200 Best The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Quotes
1. “Warren Buffet said if there was one skill if people could improve, it would how to connect and communicate.”
2. “When a leader has done the work to connect with his people, you can see it in the way the organization functions. Among employees there are incredible loyalty and a strong work ethic. The vision of the leader becomes the aspiration of the people. the impact is incredible.” — John C. Maxwell
3. “To add growth, lead followers – To multiple, lead leaders.”
4. “Never underestimate the power of building relationships with people before asking them to follow you. If you’ve ever studied the lives of notable military commanders, you have probably noticed that the best ones practiced the law of connection. I once read that during World War I in France, General Douglas MacArthur told a battalion commander before a daring charge, “Major, when the signal comes to go over the top, I want you to go first, before your men. If you do, they’ll follow.” Then MacArthur removed the distinguished service cross from his uniform and pinned it on the major. He had, in effect, awarded him for heroism before asking him to exhibit it. And of course, the major led his men, they followed him over the top, and they achieved their objective.” –— John C. Maxwell
5. “There was a very cautious man
6. “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.”
7. “A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.”
8. The Law of Influence. The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. As simple as that. All great leaders have followers. The main point here is to understand that leadership is about raising others up to their highest potential and accepting the fact that one day they may become better leaders than you. Only in this case can you influence people
9. “Don’t you talk to the person first—to check him out to see if he’s a good leader?” I said. “No,” he answered. “If he’d been a good leader, the organization wouldn’t be in the mess it’s in.”
10. “Attitude is one of the most contagious qualities a human being possesses.”
11. “It's not the position that makes the leader; it's the leader that makes the position. ”
12. “A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.”
13. “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.”
14. “Helping people be 'right' is more productive than proving them 'wrong'.”
15. The Law of Process. Leadership develops daily, not in a day. You can’t become a leader overnight. It requires time and effort. That means you need a personal plan for growth in place. And as we aim to lead others, we should help them on a course of success as well (growing together)
16. “A key to connecting with others is recognizing that even in a group, you have to relate to people as individuals. General Norman Schwarzkopf remarked, “I have seen competent leaders who stood in front of a platoon and all they saw was a platoon. but great leaders stand in front of a platoon and see it as 44 individuals, each of whom has aspirations, each of whom wants to live, each of whom wants to do good.” — John C. Maxwell
17. “Eleanor Roosevelt commented, "Life is like a parachute jump; you've got to get it right the first time.”
18. “Fans say only he can do that. Friends say I can do that.”
19. “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”
20. The Law of Intuition. Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias. “Many leaders describe this as an ability to ‘smell’ things in their organization. They can sense people’s attitudes. They are able to detect the chemistry of a team… They don’t need to sift through stats, read reports, or examine a balance sheet. They know the situation before they have all the facts. That is the result of their leadership intuition. ” Leadership intuition is very much based on your growth as a leader
21. You can use the free VIA Character strengths inventory to start with
22. The Law of Magnetism. Who you are is who you attract. Leaders attract people like themselves. So if you want to grow an organisation, grow the leader. And if you want to attract better followers, “become the kind of person you desire to attract. ”
23. “Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best.”
24. “We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.”
25. “Predetermine a course of action.
26. “As a leader, you don’t earn any points for failing in a noble cause. You don’t get credit for being “right” as you bring the organization to a halt. Your success is measured by your ability to actually take the people where they need to go. But you can do that only if the people first buy into you as a leader.”
27. “You cannot kindle afire in any other heart until it is burning within your
28. “Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. ” ~ John C Maxwell
29. “Am I going to wing it or am I going to work for it?”
30. The Law of Influence: Leadership is influence. The leader’s effectiveness is determined by his/her ability to influence others
31. The Law of Navigation: Leaders are responsible for charting the course, but followers are responsible for getting there safely and continuously
32. “A minute of thought is greater than an hour of talk.”
33. “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.” – John Maxwell
34. “To lead any way other than by example, we send a fuzzy picture of leadership to others. If we work on improving ourselves first and make that our primary mission, then others are more likely to follow.”
35. The Law of Big Mo. Momentum is a leader’s best friend. Small wins create momentum towards achieving big goals. So we need to aim at creating small wins and celebrating them
36. “What you attract is not determined by what you want. It’s determined by who you are.”
37. “A successful person finds the right place for himself. But a successful leader finds the right place for others.”
38. “Leadership is often misunderstood. When people hear that someone has an impressive title or an assigned leadership position, they assume that individual to be a leader. Sometimes that’s true. But titles don’t have much value when it comes to leading. True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time—either to increase your level of influence with others or to undermine it.”
39. Get Help from Others: The second step to raising your leadership lid is getting help from others. Remember, no one achieves greatness alone—even the most effective leaders need help from others at times
40. Invest in Your Development: The third step to raising your leadership lid is investing in your development. In other words, Leadership development requires time, effort, and intentionality. It doesn’t happen overnight—it takes months and even years of dedicated effort to see significant results
41. “If you want to be a leader, the good news is that you can do it. Everyone has the potential, but it isn't accomplished overnight. It requires perseverance.”
42. “Content people may not have the best of everything, but they make the best of everything. That is who you want your children to be.”
43. “A legacy is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great things without him. ” ~ John C Maxwell
44. “To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge.”
45. “Effective leaders know that you first have to touch people’s hearts before you ask them for a hand. That is the law of connection. All great communicators recognize this truth and act on it almost instinctively. You can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion. the heart comes before the head. “— John C. Maxwell
46. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
47. “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.”
48. “Only you reach your potential as a leader do your people have a chance to read their potential.”
49. “I discovered that great men were willing to share their ideas. And I was learning so much. You can learn only if others are ahead of you.”
50. The Law of Inner Circle. A leader’s potential is determined by the people closest to him. Select carefully the people you build relationships with. And remember that you become the sum of the five people you spend the most time with
51. The Law of Buy-In. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Vision and great leadership work hand in hand. So it’s good to have a vision, but it’s equally important to have an excellent personal brand
52. “I’m not going to teach it unless I live it.”
53. The Law of Process: Leadership develops daily, not in a day. Leaders need to continually grow and contribute to their team to remain successful
54. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
55. “Enlarging others makes you larger.”
56. “Great leaders always seem to embody two seemingly disparate qualities. They are both highly visionary and highly practical.”
57. “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
58. “A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose – a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.”
59. The Law of Explosive Growth. To add growth, lead followers – to multiply, lead leaders. Leadership compounds. So to see the explosive growth, invest your time and effort to develop leaders, not only followers
60. “If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading…”
61. “Relational skills are the most important abilities in leadership.”
62. “I like having people bigger and better than me around me. If you’re number one in your class, you’re in the wrong class.”
63. “Always touch a person’s heart before you ask him for a hand.”
64. The Law of Sacrifice. A leader must give up to go up. The greater a leader’s vision and mission, the greater sacrifices they must make
65. “It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.”
66. “Every time I speak I have two messages – my Best Message and Big Message.”
67. “Leadership is responsible.
68. “Question for God every morning:
69. “In a study of ninety top leaders from a variety of fields, leadership experts warren Bennis and Burt Nanus made a discovery about the relationship between growth and leadership: “It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers.” Successful leaders are learners. And the learning process is ongoing, a result of self-discipline and perseverance. The goal each day must be to get a little better, to build on the previous day’s progress.”
70. “To build trust, a leader must exemplify competence, connection, and character. ” ~ John C Maxwell
71. The Law of Buy-In: Leaders must gain commitment and cooperation from the members of their team if they want to be successful. This requires communication, negotiation, and buy-in
72. “anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. Leaders who are good navigators are capable of taking their people just about anywhere.”
73. “Make your first impression the true expression of who you are.”
74. “Poem by Howard A. Walter (Character)
75. “There are 5 essentials to communication – Who says it? What is said? How it is said? When it is said? Why it is said?”
76. “My Best Message is written on paper, it’s for the moment. It changes with the audienc.”
77. “The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation.
78. “When it comes to identifying a real leader, that task can be much easier. Don't listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader. Don't examine his credentials. Don't check his title. Check his influence. The proof of leadership is found in the followers.
79. “What do the people closest to you value? Make a list of the most important people in your life-from home, work, church, hobbies, and so on. After making the list, write what each person values most. Then rate yourself on a scale of 1 (poorly) to 10 (excellently) on how well you relate to that person's values. If you can't articulate what someone values or you score lower than an 8 in relating to that person, spend more time with him or her to improve.”
80. “Champions don’t become champions in the ring—they are merely recognized there.”
81. “A dream becomes a reality as a result of your actions, and your actions are controlled, to a large extent, by your habits.”
82. “Someday people will summarize your life in a single sentence. My advice: pick it now!”
83. “If we are growing we are always going to be outside our
84. “If you enjoy yourself, they enjoy you. If you can’t get over yourself, we are tired of you.”
85. “The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying”
86. “Good leaders are always conscious of the fact that they are setting the example and others are going to do what they do, for better or worse. In general, the better the leaders’ actions, the better their people.”
87. “People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves. ” ~ John C Maxwell
88. The Law of Connection. Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. People will not move into action if they don’t feel connected to their leader
89. “You can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion…. The heart comes before the head.”
90. The Law of Solid Ground. Trust is the foundation of leadership. If you do not have trust, you can’t influence people
91. “Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one Like
92. “People don’t care what you know until they know what you care.”
93. “A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”
94. “Authenticity in and of itself doesn’t guarantee success. But a lack of authenticity guarantees failure.” – Jamie Lee Kerma
95. “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. ” ~ John C Maxwell
96. “If you develop yourself, you can experience personal success.
97. “Vision, strategy, and inspiration – these three words describe me the best. I am the founder of “TheLeaderboy” dedicated to leadership and personal development. As a self-taught practitioner, I have been studying the principles of effective leadership for the past decade and my passion lies in sharing my insights with others. My mission is to empower individuals to become better leader
98. The Law of Legacy. A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession. Great leaders lead their lives – they have a vision in mind and dedicate their lives to its fulfilment. It’s all about having a greater purpose in life
99. “There are no Lone Range leaders. Think about it: if you’re alone, you’re not leading anybody are you?”
100. “if you don't have peace, it isn't because someone took it from you; you Like
101. “A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences.”
102. The Law of Timing. When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go. Timing is everything in leadership. Only the right action at the right time will bring success
103. “You have to live with the people to know their needs, and you have to Like
104. The Law of Addition. Leaders add value by serving others. Great leaders put effort into getting to know the people they lead, understand their priorities, goals and dreams, and then find a way to help them get where they want to go. Maxwell says mature leaders “listen, learn, and then lead. ”
105. “The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total Like
106. “A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him. ” ~ John C Maxwell
107. “When I say something to business community I only have to say it once. Because it’s about money. I’ve made successful people very successful. The Christian community is about souls. It’s sad the business community is attracted to money more than the Christian community is attracted to souls.”
108. “Seven Steps to Success
109. The Law of the Lid. Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness. There’s a lid to your potential. Therefore, if you expand your leadership capacity, you expand your ability to impact the world
110. “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”
111. “A positive attitude can really make dreams come true – it did for me.”
112. “The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person to participate.”
113. “First, when we are busy, we naturally believe that we are achieving. But busyness does not equal productivity. Activity is not necessarily accomplishment. Second, prioritizing requires leaders to continually think ahead, to know what's important, to know what's next, to see how everything relates to the overall vision. That's hard work. Third, prioritizing causes us to do things that are at the least uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful.”
114. “The Law of Connecting says ALL about others.”
115. The Law of Empowerment. Only secure leaders give power to others. If you want to gain respect, trust and admiration from your followers, focus on empowering them. And to be able to give power to others, you need to work on your self-worth first
116. “I want friends, not fans. Success is a terrible separator.”
117. “God’s never hold us accountable for gifts we don’t have.” – Joyce Meyer
118. The Law of Respect. People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves. Good leaders rely on respect – as soon as people lose respect for a leader, their influence over them will disappear
119. “People buy into the leader, then the vision. ” ~ John C Maxwell
120. “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.”
121. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” — John C. Maxwell
122. “What is your personal plan for growth?”
123. “Whether you are a follower who is just beginning to discover the impact of leadership or a natural leader who already has followers, you can become a better leader. As you read about the laws, you may recognize that you already practice some of them very effectively. Other laws may expose weaknesses you didn’t know you had. Use your review as a learning experience. […]
124. “If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to Like
125. “Most high achievers spend time developing their professional skills. They seek to be highly competent. Fewer focus on their character. What are you currently doing to develop your character?
126. The Law of the Picture. People do what people see. Lead by example – create a picture to inspire others to action. “Followers may doubt what their leaders say, but they usually believe what they do. ”
127. “There’s an old saying: To lead yourself, use your head; to lead others, use your heart. That’s the nature of the Law of Connection. Always touch a person’s heart before you ask him for a hand.” –— John C. Maxwell
128. “Real leadership is being the person others will gladly and confidently follow.”
129. “When talented teams don’t win, examine the leadership.”
130. “Leadership is visual. People do what people see.”
131. “Leaders Who Attract Followers . . . Need to Be Needed.
132. “What do I want the people to see, know, feel and to do?” – 4 separate questions fo know your Big Message
133. “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead Like
134. “The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to be buried is the character of a man. This is true. What a man is survives him. It can never be buried. " -J. R. MILLER”
135. The Law of the Lid: The level of an organization's or individual's success is determined by the “lid” – the leader’s ability to lead
136. “They come to hear you give the Best Message but they’re drawn to the Big Message.”
137. “I don’t tell my vision. I live my vision.”
138. “A leader can give up anything – except final responsibility.”
139. “People dont care what you know until they know what you care”
140. “Success is...
141. “To lead yourself, use your head; to lead others, use your heart.”
142. “I’ve spoken over 13,000 times.”
143. Develop a Growth Mindset: The first step to raising your leadership lid is developing a growth mindset. A growth mindset is a belief that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, good teaching, and practice
144. “We feel unhappy and confused with our life when we don't do the focus Like
145. “The problem with giftedness is there is a tendency to take shortcuts. The problem is you can do it and get by with it.”
146. “True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time—either to increase your level of influence with others or to undermine it.”
147. “Enjoy every experience. It’s just difficult when the communicator is not enjoying the experience.”
148. “Leaders Who Attract Followers . . . Need to Be Needed
149. “Improvement is impossible without change.”
150. “You cannot give what you do not have.”
151. “If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if Like
152. The Law of Priorities. Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment. Great leaders are not just busy, they are effective. Why? Because business doesn’t lead to accomplishments, but setting priorities does
153. “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.”
154. The Law of Victory. Leaders find a way for the team to win. To be victorious, a leader needs to know three components of victory: unity of vision, diversity of skills, and a leader desiccated to victory and raising players to their potential. “Great leaders are committed to winning. ”
155. “Many people view leadership the same way they view success, hoping to go as far as they can, to climb the ladder, to achieve the highest position possible for their talent. But contrary to conventional thinking, I believe the bottom line in leadership isn't how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”
156. “You don’t enjoy the experience until you get over yourself.”
157. “My name is John and I’m your friend.”
158. “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
159. “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”
160. “Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.”
161. “Leaders always find a way to make things happen.”
162. “At twenty-five I made the decision I would not preach what I do not believe.”
163. “The Big Message is written in your heart. The Big Message never changes. It’s your DNA. It’s who you are as a communicator.”
164. “You can't move people to action unless you first move them with emotion.... The heart comes before the head.”
165. “If you want to connect with people you have to intentionally connect with their world. You have to find people to lead people.”
166. “Some leaders have problems with the law of connection is because they believe that connecting is the responsibility of followers. That is especially true of positional leaders. They often think, I’m the boss. I have the position. These are my employees. Let them come to me. But successful leaders who obey the law of connection are always initiators. They take the first step with others and then make the effort to continue building relationships. That’s not always easy, but if it’s important to the success of the organization, a leader has to do it anyway, no matter how many obstacles there might be.” — John C. Maxwell
167. “I want you to see your possibilities. I want you to know your value. I want you to feel empowered. I want you to apply and multiply.” – Applying the four questions.
168. “The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be.”
169. “A lack of realism in the vision today costs credibility tomorrow.”
170. “Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a Like
171. “A celebrity is a person who works hard all of their life to become well known, and then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.”
172. “The Law of Credibility says your most effective message is the one you live.”
173. “Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that Like
174. “The bottom line in leadership isn't how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.”
175. “You need to laugh at yourself a lot more because everyone else is.”
176. “Connecting with people isn’t something that needs to happen only when a leader is communicating to groups of people. It needs to happen with individuals. The stronger the relationship and connection between individuals, the more likely the follower will want to help the leader”
177. ‘Failing forward’ is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.
178. “Leaders always find a way to make things happen. ” ~ John C Maxwell
179. “Do not take the agenda that someone else has mapped out for your Like
180. “The Dentist”—The Things They Carried: Why Does Lemon Faint?
181. “Do not take the agenda that someone else has mapped out for your life.”
182. “Every message that people receive is filtered through the messenger who delivers it.”
183. The Law of Navigation. Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. Great leaders are navigators who always have in mind that their team depend on them. They look back, learn from mistakes and successes, and look ahead to see where the challenge may arise
184. “The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will Like
185. “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”
186. “Leaders see everything with a leadership bias. Their focus is on mobilizing people and leveraging resources to achieve their goals rather than on using their own individual efforts. Leaders who want to succeed maximize every asset and resource they have for the benefit of their organization. For that reason, they are continually aware of what they have at their disposal.”
187. “I prepare a message and then I prepare myself. Do I live this?”
188. “To push people down you have to go down with them.”
189. “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”
190. “When people respect you as a person, they admire you. When they respect you as a friend, they love you. When they respect you as a leader, they follow you.”
191. “Leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less.”
192. “For leaders to be effective, they need to connect with people. Why? Because you first have to touch people’s hearts before you ask them for a hand. That is the Law of Connection. All great leaders and communicators recognize this truth and act on it almost instinctively. You can’t move people to action unless you move them with emotion.”
193. “Improvement is impossible without a change in leadership. ” ~ John C Maxwell
194. “You find your voice only when you’re authentic.”
195. “Leading well is not about enriching yourself – it’s about empowering others. Leadership analysts Lynne McFarland, Larry Senn, and John Childress sat that “empowerment leadership model shifts away from ‘position power’ to ‘people power,’ within which all people are given leadership roles so they can contribute to their fullest capacity.” Only empowered people can reach their potential. When a leader can’t or won’t empower others, he creates barriers within the organization that followers cannot overcome. If the barriers remain long enough, then the people give up and stop trying, or they go away to another organization where they can maximize their potential.”
196. “When it comes to identifying a real leader, that task can be much easier. Don’t listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader. Don’t examine his credentials. Don’t check his title. Check his influence. The proof of leadership is found in the followers.
197. “The Law of Preparation says you cannot deliver what you have not developed.”
198. “Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't." If”
199. “No one ever had morale authority quoting someone else.”
200. “The better leader you are, the better leaders you will attract. ” ~ John C Maxwell
201. “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to Like
202. “A thought-reader reads the thought and passes is along to someone else. A thought-leader reads a thought and it immerses itself in you.”
203. “To Stay Focused in Life:
204. “The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.”
205. “Leadership is often misunderstood. When people hear that someone has an impressive title or an assigned leadership position, they assume that individual to be a leader. Sometimes that’s true. But titles don’t have much value when it comes to leading.”
206. “Stay focused instead of getting offended or off track by others.”
