principle centered, he or she will develop moral authority. If the follower is principle centered, he or she will follow the leader. In this sense, both leaders and followers are followers. Why? They follow truth. They follow natural law. They follow principles. They follow a common, agreed-upon vision. They share values. They grow to trust one another. — Robert K. Greenleaf

Leaders think it's possible. They inspire followers to believe in the same good news and it becomes a blessing to them. Leadership is all about inspiring people to believe in what becomes profitable to them! — Israelmore Ayivor

Leaders don't convince people to follow them. Leaders walk forward alone and those who want to go down their path decide to follow. — Simon Sinek

Leaders never have to ask the people to, 'Come follow me.' The people believe just by watching his lead. — Marc Marcel

A leader learned to follow, and serves the followers who are learning to lead. ~T.F. Hodge — T.F. Hodge

If you allow the life to happen, by connecting with your inner world, then you don't have to worry about the changes with your perception or the change in the outside world. All you have to do is to follow your inner truth, to reach to your destination. — Roshan Sharma

I would rather be an artist than a leader. Ironically, a leader has to follow the rules. — Criss Jami

Leading, not following We've been trained to follow. In fact, the very nature of training has following built right into it. We follow instructions. We follow the rules. We follow the leader. The challenge in a six-billion person world is that we don't have a shortage of followers. Followers are easy to find, and the tools for compliance are more powerful (but less useful) than ever. Now the economy is demanding leaders. Human beings who can engage in what it really means to be a person - to forge connections, to see a path and to make a difference. — Seth Godin

Where another person sees problems, a leader sees possibilities ... Leaders must have the courage to follow their vision, to believe in the invisible, to work for something that's still only a possibility, while others often wring their hands in despair. — Diane Dreher

Great leaders do not see people for who they are, but who than can become. Further, the great leader compels those that follow them to become that man or woman of the future, likely exceeding the expectations of both. — Chris Alexander

There are basically two kinds of revolutionaries living in the world today. One looks at a crowd of people and asks how each might become a catalyst in bringing about a better world. The other looks to a picture of some fabled leader and asks how that crowd might come to follow him to the death. — James Tracy

You know you have arrived as a leader when people follow you because they want to, not because they have to. — Steve Gilliland

Leader follows his ideology, Leader does not follow his relatives and friends — Imran Khan

I will follow in my father's footsteps. My father set the bar very high. He was a wonderful leader. — Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

In science men have learned consciously to subordinate themselves to a common purpose without losing the individuality of their achievements. Each one knows that his work depends on that of his predecessors and colleagues, and that it can only reach its fruition through the work of his successors. In science men collaborate not because they are forced to by superior authority or because they blindly follow some chosen leader, but because they realize that only in this willing collaboration can each man find his goal. — John Desmond Bernal

A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn't go by yourself. — Joel A. Barker

Leaders teach. They motivate. They care. Leaders make sure that the way to success is always broad enough and straight enough for others to follow. — Mary Kay Ash

If a leader's actions don't back up his or her words, those who are trying to follow will first grow confused. — Bill Byrd

PEOPLE WOULD RATHER FOLLOW A LEADER WHO IS ALWAYS REAL VERSUS A LEADER WHO IS ALWAYS RIGHT. DON'T TRY TO BE A PERFECT LEADER, JUST WORK ON BEING AN AUTHENTIC ONE. — Brad Lomenick

If you understand hallucination and illusion, you don't blindly follow any leader. You must know if the person is sane or insane, over the abyss. — Marguerite Young

A real leader will always follow — Anonymous

Don't blindly follow any leader. — Marguerite Young

....The wife is the heartbeat of the home. She serves as the thermometer--if she's warm, so is the rest of the family; if she's cold, so is the rest of the family. And if she's an extreme temp--boiling or frigid--the family will follow suit. Calm or chaos comes from her.

I've resisted this responsibility often. It's much easier to point to my husband, the biblically appointed leader of the household, and to examine what I perceive are his flaws, his failures, his lack of whatever. But ultimately, I'm just denying what I really know--that I have a great role to honor and live up to in my marriage and in our home. The questions is, do I embrace it? Or do I run from it? My fear is that I've run from it for a while now. But I'm not running any more. — Sara Horn

Your character and attitude is what takes the lead in your leadership role and you follow them as a true leader. Poor character and attitude is eventually poor leadership. — Israelmore Ayivor

A leader does not lose focus because he wants to please his followers. — Israelmore Ayivor

Leaders are the ones who have the courage to go first, to put themselves at personal risk to open a path for others to follow. — Simon Sinek

My dad - who was a tough guy, a Green Beret - always looked nice and wore these bright Sansabelt pants. He always said, "You have two options: You can be a follower or you can be a leader. And you don't ever want to follow anybody." And that's kind of become my philosophy about everything. — Bubba Watson

You do not follow me because I am the strongest. Pax is. You do not follow me because I am the brightest. Mustang is. You follow me because you do not know where you are going. I do. — Pierce Brown

You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too. — Sam Rayburn

You are a leader if your vision, mission, and actions inspire others to emulate you or follow your path. — Debasish Mridha

The what?"
"Lone Wolves." He turned to show me the back of his raggedy jacket. Sure enough, a snarling wolf face stared back at me from the leather.
"Wait a second," I said. "Isn't it supposed to be 'Lone Wolf' as in, you know, one? If there's more than one, then it kind of defeats the purpose of being 'lone', doesn't it?"
The leader squinted hard, as if trying to follow my logic and getting lost. — Jaye Wells

The passenger booked by this history, was on the coach-step, getting in; the two other passengers were close behind him, and about to follow. He remained on the step, half in the coach and half out of; they remained in the road below him. They all looked from the coachman to the guard, and from the guard to the coachman, and listened. The coachman looked back and the guard looked back, and even the emphatic leader pricked up his ears and looked back, without contradicting. — Charles Dickens

You know, being America, being the land of "number ones", everyone wants to be a leader before they follow. — Branford Marsalis

People will follow someone as a leader, who has vision and purpose; often that leader doesn't wear a title. — Beth Ramsay

The extraordinary power of influence is now within everyone's reach. Recent graduates, executive assistants, project managers, and business leaders can all benefit from Monarth's simple steps for 'getting everyone to follow your lead.' — Marshall Goldsmith

Communication can't always follow the top-down model. With the fluidity of information in business today, leaders need to be masterful listeners; they need to be able to receive as well as send. — Joseph Badaracco

We should be patient in developing and strengthening our testimonies. Rather than expecting immediate or spectacular manifestations, though they will come when needed, we should pray for a testimony, study the scriptures, follow the counsel of our prophet and other Church leaders, and live the principles of the gospel. Our testimonies then will grow and mature naturally, perhaps imperceptibly at times, until they become driving forces in our lives. — Joseph B. Wirthlin

If you can lead yourself when nobody is following, people will follow when you are not leading — Saji Ijiyemi

The frustrated follow a leader less because of their faith that he is leading them to a promised land than because of their immediate feeling that he is leading them away from their unwanted selves. Surrender to a leader is not a means to an end but a fulfillment. Whither they are led is of secondary importance. — Eric Hoffer

Men ever follow willingly a daring leader: most willingly of all, in great emergencies. — Robert Dale Owen

You do not become a leader because people follow you. Rather, people tend to follow you because you have leadership qualities. The journey of leadership often starts alone. — Awdhesh Singh

The Dead are a larger army than any ever assembled, and they follow no leader, fear no threat, and accept no bribe or compromise. The Dead are the silent majority, and should they ever decide to say something, it will be the new law of the land. — Isaac Marion

A true leader will have no desire to lord it over God's heritage. He is rather ready to follow as well as lead. — Aiden Wilson Tozer

As an artist, I have to be a leader of my fans, not, like, follow them. Because if I chose to follow them, you know, they could do it. You know, it's me who's doing it. — Talib Kweli

Competence goes beyond words. It's the leader's ability to say it, plan it, and do it in such a way that others know that you know how - and know that they want to follow you. — John C. Maxwell

There are leaders and there are followers. Followers follow leaders and leaders follow their heart — Will.i.am

Despite its increased dependence on the international economy, America continues to behave as if it were either a closed economy or the leader whom everyone else should automatically follow. — Robert Gilpin

A person who is anxious to be a leader of the fashion, or one of the first to follow it, will certainly appear in the eyes of judicious men to have nothing better than a frequent change of dress to recommend him to notice. — George Washington

The queer thing is that we do trust you," said Bodisham. "In spite of your -- extremism."

"You'd better," said Rud with grim conviction. "I'm right. What is extremism? The whole truth and nothing but the truth. I ask you."

"It's because of his extremism you trust him," said Chiffan. "It's because in the last resort we believe in his indiscretion, and know he won't fail us even if we fail ourselves. All leadership is extravagance. Extra-vagance. Going a bit ahead."

Rud did not quite understand that. "It's because you know I'm right," he said.

"It's because," said Chiffan, letting his thoughts run away with him," to make a new world, the leader must be a fundamentally destructive man, a recklessly destructive man. He breaks his way through the jungle and we follow...We cannot do without you, Rud. — H.G.Wells

I think I've always been a follow-the-leader with my career, or maybe waiting for things to happen. Now I'm like, I'm OK-I know the direction, whoever's on board can go with me. — Robin Wright

To be an effective leader, you must be trustworthy. If people don't trust you, they won't follow you. And if they won't follow you, your organization won't meet its goals. Sandy Allgeier explains that personal credibility comes down to a simple truth: It's not about the type of person you are; it's about the types of things you do. If you want to be a great leader, read The Personal Credibility Factor. — Quint Studer

Let me pass, I have to follow them, I am their leader. — Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin

'I killed their pack leader,' Sevro says when I ask why the wolves follow him. He looks me up and down and flashes me an impish grin from beneath the wolf pelt. 'Don't worry, I wouldn't fit in your skin.' — Pierce Brown

Christ's supreme sacrifice can find full fruition in our lives only as we accept the invitation to follow him. This call is not irrelevant, unrealistic, or impossible. To follow an individual means to watch him or listen to him closely; to accept his authority, to take him as a leader, and to obey him; to support and advocate his ideas; and to take him as a model. Each of us can accept this challenge. — Howard W. Hunter

Sheep follow the crowd, the crowd follow a leader: Be the leader. — Steven Aitchison

A Leader is one who ventures and takes the risks of going out ahead to show the way and whom others follow, voluntarily, because they are persuaded that the leader's path is the right one-for them, probably better than they could devise for themselves. — Robert K. Greenleaf