75 Quotes that will inspire you to Lead by Example

True leadership is an exercise in demonstrating the qualities a leader wishes to develop in others. Nobody can be taught by a leader who does not display the qualities they try to teach.

Lead by Example Quotes

Here are 75 of the best quotes about leading by example.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain

“People may teach what they know, but they reproduce what they are.” John C. Maxwell

“What you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The three most important ways to lead people are… by example… by example… by example.” Albert Schweitzer

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” Douglas MacArthur

“Never separate the life you live from the words you speak.” Paul Wellstone

“The leader sees things through the eyes of his followers. He puts himself in their shoes and helps them make their dreams come true. The leader does not say, ‘Get going!’ Instead he says, ‘Let’s go!’ and leads the way. He does not walk behind with a whip; he is out in front with a banner.” Wilfred Peterson

“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.” Albert Einstein

“The world is changed by your example not your opinion.” Paul Coelho

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” Billy Graham

“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others, as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” Thomas J. Watson

“Make it your business to draw out the best in others by being an exemplar yourself.” Epictetus

“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

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams

“Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow.” Chinese Proverb

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius

“I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.” Tony Robbins

“Earn your leadership every day.” Michael Jordan

“Lead and inspire people. Don’t try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be led.” Ross Perot

“You can’t be successful with other people if you haven’t paid the price of success with yourself.” Stephen Covey

Related: Teamwork Quotes

“If you would lift me up you must be on higher ground.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.” John C. Maxwell

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

“Nothing speaks like results. If you want to build the kind of credibility that connects with people, then deliver results before you deliver a message. Get out and do what you advise others to do. Communicate from experience.” John C. Maxwell

“Efficiency is doing the thing right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing.” Peter F. Drucker

“Always do everything you ask of those you command.” General George S. Patton

“We are defined by what we do repeatedly, therefore excellence is a habit, not an act.” Aristotle

“The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” Unknown

“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” Confucius

“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” Ray Kroc

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” Steve Jobs

“Actions, not words, are the ultimate results of leadership.” Bill Owens

“People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.” Michelle Obama

“As a leader, I am tough on myself and I raise the standard for everybody; however, I am very caring because I want people to excel at what they are doing so that they can aspire to be me in the future.” Indra Nooyi

“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” Theodore Roosevelt

“Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average.” Jim Rohn

“Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes.” Margaret J. Wheatley

“As a leader, it’s a major responsibility on your shoulders to practice the behavior you want others to follow.” Himanshu Bhatia

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” Sheryl Sandberg

“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” Robert Louis Stevenson

“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

“My research debunks the myth that many people seem to have . . . that you become a leader by fighting your way to the top. Rather, you become a leader by helping others to the top.” William Cohen

“Good leaders must first become good servants.” Robert K. Greenleaf

“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But, if you must be without one, be without strategy.” General Norman Schwarzkopf

“If you want to improve the organization, you have to improve yourself and the organization gets pulled up with you.” Indra Nooyi

“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful.” Edward R. Murrow

“A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so that they can get on with their jobs.” Robert Townsend

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” Alexander the Great

“To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn’t know where he is going.” Joe Namath

“A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example.” Joe DiMaggio

“It is absurd that a man should rule others, who cannot rule himself.” Latin Proverb

“True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed… Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.” Sheryl Sandberg

“Example is leadership.” Albert Schweitzer

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” Harold S. Green

“I don’t know any other way to lead but by example.” Don Shula

“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” Tom Landry

“The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own example.” John Wooden

“A good leader walks the talk, takes responsibility and inspires others to also walk the talk and take responsibility.” Sri Sri Ravishankar

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” Kurt Vonnegut

“Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths.” John Zenger

“You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.” Sam Rayburn

“Real leadership is leaders recognizing that they serve the people that they lead.” Pete Hoekstra

“Leadership is an action, not a position.” Donald McGannon

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Churchill​​​​​​​

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” Vince Lombardi

“It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.” Adlai Stevenson

“To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“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 C. Maxwell​​​​​​​

“Shine your light and make a positive impact on the world; there is nothing so honorable as helping improve the lives of others.” Roy T. Bennett​​​​​​​

“A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” Stephen R. Covey

“I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.” Lao Tzu​​​​​​​

“The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King Jr​​​​​​​.

“A boss says, “you do it”, a leader says, “Let’s do it”.” Amit Kalantri

“Inspiring conduct has so much more of an impact than coercing it.” Thomas Friedman​​​​​​​

Related: Magnus Carlsen Quotes

Do these quotes inspire you to be a better leader by example this week?

Great leaders are those who understand they must inspire others by demonstrating the qualities they desire to instill in others. These quotes inspire us all to do our best to lead by example. Take a moment and print out this page. Or choose the top quote that inspires you and print that one out. You can be a more inspirational leader this week!

 

Also see our amazing collection of Boss Babe Quotes here!