Leadership Ability Quotes & Sayings

Talent is a gift, but our character is a choice. Talent is natural ability, our gift from God, but we have the power to determine our character. That power rests on a foundation consisting of the choices we make in life. And those choices almost always dictate the amount of trust others have in us, and to what level of leadership we rise. — John C. Maxwell

The unique ability to take decisive action while maintainign focus on the ultimate mission is what defines a true leader. — Robert Kiyosaki

Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. — John C. Maxwell

Leadership is the ability to take people to places they would be afraid to go alone. — Bob Galvin

A level 4 leader's greatest asset is his ability to engage, empower, and equip his people; this is what creates the momentum for a significant change in the organization. He invests 80% in his people and 20% in the process. — Farshad Asl

The author says one of the sources of resilience is the ability to measure and perceive early warning signs so as to adapt. — Andrew Zolli

By comparison, the Integrated Human model of human nature, in addition to the two elements of our previous model, includes: A conscious analytic system, known as the slow brain (where logic resides) A subconscious intuitive system, or fast brain The full range of motivational drives (of which the drive to acquire is only one) Basic ideas of moral behavior, or moral intuitions Distinguishing characteristics, or personality traits Together, these elements of our nature provide all of the fundamental functions necessary for living life as a complete, Integrated Human - and they are the springboard for the development of leadership character. As our research data has shown, the ability to leverage all of these areas influence leadership's ability to achieve positive organizational outcomes. — Fred Kiel

leadership is about courage and the ability to overcome unsurmountable challenges, — Sudha Menon

Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want. — Dianne Feinstein

The reality is that the way in which a leader conducts his personal life does, in fact, have a profound impact on his ability to exercise effective public leadership. — Samuel D. Rima

In my book success and winning are not always the same thing. To me, success is playing - or working - to the best of your ability. — Joe Torre

One of the fundamental aspects of leadership, I realized more and more, is the ability to instill confidence in others when you yourself are feeling insecure — Howard Schultz

Leadership is the ability to help people and organizations surpass themselves. — Mark Sanborn

There is no doubt about it: we are judged by our language as much as (perhaps more than) we are judged by our appearance, our choice of associates, our behavior. Language communicates so much more than ideas; it reveals our intelligence, our knowledge of a topic, our creativity, our ability to think, our self-confidence, et cetera. — Marlene Caroselli

More than a billion women around the world want to emulate western women's lifestyles and are rapidly acquiring the material ability to do so. It is therefore vital that in our leadership we display some reserve and responsibility in our spending so that the world's finite resources will be available for our children, their children and their children's children — Louise Burfitt-Dons

In order to be successful at anything you choose to do, you must make a 100 percent commitment to what it is you are trying to do. If you put 50 percent of your ability into it, that is all that you will get out of it. You must discipline your body and your mind to work towards the goals you have set. Once you have made this decision, then the work begins. — Johnny Unitas

Leadership is the ability of a single individual through his or her actions to motivate others to higher levels of achievement. — Buck Rodgers

The phenomenon I'm describing, rooted so firmly in that primal human drive for self-preservation, probably doesn't sound surprising: We all know that people bring their best selves to interactions with their bosses and save their lesser moments for their peers, spouses, or therapists. And yet, so many managers aren't aware of it when it's happening (perhaps because they enjoy being deferred to). It simply doesn't occur to them that after they get promoted to a leadership position, no one is going to come out and say, "Now that you are a manager, I can no longer be as candid with you." Instead, many new leaders assume, wrongly, that their access to information is unchanged. But that is just one example of how hidden-ness affects a manager's ability to lead. — Ed Catmull

Leadership is your ability to hide your panic from others. — Laozi

Ronald Reagan?wasn't without leadership ability, but he lacked most of the management skills that a President needs. But let me give him his due: he would have made a hell of a king. — Tip O'Neill

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

Whether it was his ability to turn around the Massachusetts economy or turn around businesses in the private sector, Mitt Romney has demonstrated the leadership that we need in the White House to get the country on the right track. — Lisa Murkowski

Sinn Fein has demonstrated the ability to play a leadership role as part of a popular movement towards peace, equality and justice. — Gerry Adams

It is essential to employ, trust, and reward those whose perspective, ability, and judgment are radically different from yours. It is also rare, for it requires uncommon humility, tolerance, and wisdom. — Dee Hock

Leadership is an ability to have a great vision for the future and the ability to inspire others to follow. — Debasish Mridha

When you can truly understand how others experience your behavior, without defending or judging, you then have the ability to produce a breakthrough in your leadership and team. Everything starts with your self-awareness. You cannot take charge without taking accountability, and you cannot take accountability without understanding how you avoid it. — Loretta Malandro

The shelves are filled with books about improving the process of leadership; discussions of how to hone its art are few. Checklists and processes do not challenge our ability to think, they do not force us to defend our ideas or look new ones in the face. They demand no depth. Defining leadership as an art rather than as a process does not mean that leadership cannot be taught. It merely means that gaining a greater understanding of leadership requires intellectual courage. Just as we develop physical courage by experiencing and functioning under physical fear and moral courage by making the choice of right amidst the pressure to do otherwise, so we develop intellectual courage through the discomfort and ambiguity of experiencing ideas that challenge our depth and perspective. Leaders develop intellectual courage by continuously sharpening the saber through education, and in doing so they
hone within themselves the art of leadership. — Christopher D. Kolenda

A leader should have higher endurance and ability to accept and embrace failure. — Jack Ma

Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it. — Simon Sinek

The ability of the Malay political leadership through UMNO to mobilize Malay public opinion caught the British by surprise. A people who only a decade earlier had seemed docile and apathetic were suddenly making their views known through mass demonstrations. The strength and emotion of the Malay reaction convinced the British that they had miscalculated. The British sat down with the Malay political leadership to come up with an alternative to the Malayan Union. — Anonymous

A real leader has the ability to motivate others to their highest level of achievement; then gives them the opportunity and the freedom to grow. — Buck Rodgers

Leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness. — John C. Maxwell

The intelligence and ability of a colored person are in pretty direct proportion to the amount of white blood he has, and ... most of the positions of leadership, influence, and prominence in the Negro race are held not by real Negroes but by Mulattoes, many of whom have very little Negro blood. — Madison Grant

While great leaders may be as rare as great runners, great actors, or great painters, everyone has leadership potential, just as everyone has some ability at running, acting, and painting. — Warren G. Bennis

Leader and followers are both following the invisible leader - the common purpose. The best executives put this common purpose clearly before their group. While leadership depends on depth of conviction and the power coming therefrom there must also be the ability to share that conviction with others, the ability to make purpose articulate. And then that common purpose becomes the leader. — Mary Parker Follett

He's got to have the ability, and it seems to be fairly rare, to see things as they are and at the same time as they might have been. What we mean is the eye of an artist. — Jack Finney

Leaders are limited by their vision rather than by their abilities. — Roy T. Bennett

The ability to choose cannot be taken away or even given away-it can only be forgotten. — Greg McKeown

The accomplishments of the women in 'The Counselors' are a testament to the power and promise of the American Dream and are sure to resonate deeply with many young women who have the desire and the ability to make their own unique contributions to this legacy of progress ... Just as the women in this book were empowered by the efforts and example of those who came before them, a new generation will be inspired and encouraged by the spirit and achievements of this remarkable group. — Bill Clinton

Decisiveness is the number one quality of a dynamic leader; his ability to communicate a decision with passion and integrity is an art form. — Farshad Asl

Believe in your ability to create the future. That's what leaders do-that is our job. Understand reality but never be imprisoned by it. Reality is a moment in time. The future has not yet been written-it is written by leaders. — Mark Miller

One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency. — Arnold H. Glasow

The art of leadership ... consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention ... The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belong to one category. — Adolf Hitler

Ontario's auto sector is a cornerstone of our economy - a key source of our ability to export, innovate and create jobs. In this highly competitive global economy, we need to drive further investment and ensure the sector remains strong. I am confident that this new partnership, with Ray Tanguay's strategic advice and leadership, will allow Ontario to increase our competitiveness, productivity, and market share in the auto sector, and I look forward to their important work contributing to a more prosperous, innovative Ontario economy. — Brad Duguid

Leadership is influence. It is the ability to obtain followers. When the leader lacks confidence, the followers have no commitment. A leader is great not because of his power, but because of his ability to empower others. — John C. Maxwell

Leadership is about relationships - whether it's a business deal with a client or a conversation with a family member - our ability to understand and appreciate individual uniqueness and perspective is paramount to living a fulfilled life. — Steve Knox

No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend upon his lieutenants, and his success depends upon his ability to select the right man for the right place. — Philip Danforth Armour

In order to master the ability to lead, develop and deliver innovation at speed systematically, you must challenge your assumptions and expectations that influence your actions. — K. Melissa Kennedy

Leadership is the ability to make things happen. — Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

Connecting is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them. — John C. Maxwell

Chase's ability to adjust his manner of leadership to the needs of his men begs comparison to one of the greatest and most revered leaders of all time, Sir Ernest Shackleton. — Nathaniel Philbrick

Read The Charisma Factor - How to Develop Your Natural Leadership Ability by Robert J. Richardson and S. Katharine Thayer. It is a superb book for any aspiring leader, or a current one, who seeks to advance to the next level. 195. — Robin S. Sharma

Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary achievement from ordinary people. — Brian Tracy

Perhaps Ali's most significant talent with the ability to transport people past thoughts and words to a world of feeling and play. — Davis Miller

Is it or is it not a matter of importance that a young man starts out in life with an ability to shut his jaw hard and say "I will," or "I will not," and mean it? — John William Heisman

As you strive for personal effectiveness and leadership excellence, there are local and global questions that you will inevitably have to face. These range from poverty, corruption, terrorism, food security, scarcity of resources and overpopulation among others. Your power and influence for significance in leadership excellence will increase in direct proportion to your ability to find effective and sustainable practical solutions to some of these real-life challenges. — Archibald Marwizi

Every single person has leadership ability. Some step up and take them. Some don't. My answer was to step up and lead. — Wilma Mankiller

The ability to keep a cool head in an emergency, maintain poise in the midst of excitement, and to refuse to be stampeded are true marks of leadership. — Robert R. Shannon

The federal government needs a strategic approach that includes strong leadership and the ability to manage weather related risks. The challenge of developing such an approach is complex: It must not only encompass all levels of government but must also be developed in a bipartisan manner. — Matt Cartwright

Courage is the belief in self, and the possible ability to prevail in the face of adversity. — Tony Dovale

unity is possible among the people of our nation with the right kind of leadership. But we the people must for ourselves determine that we will be indivisible regardless of the leadership, and we must exercise our ability to identify the divisive forces and vote them out of office. — Ben Carson

Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and will power in the character. — Vince Lombardi

If your organization requires success before commitment, it will never have either. Part of leadership (a big part of it, actually) is the ability to stick with the dream for a long time. Long enough that the critics realize that you're going to get there one way or another ... so they follow. — Seth Godin

In most important ways, leaders of the future will need the traits and capabilities of leaders throughout history: an eye for change and a steadying hand to provide both vision and reassurance that change can be mastered, a voice that articulates the will of the group and shapes it to constructive ends, and an ability to inspire by force of personality while making others feel empowered to increase and use their own abilities. — Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Leverage is the ability to apply positive pressure on yourself to follow through on your decisions even when it hurts. — Orrin Woodward

One mark of a good officer, he remembered, was the ability to make quick decisions. If they happen to be right, so much the better — Larry Niven

Motivation and inspiration energize people, not by pushing them in the right direction as control mechanisms do but by satisfying basic human needs for achievement, a sense of belonging, recognition, self-esteem, a feeling of control over one's life, and the ability to live up to one's ideals. Such feelings touch us deeply and elicit a powerful response. — John P. Kotter

Part of leadership (a big part of it actually) is the ability to stick with the dream for a long time. — Seth Godin

You know, I think my biggest concern [if Mitt is elected], obviously, would just be for his mental well-being. I have all the confidence in the world in his ability, in his decisiveness and his leadership skills, in his understanding of the economy, in his understanding of what's missing right now in the economy - you know, pieces that are missing to get this jump-started. So for me I think it would just be the emotional part of it. — Ann Romney

Faith in the ability of a leader is of slight service unless it be united
with faith in his justice — George Washington Goethals

Leadership is the ability to influence people and motivate them to do what needs to be done to accomplish a goal, vision, or mission. — Robert Johnson

True leadership strengthens the followers. It is a process of teaching, setting an example, and empowering others. If you seek to lead, your ability will ultimately be measured in the successes of those around you. — David Niven

While leadership depends on depth of conviction and the power coming therefrom, there must also be the ability to share that conviction with others. — Mary Parker Follett

Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame. — Courtney Lynch

When a highly successful leader retires after a long career, it is very unlikely that his successor will be of comparable caliber. Anyone of similar ability and drive would have gone somewhere else, instead of waiting in the wings for years for a chance to show his own leadership. — Thomas Sowell

One of the most important qualities for any young athlete is the ability to believe in oneself. If you have confidence in yourself, in your teammates and your coach, you will succeed. — Chuck Knox

Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives. — Daniel H. Pink

Some people are known, they have the platform and presence, but still remain irrelevant. They know you and what you do, but they don't need you or your offering. I see too many people with a platform but without substance, again this is not sustainable. Lack of substance can only relegate your talent or skill towards the league of the mediocre, if at all you become much by superficial branding then you will become the best of the worst. You don't have what it takes but you depend on your ability to sell substandard offerings to the market. It will not last for long, but quickly become irrelevant. — Archibald Marwizi

Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history. — Otto Von Bismarck

observes the veteran international pollster Craig Charney, that while the Internet "improves the ability to connect, it is no substitute for political organizations, culture, or leadership - and spontaneous movements tend to be weakest in all of these." Many Arab Awakening efforts ultimately failed because they could not build an organization and politics that could translate their progressive ideas into a governing majority. — Thomas L. Friedman

But the ability to articulate what you are doing, to be clear about it, and to stick to it is, I think, the essence of political leadership. — Chris Patten

The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be. Whatever you will accomplish is restricted by your ability to lead others. — John C. Maxwell

Effective leaders are good spotters. They are on the lookout for
potential leaders. They have the ability to look beyond other's deficiencies to
see their possibilities. — Gary Rohrmayer

Your success lies in your ability to believe in yourself — Mayur Ramgir

Leadership is the ability to see what no one else sees, to listen when others talk and the ability to be optimistic when others are pessimistic. — George T. Cummings

True leadership, true and genuine leading requires intelligence, an independent mind, the ability to delay gratification, the ability to think long term, and above all else a spine. — Aaron Clarey

To determine whether or not you have the ingredients to be charismatic, answer the following questions: What are your real feelings about who you are? What do you believe in? Do you have goals or a mission in life? Do you project optimism? Do others turn to you for leadership? Noncharismatic people spend their lives auditioning for others and hoping they'll be accepted. Charismatic people don't doubt their ability to add value to a situation, so they move forward with their mission. — Roger Ailes

If there is a trait which does characterize leaders it is opportunism. Successful people are very often those who steadfastly refuse to be daunted by disadvantage and have the ability to turn disadvantage to good effect. They are people who seize opportunity and take risks. Leadership then seems to be a matter of personality and character. — John Viney

The word of wisdom is missing," he continued. "We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits. It is not ability to predict that we need, but the anointed eye, the power of spiritual penetration and interpretation, the ability to appraise the religious scene as viewed from God's position, and to tell us what is actually going on — A.W. Tozer

Hundreds of studies have shown that people overrate their health, leadership ability, intelligence, professional competence, sporting prowess, and managerial skills. People also hold the nonsensical belief that they are inherently lucky. Most people think they are more likely than the average person to attain a good first job, to have gifted children, and to live to a ripe old age. They also think that they are less likely than the average person to be the victim of an accident, crime, disease, depression, unwanted pregnancy, or earthquake. Why — Steven Pinker

We are looking for a set of personal characteristics that predict success, the first and foremost of which is perseverance in the face of challenges. We also look for the ability to influence and motivate others who share your values, strong problem-solving ability, and leadership. — Wendy Kopp

God is not interested in your ability. He is
interested in your availability. When you avail
your ability to God, you become a faithful leader. — Israelmore Ayivor

The Court's great power is its ability to educate, to provide moral leadership. — William O. Douglas

The ultimate test of a transformational leader is the ability to raise up a new generation of leaders. — Jim Louwsma

A true leader is one who creates a favourable environment to bring out the energy and ability of his team. A great leader creates more great leaders, and does not reduce the institution to a single person. — Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Freedom keeps us soaring, but quarreling destroys our ability to fly. — Victor Manuel Rivera

In any organization of which I have played a leadership role, our trump card has never been great numbers but the way we worked with neighborhood people in conjunction with professionals in suits and ties. I want the Obama generation to try to understand this concept, and use it as a real yardstick for their ability to make change. My life personifies the straddling of two cultures: the world of Amherst and Yale and the world of Newark, New Jersey. As you will see, it is the power of the streets combined with the power of the suites that is the most effective mix for making things happen. Anybody who comes to you and says "we want change," without addressing the intersection of these two powerful forces in combination, is just whistling status quo. — Junius Williams

Leadership is not a voice crying in the wilderness, aloof and apart. It requires an ability to command as well as to inspire, to learn in the process of collaboration and to build a team with a common purpose that can take action and execute the change they envision. — Bob Rae

Relational congruence is the ability to be fundamentally the same person with the same values in every relationship, in every circumstance and especially amidst crisis. It is the internal capacity to keep promises to God, to self and to one's relationships that consistently express one's identity and values in spiritually and emotionally healthy ways. Relational congruence is about both constancy and care at the same time. It is about both character and affection, and self-knowledge and authentic self-expression. Relational congruence is the leader's ability to cultivate strong, healthy, caring relationships; maintaining healthy boundaries; and communicating clear expectations, all while staying focused on the mission. — Tod Bolsinger

Genuine leadership comes from the quality of your vision and your ability to spark others to extraordinary performance. — Jack Welch