To keep up with a patriotic theme, I sought out to write a blog article about leadership lessons from Thomas Jefferson since he is widely considered the original American patriot.
But that topic has already been covered by several books and blogs. So, I deleted that title and thought of another leader to focus on, but wasn’t satisfied about that either. I took a break from writing and signed on to the TBC twitter account to see what was going on in the leadership development world. While scrolling through tweets, I came across a familiar quote.
Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
-JFK
Leadership quotes are extremely popular, as each can express a significant message. And maybe one key to being a good leader is to study the quotes said by great leaders of our past. After reading that JFK quote, I decided to focus this blog article on a few popular leadership quotes, and the lessons we can take from it.
A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
As a leader or a manager, you want your direct reports to respect you and have confidence in your ability to manage. However, you also need to help ensure your direct reports see the potential in themselves. Empower others to contribute at higher levels through targeted development opportunities. Make it a point to hire people who can turn into leaders.
A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.
- John Quincy Adams
Leadership is the act of setting an example. When people see you working hard and meeting expectations, they are more likely to follow suit. If you have high energy and drive, your energy will inspire people and get them moving toward important goals. Also, keep mind that actions speak louder than words, and as the TBC President recently pointed out in his column, your every move as a leader is watched closely.
Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
-Benjamin Franklin
Sure, you’ve earned your leadership spot, but you can’t quit learning and evolving. Shutting out the observations and perceptions of others limits your growth and development, and chances are pretty good that, over time, you will develop blind spots. Successful leaders are open to feedback – both positive and negative, and use it to improve their performance or change course when necessary.
Tell us, are there any leadership quotes that inspire you?
