There are hundreds of great leadership quotes. To make my list of top leadership quotes, I asked myself two questions: Is this quote true of Jesus and would Jesus endorse this? Jesus is the gold standard of leadership. He asked 12 ordinary men to follow Him and in three and a half years, He changed the world forever. Today over 2 billion people still follow Him.
I love this quote about the impact of Jesus’ leadership from ‘Who Is Jesus Really?’
“People who encounter the risen Christ are totally transformed. Their outlook on life is altered forever. Staying true to their faith, they do not hesitate to face hardship, persecution and even death. Many devote their lives to serving others, minimizing their own needs and desires.”
Historian Philip Schaff described the overwhelming influence which Jesus had on subsequent history and culture of the world.
“This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science…He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.”
When you read the quotes below, ask yourself these questions:
Is this quote true of Jesus? Would Jesus endorse this?
- A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. — John C. Maxwell
- Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. — Peter. F Drucker
- Great leadership is about human experiences. It’s not a formula or a program. It is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine — Lance Secretan
- Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing. — Albert Schweitzer
- My own definition of leadership is this: the capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence. — General Montgomery
- Treat others the way you want to be treated — Jesus
- Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them. — Stephen Covey
- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
- I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. — Ralph Nader
- Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice. — King Solomon
- People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. — John C. Maxwell
- Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems. — Brian Tracy
- Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory. — King Solomon
- Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. ― Warren Bennis
- A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example. ― John Wooden
- Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. ― Jesus
- The spiritual leader should outpace the rest of the church, above all, in prayer. ― Oswald Sanders
- He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader. ― Aristotle
- Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. ― Mark Twain
- Where there is no vision, the people perish. ― King Solomon
- We must be the change we wish to see in the world. ― Mahatma Gandhi
- Being in ministry requires a deep and intensive love for people. ― Dr. Aubrey Malphurs
- A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. ― Max Lucado
- A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see and who sees before others see. – Leroy Eimes
- So an elder (leader) must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? – Apostle Paul
- A big part of leadership is recognizing that your fruit often grows on other people’s trees. – Todd Adkins
- My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side. – Abraham Lincoln
- Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. – King Solomon
- He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander. — Aristotle
- No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it. — Andrew Carnegie
- So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. — Apostle Paul
- The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. — Harvey Firestone
- But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. — Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law)
- The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been. — Henry A. Kissinger
- Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best. — Chester W. Nimitz
- Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “what’s in it for me.?” – Brian Tracy
- It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. – St. Francis
- You teach what you know; you reproduce what you are. – Leif Hetlan
(Some quotes edited from PaulSohn.org)
Question: What great leadership quotes that reflect the life of Jesus can you add to this list?
