The Best Inspirational Quotes on Leadership for Young Entrepreneurs

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams, 6th president of the United States 

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” – George Washington Carver, American scientist 

“You manage things; you lead people.” – Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, American computer scientist 

“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.” – Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun and missionary 

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch, American business executive 

“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” – Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State 

“Go as far as you can. When you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.” – JP Morgan, American financier 

“A leader is a dealer in hope.” – Napoleon Bonaparte, French military leader 

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States 

“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” – Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead, American anthropologist 

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs, founder and CEO of Apple 

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” – Rosalynn Carter, 39th first lady of the United States 

“He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” – Aristotle, 4th century B.C.E. Greek philosopher 

“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.” – Andrew Carnegie, American industrialist 

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” – Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., American civil rights leader 

“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position.” – Brian Tracy, Canadian motivational speaker 

“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” – Ray Kroc, CEO of McDonald’s 1967-1973 

“The speed of the leader is the speed of the gang.” – Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay cosmetics 

“When place in command, take charge.” – Norman Schwartzkopf, U.S. Army general 

“No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.” – Madonna, American performer 

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States 

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles, but today it means getting along with people.” – Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political activist 

“When the best leader’s work is done, the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!’” – Lao Tzu, 6th century B.C.E. Chinese philosopher 

“The topic of leadership is a touchy one. A lot of leaders fail because they don’t have the bravery to touch that nerve or strike that chord. Throughout my years, I haven’t had that fear.” – Kobe Bryant, American former basketball player 

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” – Maya Angelou, American poet and civil rights activist 

“Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.” – Henry J. Kaiser, American industrialist 

“Leadership is hard to define, and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a good leader.” – Indra Nooyi, Indian-American business executive and former CEO of PepsiCo. 

“I think one of the keys to good leadership is recognizing that everybody has gifts and talents. A good leader will learn how to harness those gifts towards the same goal.” – Dr. Ben Carson, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin, American founding father and inventor 

“I don’t know any other way to lead but by example.” – Don Shula, coach of the Miami Dolphins, 1970-1995 

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt, 32nd first lady of the United States 

“Taking on a leadership role doesn’t mean that you only have to be personally ambitious.” – Jacinda Ardern, 40th prime minister of New Zealand 

“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, American founder of Walmart 

“Education is the mother of leadership.” -Wendell Willkie, American lawyer 

“Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you’re ready to play as tough as you’re able to, you’d better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony. And they can tell when you’re not giving it all you’ve got.” – Larry Bird, American former professional basketball player 

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis, founding chairman of The Leadership Institute at The University of Southern California 

The Kantner Foundation is proud to offer college scholarships to Florida’s high school entrepreneurs. To learn more about our program, and to start your application, click here. 

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