Personal Leadership Quotes & Sayings

Leaders don't fall in love with mediocrity. The status quo isn't their desire to maintain but to improve. — Israelmore Ayivor

Leaders know where they can function better. They don't cry over what they cannot do. — Israelmore Ayivor

The organization of supplies, the command of men, anything in any way constructive requires more than intellect; it requires energy and drive and an unrelenting will to serve the cause, regardless of one's personal interests. — Erwin Rommel

Your personal growth, how you show up, and the ways you lead ultimately determine the success of your business and your life. — David J. Greer

God wants to show such people how strong He really is (2 Chronicles 16:9). But not all who aspire to leadership are willing to pay such a high personal price. — J. Oswald Sanders

Transformation is an acquired taste - not for the faint of heart. — Bob Anderson

Missional leaders not only feel the burden of God's mission but they also act on the burden and act upon it sacrificially. Leading a missional church is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and to lead the church beyond it personal limits. Brokenness, inner turmoil and sacrifice will always be part of the missional leader's life. — Gary Rohrmayer

If you can listen to yourself and obey yourself more, then you have increased your chances for attaining personal effectiveness. — Archibald Marwizi

Slipping into bad attitudes and habits is like a beautiful queen growing older and uglier compared to the defined mission and personal standards. Time and again everyone who is serious about making their success more deliberate needs to stop by the mirror in their own mind and ask, "Mirror, mirror in my mind, am I still on course to succeed in life? — Archibald Marwizi

The future is personal. — Bill Jensen

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

Change in leadership brands must be influenced and proactively effected at a personal level, it can never be forced from outside with sustainable effectiveness. Saddam Hussein, Muammar al Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak are all political trophies, yet the effects of the military or "civil" initiatives that toppled them, are nothing to be proud of considering what continues to happen in countries like Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria, after the use of force to bring political change. — Archibald Marwizi

In 1992, Bill Clinton ran on a platform of 'ending welfare as we know it.' His political worldview, drawn from like-minded thinkers at the Democratic Leadership Council, was based in private sector growth and personal responsibility. — Nina Easton

Leaders heal; they don't kill. They unite; they don't disintegrate. — Israelmore Ayivor

Future strong individuals will not take on personal sacrifices, hardships and corporate crap that sidetrack them from their dreams and goals. — Bill Jensen

The prayer level of a church never rises any higher than the personal example and passion of the leaders. The quantity and quality of prayer in leadership meetings is the essential indicator of the amount of prayer that will eventually arise among the congregation. — Daniel Henderson

Hitler's unusually improvisational and personal style of leadership, which created constant responsibility conflicts and an anarchic tangle of offices and portfolios, was anything but an expression of political incompetence. On the contrary, it served to make Hitler's own supremacy essentially unassailable. — Volker Ullrich

In all, Nigeria belongs to us all and we have a personal responsibility to see that it succeeds — Fela Durotoye

Make the difficult choices and adopt the discipline regime required of a person who has set their mind to succeed, kiss mediocrity goodbye and translate an ordinary life to the extraordinary. It takes personal commitment of time and resources, and a sacrifice of non-essential pleasures to move towards success. — Archibald Marwizi

Let go of a need for personal recognition. Heap kudos on others and they'll perform even better next time. Leaders are only as good as those who follow them and followers are at their best when leaders are quick to give credit for successes. — Steve Goodier

Your life is a trajectory. Every choice you make alters that trajectory, in a positive or negative way. Will you categorize that dinner with friends as a business expense? Will you be honest with your daughter? Will you take more credit than you're due? These are just the small questions that we face every day, and little by little, the answers influence the trajectory of our lives and beings. — Donald Van De Mark

Be your self at your personal best — John Paul Warren

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

I often say that leadership is deeply personal and inherently collective. That's a paradox that effective leaders have to embrace. — Peter Senge

leadership means taking personal responsibility for results. Leadership means you get things done. Leadership means you keep your promises. — Robin S. Sharma

Leaders are lovers of change. Without change, growth is static. To lead, you have to appreciate change; else change will depreciate you! — Israelmore Ayivor

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

You are only as authentic as the substance you have inside you. Having others take your examinations or doing your assignments and projects is to reduce the level of authenticity of your qualification as well as your personal brand. Master your chosen area of study to the highest level and demonstrate that you have full knowledge as a specialist. Let the depth of your knowledge make you sought after and respected. Define yourself and be authentic. — Archibald Marwizi

A leader's attitude tells how often he will be the winner; his character determines how long he will be the winner. — Israelmore Ayivor

An order then should always be given not as a personal matter, not because the man giving it wants the thing done, but because it is the demand of the situation. And an order of this kind carries weight because it is the demand of the situation. — Mary Parker Follett

Gandhi and Mandela and Churchill and JFK and Reagan and Thatcher and Sarkozy and Franklin and Washington set the tone to an incredible degree-their "personal style" was their "brand." ("It" starts with personal style of the tip-top leadership team. Sorry to be politically insensitive, but who would give a hoot about Tibet if it weren't for the look and style of the Dalai Lama?) Boss at any level: You're either on the "it" boat-or not. — Tom Peters

Making appointments with yourself and scheduling other things around them is key to proactive self-management. — Michael Hyatt

Lasting leadership comes from a personal transformation, not a personal agenda. — Barry Banther

People should not have to sacrifice so much of their personal lives, hopes, dreams and goals just to keep up with corporate pressured morebetterfaster. And tomorrow's workforce won't. — Bill Jensen

The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership. — Chinua Achebe

Unless today is well lived, tomorrow is not important. — Alan Sakowitz

Leaders show examples. They have something to offer and they'll offer it by the process of how they got it. Anyone who has no examples to show may not lead better. — Israelmore Ayivor

Leadership responsibility is multidimensional and cannot be described in one or two words. It is personal, interpersonal, environmental and societal. — Linda Fisher Thornton

Their greatest fear is you may step forward without fear.
Because your courage may become contagious. — Tom Althouse

Positioning yourself and effective branding should not be left to sports and movie stars. Your need a personal coach, manager or mentor otherwise your expertise, skills or talent will not go far. You might have what it takes but sometimes you lack strategy and some finer elements. — Archibald Marwizi

The structure of our identity determines how we show up as a leader, how we deploy ourselves into circumstances. — William A. Adams

The time it takes to fall from the top of a mountain to the floor it shorter than what it takes to climb from the floor to the top. Only leaders with character can maintain their trusts. — Israelmore Ayivor

Once you make the requisite personal commitment to make your success deliberate, that commitment must translate into a definition of higher personal standards meant to depict the true impression of what you have become or are becoming within. — Archibald Marwizi

Collaboration begins with focusing on the collective good rather than personal gain. — Jane Ripley

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

I learned that leadership is about falling in love with the people and the people falling in love with you. It is about serving the people with selflessness, with sacrifice, and with the need to put the common good ahead of personal interests. — Joyce Banda

Now is the time to reinvent yourself and develop a new plan of action. Now is the time to create new actions and practices that are focused on growth and development in your personal and professional life. Now is the time to unleash your leadership potential and ignite your passion to lead. — Thomas Narofsky

The personal values managers reported being the most under pressure to compromise to do their jobs successfully: 1. Family 2. Integrity. — Stan Slap

Your personal brand must exude who you are, what you stand for, specifies your target market, what value you intend to add to them and the unique offering through which you will do that. — Archibald Marwizi

What you hold in your consciousness tends to manifest - the inner game runs the outer game. — William A. Adams

The leaders we revere and the businesses that last are generally not the result of a narrow pursuit of popularity or personal advancement, but of devotion to some bigger purpose. That's the hallmark of real success. The other trapping of success might be the by product of this larger mission, but it can't be the central thing. — Barack Obama

All around you, production must be taking place to bring you closer to realizing your defined success. Adopt a personal responsibility attitude to enable the realization of your dreams. — Archibald Marwizi

Truth flows from universal law, not personal views. — John Agno

There is no more powerful leadership tool than your own personal example. — John Wooden

Recognizing the good, not just in one's own personal circumstances, but in the world, makes anything possible. When I am asked about the important characteristics of leadership, being of good, positive mind is at the top of my list. If a leader can focus on the meritorious characteristics of other people and try to play to their strengths as well as find value in even the most difficult situation, she can inspire hope and faith in others and motivate them to move forward. — Wilma Mankiller

In our system leadership is by consent, not command. To lead a President must persuade. Personal contacts and experiences help shape his thinking. They can be critical to his persuasiveness and thus to his leadership. — Donald Rumsfeld

These two qualities of leadership [Integrity and Sincerity] were part of God's law's for the Israelites (Deuteronomy 18:13). God wants His people to show a transparent character, open and innocent of guile.
A prominent businessman once replied to a question: "If I had to name the one most important quality of a top manager, I would say personal integrity." Surely the spiritual leader must be sincere in promise, faithful in discharge of duty, upright in finances, loyal in service, and honest in speech. — J. Oswald Sanders

I think personal diplomacy has caused a lot of mischief and harm, and has impeded the progress of peace in the world. It leads to a very great fallacy - the almost pathetic belief of some Foreign Ministers - that, if they had lunch with someone and called him by his Christian name, they have changed the fundamental facts of relationship between nations. — Paul Hasluck

If you want to break through to higher levels of performance, you must allow yourself to be restructured. — William A. Adams

The two additional unique human endowments that enable us to expand our proactivity and to exercise personal leadership in our lives are imagination and conscience. — Stephen R. Covey

[Pope Francis] is a humble man. He lives the faith out in his own personal life ... He's here to be a shepherd; he isn't here to be a scold. I think that's a good thing for the church and for the world, frankly. — Rick Santorum

The starting point of enlightenment, a goal that every person should strive for, is inner leadership. Leadership is far more than something businesspeople do at work. Leadership is all about personal responsibility, self-discovery, and creating value in the world by the people we become. Too many people spend their time blaming others for all that isn't working in their lives. We blame our spouses for our unhappy home lives; we blame our bosses for our distress at work; we blame strangers on the freeway for making us angry; we blame our parents for keeping us small. Blame, blame, blame, blame. But blaming others is nothing more than excusing yourself. Blaming others for the current quality of your life is a sad way to live. In doing so, all you're doing is playing the victim. — Robin S. Sharma

I vividly remember a conversation I had many years ago in 1974, which marked a turning point in my leadership journey. I was sitting at a Holiday Inn with my friend, Kurt Campmeyer, when he asked me if I had a personal growth plan. I didn't. In fact, I didn't even know you were supposed to have one. — John C. Maxwell

The speed at which progress rolls is not determined by the number of people who started pushing it, but by the number of people who are passionate to hold on doing so. — Israelmore Ayivor

Integrity, a standard of personal morality and ethics, is not relative to the situation you happen to find yourself in and doesn't sell out to expediency. Its short supply is getting shorter - but without it, leadership is a facade. — Denis Waitley

When You Seek to Stay in Your Natural Flow of Vitality That is When Your Magical Moments Appear — Runa Magnus

Peter's denial was not just a personal weakness. He was in a leadership position, honored as the one who spoke for the group, and was second in command (when Jesus wasn't around). But his choice to publicly deny his place in the community at the side of Jesus had massive repercussions for the other disciples. They ran and hid, and from this point on in the Way of the Cross there is no mention of the disciples again in the Passion narrative. The sheep are scattered, routed, and demoralized. Peter's sin tore open the seems that held them together. — Megan McKenna

Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed. — Mwai Kibaki

Leadership is about focus and concentrations. To be in focus, choose a clear direction. To concentrate, remain in that direction! — Israelmore Ayivor

If you disconnect yourself from principles you believe must work for others, then you create a leadership brand that is not genuine and that will lead you to say one thing and practice another. This is the reason why knowledge and mastery issues covered at a personal level, must be revisited with a leadership focus. — Archibald Marwizi

The only job security you have today os your commitment to continuous personal improvement. — Ken Blanchard

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

Fashion understands itself; good-breeding and personal superiority of whatever country readily fraternize with those of every other. The chiefs of savage tribes have distinguished themselves in London and Paris, by the purity of their tournure. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

The reasons why institutions fail and societies change are complex, and simplistic explanations should evoke automatic suspicion. Sometimes external causes - droughts, plagues or foreign invasions - can unsettle a nation, or its leadership may prove inadequate because of personal factors. In every case, a society faces problems, and is solutions or lack of response set a course for the future. — Thomas W. Africa

The most powerful leadership tool you have is your personal example. — John Wooden

Embracing personal vulnerability is required if you wish to work, play and succeed in the future. — Bill Jensen

Personal leadership is not a singular experience. It doesn't begin and end with the writing of a personal mission statement. It is, rather, the ongoing process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with those most important things. — Stephen R. Covey

All leadership begins from inside a person and must be developed and grown as they grow into emerging and enduring leaders — Thomas Narofsky

At this critical time, I am grateful to Sandra Bullock for once again demonstrating her leadership, compassion and belief in our global humanitarian mission. Sandra continues to enable our lifesaving work and is a model for personal generosity. — Sandra Bullock

If you have an offense against me, do you know you can't repent of my sin? You can only plead your own personal pardon at the throne of God. — Johnny Hunt

We have to ask ourselves if we have become so focused on supporting personal choices that we're failing to encourage women to aspire to leadership, — Sheryl Sandberg

My life has far exceeded my expectations not because of my own personal efforts or mindset but because of my friends who have enriched my existence — John Paul Warren

You make the plans - otherwise you will die thinking it is not possible to plan to have time for work, for exercise, for sleep, for relaxation, for recreation, for eating, for entertainment, for love, for family, for spirituality, for friends, for personal reflection, for personal development, for business, for charity all in one life! — Archibald Marwizi

Change leads to growth. Resistance leads to rigidity. Rigidity leads to ... — Gary Rohrmayer

World Class leaders know the secret to motivating themselves and others is discovering what they will fight for when the going gets rough. — Steve Siebold

Between a plan and it's achievement is a leader in the middle. With his one arm he makes the plan. With the other one he carries them through. — Israelmore Ayivor

My personal convictions drive me to join those like-minded, in the recruitment of a growing army without guns, no hatred or prejudice, but with a leadership voice of influence and harnessing resources to create the change they desire. The major problems facing the world, particularly our beloved African continent, will not be won by sanctions, cruelty, ethnic cleansing, revenge, guns or bullets. The challenges are not largely externally motivated, so the platform to change them must shift. Shift from selfish to selfless, from external to internal, from behaviours to beliefs. Some of them are externally sponsored but self-inflicted, whilst most of them are due to greed, short-sightedness, abuse and selfishness. — Archibald Marwizi

If the UN and other international multilateral institutions are sending troops and weaponry, now they must begin to fund training and leadership development at the same levels. The new war must start with the quality of beliefs and dreams that are planted into the hearts and minds of school children at a personal level and permeate the driving philosophies of entire societies and communities. — Archibald Marwizi

We must see the new Nigeria The Nigeria We Want we must accept personal responsibility to build it — Fela Durotoye

The accumulation of beliefs, knowledge and experiences contribute to our level of success and progress in life, however they also introduce the reality that we are all prejudiced. If not well managed, our personal prejudices can become the mental prison we lock ourselves inside or we use to shut others out. You need to deal with this likely impediment to a success-driven lifestyle. — Archibald Marwizi

When you are a person people can trust, they will call on upon you, love to be around you and work with you. — Israelmore Ayivor

The change "grief cycle", for some people, may be excitement, enthusiasm, engagement, effort, and excellence. — Paul Gibbons

A code of ethics cannot be developed overnight by edict or official pronouncement. It is developed by years of practice and performance of duty according to high ethical standards. It must be self-policing. Without such a code, a professional soldier or a group soon loses identity and effectiveness. Once we know our job, have a genuine code of ethics, and maintain unquestioned personal integrity, we have met the first and most demanding challenge of leadership. — Silas L. Copeland

But these self-appointed teachers lack personal experience, and do not even listen when others speak to them. Relying solely on their own self-assurance, they order their brethren to wait on them like slaves. They glory in this one thing: to have many disciples. Their main objective is to ensure that, when they go about in public, their retinue of followers is no smaller than those of their rivals. They behave like mountebanks rather than teachers. They think nothing of giving orders, however burdensome, but they fail to teach others by their own conduct. Thus they make their purpose obvious to all: they have insinuated themselves into a position of leadership, not for the benefit of their disciples, but to promote their own pleasure. — Kallistos Ware

One-time rival and subsequent usurper Secretary of State Seward finally settled into an assessment of Lincoln that, His confidence and compassion increase every day. — Doris Kearns Goodwin

While personal maturity may mean being able to see beyond yourself, leadership maturity means considering others before yourself. — John C. Maxwell

Organisations often appoint leaders for their IQ. Then, years later, sack them for their lack of EQ (Emotional Intelligence). Common Purpose argues that in the future they will promote for CQ - Cultural Intelligence. — Julia Middleton

If you check your personal blind spots, you can be able to guard against focusing on what you cannot do, but reduce the areas of weakness by taking their space with more of your strengths. — Archibald Marwizi

Since when do grown men and women, who presume to hold high government office and exercise what they think of as "moral leadership," require ethics officers to tell them whether it is or isn't permissible to grab the secretary's behind or redirect public funds to their own personal advantage? — Meg Greenfield

Skills and special abilities will only grow if you practice more. You become a star-performer by doing. Let performance and production of desired results become a consistent habit associated with your personal brand. — Archibald Marwizi