Inspiring Leadership: The Ultimate Collection of Inspirational Quotes for Bosses

"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."

- President Ronald Reagan

"A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them."

- M.D. Arnold

"If you are a boss, ask yourself: When you look back at how you’ve treated followers, peers, and superiors, in their eyes, will you have earned the right to be proud of yourself? Or will they believe that you ought to be ashamed of yourself and embarrassed by how you have trampled on others’ dignity day after day?"

- Robert I. Sutton

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"A leader is a person you will follow to a place you would not go by yourself."

- Joel Barker

"People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision."

- John Maxwell

"Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar."

- Orrin Woodward

"The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been."

- Henry Kissinger

"Psychological safety is the key to creating a workplace where people can be confident enough to act without undue fear of being ridiculed, punished, or fired – and be humble enough to openly doubt what is believed and done. As Amy Edmondson’s research shows, psychological safety emerges when those in power persistently praise, reward, and promote people who have the courage to act, talk about their doubts, successes, and failures, and work doggedly to do things better the next time."

- Robert I. Sutton

"THE 11 COMMANDMENTS FOR WISE BOSSES Have strong opinions and weakly held beliefs. Do not treat others as if they are idiots. Listen attentively to your people; don’t just pretend to hear what they say. Ask a lot of good questions. Ask others for help and gratefully accept their assistance. Do not hesitate to say, ‘I don’t know’. Forgive people when they fail, remember the lessons, and teach them to everyone. Fight as if you are right, and listen as if you are wrong. Do not hold grudges after losing an argument. Instead, help the victors implement their ideas with all your might. Know your foibles and flaws, and work with people who correct and compensate for your weaknesses. Express gratitude to your people."

- Robert I. Sutton

"Bosses shape how people spend their days and whether they experience joy or despair, perform well or badly, or are healthy or sick. Unfortunately, there are hoards of mediocre and downright rotten bosses out there, and big gaps between the best and the worst."

- Robert I. Sutton

"A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit."

- Arnold H Glasgow

"A good boss is a good teacher, and a good leader is a good follower."

- John C. Maxwell

"The leader who is admired and respected is the one who is able to inspire and empower others."

- John C. Maxwell

"Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in your charge."

- Simon Sinek

"A good boss is a good teacher."

- Gibran Khalil Gibran

"A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

"To add value to others, one must first value others."

- John Maxwell

"Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another."

- John C. Maxwell

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way."

- John C. Maxwell

"To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

"True leaders understand that leadership is not about them but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up."

- Sheri L. Dew

"A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

"Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge."

- Simon Sinek

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."

- Warren Bennis

"A leader leads by example, not by force."

- Sun Tzu

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives."

- President Theodore Roosevelt

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."

- Lao Tzu

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Leaders don’t inflict pain, they share pain."

- Max Depree

"No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it."

- Andrew Carnegie

"You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go."

- Jeanette Rankin

"The way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first."

- Iyanla Vanzant

"We are stronger when we listen, and smarter when we share."

- Rania Al-Abdullah

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is a habit, not a virtue."

- Aristotle

"To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace."

- Doug Conant

"When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home."

- Betty Bender

"The best leaders have a high consideration factor. They really care about their people."

- Brian Tracy

"Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader… they set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role – always about the goal."

- Lisa Haisha

"Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world."

- Roy T. Bennett

"A boss says ‘Go!’; a leader says ‘Let’s go!’"

- E.M. Kelly

"Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence."

- Sheryl Sandberg

"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit."

- Arnold Glasow

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet."

- Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish."

- Sam Walton

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

- Peter Drucker

"People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude."

- John C. Maxwell

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers."

- Ralph Nader

"The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it."

- Theodore Roosevelt

"When your boss listens to you carefully, reaches out to help you, and learns from you, it enhances your dignity and pride. Doing so also helps your boss gain empathy for you, to better understand how it feels to be you and what you need to succeed in your job and life."

- Robert I. Sutton

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"You don’t have to be a brilliant leader to be successful, but you do have to be brilliant at leading yourself."

- Simon Sinek

"The greatest leaders mobilize others by coalescing people around a shared vision."

- Ken Blanchard

"A leader is not a searchlight, always shining bright, but a lighthouse, guiding others through treacherous waters."

- John C. Maxwell

"To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

"The worst bosses condemn their people to live in constant fear as they wait for the next wave of bad news, which always seems to hit without warning and at random intervals. The best bosses do everything possible to communicate when and how distressing events will unfold. When the timing of a stressful event can be predicted, so can its absence: Psychologist Martin Seligman called this the safety signal hypothesis. Predictability helps people know when to relax versus when dread and vigilance are warranted – which protects them from the emotional and physical exhaustion that results when people never feel safe from harm for even a moment. Seligman illustrated his hypothesis with air-raid sirens used during the German bombing of London during World War II. The sirens were so reliable that people went about their lives most of the time without fear; they didn’t need to worry about dashing to the shelters unless the sirens sounded."

- Robert I. Sutton

"Good bosses focus their attention, and their people’s efforts, on the small number of things that matter most. The best bosses learn when they can and should ignore the least important demands from others. But some demands can’t be avoided even though they have little, if any, impact on people or performance. In such cases, it might be wise to do a quick and crummy job so you can ‘check the box’ and quickly move on to more crucial chores."

- Robert I. Sutton

"The best management is sometimes less management or no management at all. William Coyne, who led 3M’s Research and Development efforts for over a decade, believed a big part of his job was to leave his people alone and protect them from other curious executives. As he put it: ‘After you plant a seed in the ground, you don’t dig it up every week to see how it is doing.”"

- Robert I. Sutton

"The best bosses find the sweet spot between acting like spineless wimps who always do just as they are told (no matter how absurd) versus insubordinate rabble-rousers who challenge and ignore every order and standard operating procedure. Good bosses try to cooperate with superiors and do what is best for their organizations, but they realize that defiance can be required to protect their people and themselves – and sometimes is even ultimately appreciated by superiors."

- Robert I. Sutton

"The greatest gift of leadership is a boss who wants you to be successful."

- Jon Taffer

"As the research shows, the more time you spend around rotten apples – those lousy, lazy, grumpy, and nasty people – the more damage you will suffer. When people are emotionally depleted, they stop focusing on their jobs and instead work on improving their moods. If you find that there are a few subordinates who are so unpleasant that, day after day, they sap the energy you need to inspire others and feel good about your own job, my advice – if you can’t get rid of them – is to spend as little time around them as possible."

- Robert I. Sutton

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."

- Edith Wharton

"A good boss is better than a good company."

- Chinese Proverb

"A good boss is a person who can tolerate my complaints and still manage to say hello to me every day."

- Byron Pusifer

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

- Albert Schweitzer

"Interruptions are especially destructive to people who need to concentrate – knowledge workers like hardware engineers, graphic designers, lawyers, writers, architects, accountants, and so on. Research by Gloria Mark and her colleagues shows that it takes people an average of twenty-five minutes to recover from an interruption and return to the task they had been working on – which happens because interruptions destroy their train of thought and divert attention to other tasks. A related study shows that although employees who experience interruptions compensate by working faster when they return to what they were doing, this speed comes at a cost, including feeling frustrated, stressed, and harried. Some interruptions are unavoidable and are part of the work – but as a boss, the more trivial and unnecessary intrusions you can absorb, the more work your people will do and the less their mental health will suffer."

- Robert I. Sutton

"Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up."

- Jesse Jackson

"No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it."

- H.E. Luccock

"Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems."

- Brian Tracy

"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen."

- Ernest Hemingway

"You don’t lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership."

- Dwight Eisenhower

"The words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?"

- Arabian Proverb

"Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

- George Bernard Shaw

"Negative interactions (and the bad apples who provoke them) pack such a wallop in close relationships because they are so distracting, emotionally draining, and deflating. When a group does interdependent work, rotten apples drag down and infect everyone else. Unfortunately, grumpiness, nastiness, laziness, and stupidity are remarkably contagious."

- Robert I. Sutton

"Psychologist Susan Fiske observes, ‘Attention is directed up the hierarchy. Secretaries know more about their bosses than vice versa; graduate students know more about their advisors than vice versa.’ Fiske explains this happens because, like our fellow primates, ‘people pay attention to those who control their outcomes. In an effort to predict and possibly influence what is going to happen to them, people gather information about those with power.”"

- Robert I. Sutton

"Numerous lawyers, consultants, and accountants have told me that when a client has treated them badly, they avoid working for them again unless they are desperate, and when they must, they often charge higher rates to make themselves feel better and because assholes consume extra time and emotional energy. A European consultant explained his firm’s evidence-based ‘asshole pricing’ in a comment on my blog: We’ve therefore abandoned the old pricing altogether and simply have a list of difficult customers who get charged more. Before The No Asshole Rule became widely known, we were calling this Asshole Pricing. It isn’t just a tax, a surcharge on the regular price; the entirety of the price quoted is driven by Asshole considerations."

- Robert I. Sutton

"Don’t talk unless you can improve the silence."

- Jorge Luis Borges

"When you are grateful, fear disappears, and abundance appears."

- Anthony Robbins

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."

- Kurt Vonnegut

"Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals."

"The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes."

"Thank you for treating every mistake as a learning opportunity. I’m not afraid to fail; I’m only afraid of failing you."

"Forget a card; I could write a novel, and still would not have enough space to say how wonderful you are. Thank you for everything that you do."

"Your support is the best work perk I can think of. I feel so grateful to be on your team."

"Thank you for being more than my manager, but also my teammate, my teacher, my collaborator, and, on occasion, my therapist."

"Not only do you lend a hand, but also a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry on, a strong backbone, a brilliant mind, and one of the biggest hearts around. We’re thankful for all of you."

"If one day, I’m half the boss that you are, then I’ll be in good shape."

"I dreamed about my career for years, but in all my fantasies, I never imagined a boss as great as you!"

"I believe in me because you believe in me. Thank you for the confidence."

"I am so proud to be led forward by a person who is not only industry-renowned but is also an amazing boss. I can only hope to be half of the person that you are someday. It is a privilege to work under your leadership. Thank you!"

"I am glad that my first work experience was here and that my first boss is you. I am definitely now more sure about my career decisions that I'll be taking going forward. Thank you for your words of encouragement."

"It’s an incredible work experience to work under a boss whose skills and talents are notable. I get to learn something new from you every day. Thank you for showing me how a great leader leads."

"Saying "thank you" is not enough for me to express how grateful I am for your support over the years. You are my mentor, and everything I have achieved to date is because of you."

"This is an appreciation note for a person who is all three- great boss, mentor, and manager. Your guidance and advice have been invaluable to me since I joined. I can’t thank you enough for all the help that you've bestowed upon me."

"This is a note to express how grateful I am for the promotion. It wouldn’t have been possible without your understanding and support. Thank you for being such an amazing boss."

"Your words of encouragement, guidance, and advice kept us sane while chasing deadlines. We just wanted to appreciate you and express how glad we are to work under your leadership. We're genuinely proud to be led by such a great boss. Thank you for everything."

"As a new hire, I thought that it will difficult to adjust to the work environment. But, had I known that I would get the opportunity to work under you, I needn’t have worried. Thank you for taking me under your wing since the first day itself. It has motivated me to do the same for anyone else in the future."

"Thank you for the great review that we had the other day. You made it easier for me to understand where I need to apply my skills and talents."

"This is a note of appreciation for taking time out of your busy day and helping me reach my goals. Without your guidance and advice, I would have been indeed at odds. Thanks for being not only a great boss but an incredible mentor as well."

"Even though you are the boss, you've never considered it beneath you to get your hands dirty while working on a project. Thank you for giving us the same respect and dignity you would give your professional equals. You are indeed a great leader, and all of us are proud to be led by you."

"Dear Boss, Among all of the farewell messages that I got, yours was the one the stood out to me. Thank you for all the years of guidance and advice you have bestowed upon me. You're the one who truly molded me into someone with valuable skills and talents. It was a privilege to work under your leadership. I hope to make you proud of my future endeavors as well."

"Dear Boss, Thank you for noticing and appreciating my contributions. Your words of encouragement are what drives me to do great work."

"This might be my farewell message to you, but you know that you'll always hear from me. I can't leave without expressing how great it was working for you. Your skills and talents are renowned enough that I hope some rubbed off me as well. I learned almost everything I know about this sector from you. Thank you for allowing me to work with you."

"It is an amazing honor for me to be promoted to [position]. I would like to thank you for trusting and showing faith in me. I assure you that I will put all my skills and talents to good use and do great work."

"To work under your leadership is the most valuable work experience that anyone could hope for. I'm looking forward to learning more about our company. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work here."

"A note of appreciation for helping me with [topic] today. Your insights really helped put things into a new perspective and helped me complete my work on time. You’re such an amazing boss to have!"

"Working under a boss like you really helps to elevate the whole work experience. Your motivation and kindness are a few traits that make you the great leader that you are today. Thank you for your understanding and support."

"We are blessed to have all three- boss, mentor, and manager- in you. While working under your leadership, we managed to learn something new every day. Thank you for everything you do."

"I believe that our team is in a minority when others complain about having difficulty bosses. This made us realize how lucky we are to have a great boss like you who understands, supports, and guides us through every obstacle."

"You’re truly a gem of a person and definitely a great leader. We are so happy to work under your leadership. Thank you for understanding and supporting our decisions concerning the new project. It means a lot to us to have our boss backing us up."

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work on such an innovative project. Your support and advice have helped me reach where I am today. I promise to honor your belief in me by giving my absolute 100% and do great work."

"Thank you for helping me understand what I did wrong and how to solve such issues. Your patience and guidance make it easier for me to learn, and I couldn't thank you enough for it. I promise to bring my best self to work every day and make you proud."

"Working under your leadership has been a game-changer for me. I didn't know that a work environment could be this positive and encouraging. Thank you for everything."

"I appreciate you letting me not worry about work when facing problems with [issue]. It has made dealing with it much easier, and now I am ready to work harder than ever before. My sincerest thanks to you."

"I just wanted to let you know how much the bonus meant to me. Not only because of monetary reasons but because it has made me feel appreciated. It is nice working under a boss who recognizes their team as well. Thank you for being such a great boss."

"It has been an amazing journey to work under a boss who is also a friend. To work here was one of the best decisions I made in life, all thanks to you. I hope I can use the skills and talents that you helped me cultivate and make you proud of me."

"I’m living proof that you believe, “leave it better than you found it,” because I am so much better for knowing you. Thank you for always championing my growth."

"A card or cake could never express how much you mean to us. Thank you for being our champion, our cheerleader, and our fearless leader."

"Thank you for never letting me settle for less than my best."

"You never gave up faith in me, and never let me give up faith in myself. My perseverance is thanks to you."

"You’re more than our boss. You’re a teacher, a leader, and a motivator. Thank you for being more than who you have to be, and inspiring us to be all we can be."

"You never make us say thank you, which makes us want to thank you all the more. To a boss who never demands credit, but deserves so much of it."

"Though you rarely step into the spotlight, you pull the strings and move the scenery so that the show can continue. Today is your day to take a well-deserved bow. Bravo!"

"You deserve the best day, because you are the best boss."

"You are a Boss with a capital B."

"It means so much that you always make time for our questions and concerns."

"On your team, there are no roadblocks, only speedbumps. Happy to be on this journey with you."

"It means a lot that you’re my mentor."

"We see everything you do, and we appreciate you!"

"I only bring my A-game because I have such an exceptional coach. Thanks for sharing your best plays."

"Thank you for always seeing the best in us and wanting the best for us."

"We want to thank you for being patient, understanding, and support our project even when it has exceeded our deadline. We assure you that the great work we did will override our lateness."

"We would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to work on the new project. Our team is really excited and looks forward to delivering the results that you expect from us."

"We know it’s not easy, but you make it look easy."

"A manager who never leaves your side is a manager worth looking up to."

"Our team really appreciates the time that you took out to guide us on our project. Thank you!"