The holiday season is upon us and most of us have shopped for that special something for family members and friends. We’ve decorated our homes and trimmed our trees. And some of you more ambitious types may have even started baking your favorite holiday treats. And of course we all enjoy that wonderful tradition of wrapping gifts. I usually buy several rolls of wrapping paper just so that the presents under my tree are wrapped in a variety of colors and prints. As the end of the year draws near, I look forward to New Year’s Eve and the promise of a new year and new beginnings. We put a lot of care into preparing for the holidays and ensuring that everything is merry and bright. So I thought it would be fitting to put as much energy into wrapping up our year professionally and preparing for new leadership challenges and opportunities in the New Year.
I’ve compiled a list of leadership quotes that may help you evaluate and wrap up the past year and develop an executable vision in preparation for the upcoming year. Consider it our gift to you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.” —Brian Tracy
“I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” —Ralph Nader
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
—Jack Welch
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” —Max DePree
“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
“People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.” —John Maxwell
“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
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” —Jim Rohn
“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” —General George Patton
“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” —General Colin Powell
“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” —John C. Maxwell