Leadership Humility Quotes & Sayings

Sudden shifts and changes are no bad preparation for political life. — Charles Dickens

My first grade nun had instructed me that from those to whom much is given, much is expected. I was learning that this lesson had to be combined with Shakespeare's wisdom that one must 'to thine own self be true.' Add to this humility, empathy, a sense of curiosity, courage, and plain old hard work, and I was finally seeing the real path to leadership. Of course, humor is always a plus. (158) — Jacqueline Novogratz

They (the media) found little quality of depth to him, that when she said on the platform with that which he said to them in private. The qualities of introspection and reflectiveness that they particularly treasured were missing. — David Halberstam

Though sometimes you must have an unstoppable courage, it must be with a well defined humility for purposeful living! Humility is not just good for our lives; it also greatly saves our lives, integrity and true purpose! Don't just think you are on top of the world just because you stand on the tallest building. When the building collapses, you may be far worse than they that walk besides the building who can run away upon seeing it collapsing! — Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

Do you have the humility to continually grow, to learn from your failures and get back up? Are you utterly relentless for your cause, ferocious for your cause? Can you channel your intensity and intelligence and energy and talents and gifts and ideas outward into something that is bigger and more impactful than you are? That's what great leadership is about. — Brent Schlender

Humility is a great quality of leadership which derives respect and not just fear or hatred. — Yousef Munayyer

He did wrong. He has acknowledged it before the people. He repents it. How many kings have the humility to do that? — Geraldine Brooks

People who sneer at a half a loaf of bread have never been hungry. George Reedy — Robert A. Caro

Many have made the mistake of thinking that Christians are to be the heads of all corporations, governments, and departments. As good as that may sound, it's actually a fruit of the true goal. Christlikeness - excellence with humility - is the real goal. Promotion comes from the Lord. If we spent more time developing a Kingdom heart, we'd have more people in key places of leadership. — Bill Johnson

Governing is not a hero's profession. It is a profession of compromises. — Rick Perlstein

My own spirit, soul, and body are my nearest machinery for sacred service. — Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The bottom line is that you can't lead the person you can't serve! — Israelmore Ayivor

There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. — George H. W. Bush

Persuasion is a strong but subdued outrider. — Harold Bloom

They possess the self- effacing virtues of people who are inclined to be useful but don't need to prove anything to the world: — David Brooks

A true leader must be able to command with an iron fist, not just a humble heart. — Evan Meekins

Sometimes we shrink from leadership because our pride makes us afraid of failure. That's not humility. — Francis Chan

Don't be overly proud of your accomplishments and success. Recovery is never complete. You 're engaged in a life-long process. Continue each day to love and serve God with humility — Binye Vincent

Such was the code: Strive for victory, but never seem to be self-involved. — H.W. Brands

I have the charisma of the chipmunk. I never have thought I was smart. I thought the people I dealt with were dumb. — Hyman George Rickover

We need more worship wars, not fewer. What if the war looked like this in your congregation
the young singles petitioning the church to play more of the old classics for the sake of the elderly people, and the elderly people calling on the leadership to contemporize for the sake of the young new believers? This would signal a counting of others more important than ourselves (Phil 2:3), which comes from the spirit of the humiliated, exalted King, Christ (Phil 2:5-11). — Russell D. Moore

Talk about presidents "taking" the country hither and yon is part of the foam of presidential elections. — George F. Will

It is said that it is far more difficult to hold and maintain leadership (liberty) than it is to attain it. Success is a ruthless competitor for it flatters and nourishes our weaknesses and lulls us into complacency. We bask in the sunshine of accomplishment and lose the spirit of humility which helps us visualize all the factors which have contributed to our success. We are apt to forget that we are only one of a team, that in unity there is strength and that we are strong only as long as each unit in our organization functions with precision. — Samuel J. Tilden

A true leader is the one who leaves memorable footprints of nobility. A leader who is decisive enough and have all the guts to take bold and frank decisions regardless of the oppositions and the temporal adverse effect of such decision on the masses, knowing that in the end, the fruits of such decision will be sweeter enough to put joy on the faces of the masses and they shall remember such noble footprints and ponder in humility. — Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

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

If virtue does not equal powers, powers will be misused. — John Howard Griffin

Humiliation is the only ladder to honoring God's Kingdom. — Andrew Murray

A commander's pride got his soldiers dead. — Tom Clancy

Your passion may determine what you can do, but your attitude redefines how far you can go while you do what you can. Your attitude leads you and you lead other people! — Israelmore Ayivor

There is no international problem that can be addressed or solved without the engagement and leadership of the United States and everybody in the world knows that, its just fact of life. So sometimes I think we could conduct ourselves with a little more humility. — Robert M. Gates

Vision and persistence will take you to the top of the leadership mountain, but only humility will keep you there. — Orrin Woodward

If you're a boss, and not a leader, your time is limited. — T.F. Hodge

The first time I was privileged to meet president Mandela was during his visit to Malawi ... shortly after he was released from prison. I was amazed by his humility and his great sense of leadership ... Mandela's character has shaped my life. — Joyce Banda

The factor that made him so powerful was also his greatest liability. — Peter Heather

Jesus was always on the front-lines washing dirty feet. Humility soon is shelved in ministry and we start thinking to much of ourselves. It is hard to effectively minister in Christ name when we look down on someone, but if we are washing their feet we look up to them giving them value and worth. — Jonah Books

A Board can be harmonized through leadership humility, insightful business understanding, trustful culture, and learning agility. — Pearl Zhu

We think about our values in pairs, and there is a tension or a balance between them. We talk about listening and leadership; accountability and generosity; humility and audacity. You've got to have the humility to see the world as it is - and in our world, working with poor communities, that's not easy to do - but have the audacity to know why you are trying to make it be different, to imagine the way it could be. — Adam Bryant

Influence requires humility. The essence of influence is others. The key word is relationships. — Johnny Hunt

I keep a vivid memory of failure in my back pocket, so no matter how much I accomplish I stay grounded. — Noel DeJesus

A visitor asked Lincoln what good news he could take home from an audience with the august executive. The president spun a story about a machine that baffled a chess champion by beating him thrice. The stunned champ cried while inspecting the machine, "There's a man in there!"Lincoln's good news, he confided from the heights of leadership, was that there was in fact a man in there. — Shelby Foote

I have three treasures which I hold and keep. The first is mercy; the second is economy. The third is daring not to be ahead of others. From mercy comes courage; from economy comes generosity; From humility comes leadership. — Laozi

He couldn't be a doctor, or he would have a quieter and more persuasive manner. — Charles Dickens

Leadership was not an act of bravery but rather forbearance and the strength to move forward with humility in the belief of what is righteous — Soroosh Shahrivar

Almost alone among successful politicians, he took slights personally. — Rick Perlstein

His was a quiet but persistent charisma. — H.W. Brands

By acknowledging our boundaries and limitations, we attain greater heights than we ever will by appearing to think we know everything. — Graham Speechley

One of the ladies asked about that awful Bobby Kennedy, and Goldwater responded by speaking about the attorney general with touching affection. (Mary) McGrory recalled how Jack Kennedy behaved at a similar stage in his campaign: spouting statistics, attacking carefully chosen enemies and puffing all the right friends, quoting dead Greeks, never cracking a joke lest he remind the voters how young he was. — Rick Perlstein

They loved the sound of their own voices. No decision would be reached anytime soon. — Stephen L. Carter

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men. — Lao-Tzu

Pride refuses to be taught. Humility refuses not to be — Brad Lomenick

The president notices that when he takes off his coat to dig, people take more notice of the visual than they did his preceding remarks. — Paul C. Nagel

Public servants in this Europe often do their best when they stop caring about whether they'll be fired. — Ron Suskind

John's standard maneuver to ask someone to help him, especially in a moment of crisis, — William R. Forstchen

If you do not have the courage & conviction to talk about yourself..
Who on Earth will ever listen to you or ever talk about you..NO ONE! Confidence has nothing to do with HUMILITY,it is pure CONVICTION! — Abha Maryada Banerjee

For leaders, wars are filled with guesses. — John Ferling

Most of all I discovered that my change of mind was closely connected with a change of heart. As a young man, I was comfortable with teachings that supported my leadership role. The role of women was a great topic for debate because it really didn't affect me and my identity. However, as I have been able to better receive God's calling to leadership as a call to humility rather than supremacy, I have been more able to receive women in leadership as well. It is here where I believe that my mind and heart and the Scriptures are most connected. — Robert Fryling

The common soldiers did not blame him for his excessive grief. They knew him. They knew his flaws. Indeed, I think they loved him all the more because he was flawed, as they were, and did not hide his passionate, blemished nature. — Geraldine Brooks

Nixon under pressure turned only to reporters from publications already favorable to him; Kennedy, in trouble, turned to those most critical and dubious of him, and if anything tended to take those already for him a bit for granted. — David Halberstam

Inside that Colonel, there's a private that needs to be cuddled and held just like the rest of us." Hawkeye — M*A*S*H Episode Guide Team

She began to notice his servant's heart, his humility, and his leadership. This attraction felt different from her prior experiences of liking guys. "Before it had always been, 'Here's the guy I want!' But this time I thought, 'Here's a man I could follow. — Joshua Harris

Awful momentum makes carrying through easier than calling off folly. — Barbara W. Tuchman

Confident and courageous leaders have no problems pointing out their own weaknesses and ignorance. — Thom S. Rainer

No one is charismatic. Someone becomes charismatic in history, socially. The question for me is once again the problem of humility. If the leader discovers that he is becoming charismatic not because of his or her qualities but because mainly he or she is being able to express the expectations of a great mass of people, then he or she is much more of a translator of the aspirations and dreams of the people, instead of being the creator of the dreams. In expressing the dreams, he or she is recreating these dreams. If he or she is humble, I think that the danger of power would diminish. — Myles Horton

Simple life Ethos
If you must judge. Let your moral beacon guide you to a decision you can live with,
If you feel generous, give with humility so others could live with dignity,
If you became aware of injustice, your inaction or silence are part of it,
Living life without courage, is like living without honour,
If your arrogance started to control your behavior, then it's time for you to stratify to heaven where there are no earthly human beings
Never live behind the rocks. Always move to find comfort in brighter places, and
Always deem yourself to be courageous when others call upon you....... — Husam Wafaei

Humility is the cornerstone of leadership. — John G. Miller

Alas! in the clothes of the greatest potentate, what is there but a man? — Robert Louis Stevenson

Truly powerful people have great humility. They do not try to impress, they do not try to be influential. They simply are. People are magnetically drawn to them. They are most often very silent and focused, aware of their core selves ... They never persuade, nor do they use manipulation or aggressiveness to get their way. They listen. If there is anything they can offer to assist you, they offer it; if not, they are silent. — Sanaya Roman

David would wear no purple cloth, no symbols of his kingship, when he went to greet the ark. In its presence, we were all of us servants. — Geraldine Brooks

No matter how good you think you are as a leader, my goodness, the people around you will have all kinds of ideas for how you can get better. So for me, the most fundamental thing about leadership is to have the humility to continue to get feedback and to try to get better - because your job is to try to help everybody else get better. — Jim Yong Kim

Serve one another with great humility. — Lailah Gifty Akita

Great leaders are the first to say, "I was wrong. Let's make a change. — Beth Ramsay

The counselee should be aware that you are not God. Better yet, she should be aware that you are aware that you are not God. — James MacDonald

We must humble ourselves before [others] so we may learn from what others have lived. It is only when we have added their expertise to our own that we can truly excel towards our most ambitious goals and reach our fullest potential. — A.J. Darkholme

How does humility manifest itself in leadership and in life? A humble person is more concerned about what is right than about being right, about acting on good ideas than having the ideas, about embracing new truth than defending outdated position, about building the team than exalting self, about recognizing contribution than being recognized for making it. — Stephen Covey

Lincoln said his spiky hair had "a way of getting up in the world". — Harold Holzer

Courage is the enforcing virtue, the one that makes possible all the other virtues common
to exceptional leaders: honesty, integrity, confidence, compassion and humility — John McCain

Leaders devoid of crucible experiences are likely to be overly confident about their ideas, and surprisingly more susceptible to fears; this is also true of children who are overly sheltered from facing challenges and experiences that help build their character. Courageously facing our fears in the difficult times gives us both humility and real confidence. — Lee Ellis

Where everyone wants to be a leader, it makes one a follower to want to be a leader, and a leader to know what to follow. — Criss Jami

The author describes megalomania as seen in Chairman Mao by saying that what he was familiar with, he was really familiar with. This zeal moved the megalomaniac with a complete lack of appreciation for what he DID NOT know. — David Halberstam

When your sense of respect for others..
Your humility despite a chance at arrogance..
is MISCONSTRUED, MISUNDERSTOOD AND JUDGED..
Put a stop , pull the brakes..Some people do not deserve it!! — Abha Maryada Banerjee

Character is the direct result of mental attitude. I believe that character is higher than the intellect. I believe that leadership is in sacrifice, in self-denial, in humility and in the perfectly disciplined will. This is the distinction between great and little men. — Vince Lombardi

The best CEOs in our research display tremendous ambition for their company combined with the stoic will to do whatever it takes, no matter how brutal (within the bounds of the company's core values), to make the company great. Yet at the same time they display a remarkable humility about themselves, ascribing much of their own success to luck, discipline and preparation rather than personal genius. — James C. Collins

Level 5 leaders are differentiated from other levels of leaders in that they have a wonderful blend of personal humility combined with extraordinary professional will. Understand that they are very ambitious; but their ambition, first and foremost, is for the company's success. They realize that the most important step they must make to become a Level 5 leader is to subjugate their ego to the company's performance. When asked for interviews, these leaders will agree only if it's about the company and not about them. — James C. Collins

The three jewels of Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility. Balthasar said compassion leads to courage, moderation leads to generosity, and humility leads to leadership. — Christopher Moore

When you allow yourself to express both your authentic creativity and leadership talents, you will move in authentic humility and open yourself to the freedom offered by The No-Plan Plan. You will know you have no need to control all the details or waste precious moments fooling yourself with unneeded plans. You'll find faith and trust yourself, the Spirit of your own understanding, and those you lead. — Kevin E. Houchin Esq.

The immediate reactions of the two superpower leaders when confronted with the gravest international crisis of their careers were much the same, shock, wounded pride, grim determination, and barely repressed fear. — Michael Dobbs

Humility is always one play away. — Tim Foley