George Washington Carver on Vision

   This is a great refrain to team members that are struggling to get on board. This is the type of leadership quote that can be written in board rooms from now to eternity. When someone is so focused on flaws, they forget that they need to fix them.

   The literal definition of leader is one who leads. You must take charge of the team and lead them on the journey. If you just drive them to wear they need to be, you are managing them or bossing them around, but you aren’t really leading.

   As a leader, you have to take risks. The very idea of taking having the ship, is to take it out to sea. If you only do what’s best for the team or the company, you’ll never go out there and do anything. You’ll sit and wait for things to happen for you.

   When you are in the role of leadership, you must consider the desires of those you are leading, but you must not solely rely on them for shaping where to go. You must mold the will of those behind you that you are the one with the answers.

Napoleon on Hope

   Tom Peters emphasizes the same thing that we hear echoed in many of these leadership quotes. You must always lead, not manage. Management is usually something that is natural. You need to be sure that you focus your efforts on those traits of leaders.

   Choose your words wisely. You don’t have to talk constantly to lead. How many times have you heard the manager yelling at a restaurant only to slow the process down? Instead, say as little as possible. The big stick is being firm when you must be.

   From time to time, you do have to manage. At that point, you have to make sure your people know you’re their boss, not their friend. It’s great to fill them with visions of sugar plums, but they have to know that there are consequences for under performing.

   Yet another mantra for your entire team. When your entire team has the same values, everyone has the same goals in mind. Your decisions are simple and every member of your team can be trusted to make decisions that are in line with your goals

Arnold Glasow on a Good Leader

   When you are dealing with your team, you must always instill a sense of hope. You should never let them know that the odds are insurmountable. We remember Napoleon as a tyrant, but he was a much loved leader for a very long time.

   Similar to other leaders, Glasow keeps it straight and honest. Leaders have to take the brunt of the failure. The good news is that when you take that hit, your team will have even more respect for you.

   Here’s another phrase you can use with those you are leading. You can give your team this as part of their mantra. If they don’t keep the end in mind, they will lose focus. Always keep the end in mind so that you know where you’re going.

   It’s important to manage. However, don’t get confused and micromanage. You have to trust your team to do things right. You must focus your efforts on doing the right things. In all situations, you must focus on the big picture.

Steve Jobs on Innovation

   If you wait for someone to tell you how to lead or how to get things done, you’ll never be a leader. The best leaders are those who pave the way for themselves, and those following them. You have to take charge and show everyone where they’re going and how to get there.

   If you expect excellence as your standard, people will rise to meet that expectation. Whether it’s in a classroom, on a sports field, or in the workplace, people will always rise to meet the expectation of their superior. If you set it low, you’ll get low results.

   When people get credit for their individual accomplishments, it makes you look good. Some leaders, the bad ones, demand that they take all the glory for every accomplishment great or small. It’s best if your people don’t even realize they need you. They’ll work harder if they think they are working for themselves.

   This is a phrase you can use with your team. You can apply this to yourself and your team. Once you have something set in your mind, it’s done. So, if you are thinking negative, you’ll get a negative result. Make sure you have the right determination.

Mandela on Leading from Behind.

   Many people talk about leading from the front. Nelson Mandela points out that you must put others first. You always highlight what your subordinates are doing and how well they are doing it. That’s true leadership.

   Nelson Mandela does know that there are times you have to take the lead. When you are going into a bad situation, that’s when you put others in the passenger seat and take charge. The best thing you can do as a leader, is take all the heat and take none of the praise.

   Ray Kroc built the McDonald’s empire on his standards. Whether he meant to or not, he built an entire multi-billion dollar industry in fast food. You pave the way for success or failure with the standards you set.

   You must continue to learn. Never forget that you had to learn a lot before you were a leader. Your people will give you ideas. Don’t just accommodate them by hearing them. Listen and take into account those words. You might learn some new things.

Ike Eisenhower on the Art of Motivation

   True leadership is about getting results. If you are a great leader, people will want to please you. They will want to follow your lead. When you master the art of motivation, you will find that you do very little incentivizing and very little arm twisting.

   You lead by doing. When others see that you are going the right way, they automatically want to follow you because they know you’re heading in the right direction. Think about the leaders you followed in your peer group or on your sports team.

   It’s not enough to tell people what to do. You must first know the direction you need to go. Even then, words aren’t powerful. You have to start leading the way. Others will follow your lead because they watch you blaze the trail.

   If you are too timid as a leader, you will be devoured. Even if everyone around you is more experienced and more knowledgeable, you must lead with strength. Being a lion is about being strong, but it’s also about getting the lionesses to do your bidding.