Leadership Quotes

What separates leaders from the crowd? These words from history's most influential figures reveal the answer.

30104 quotes

"The future belongs to those who can read the present most clearly."
Catherine de Medici
"To govern is to understand the hearts of men, not merely their laws."
Catherine de Medici
"A queen must think like a king but act like a woman."
Catherine de Medici
"The art of ruling is knowing what secrets to keep."
Catherine de Medici
"Fear is the most honest counselor in matters of state."
Catherine de Medici
"A queen's crown is heavy because it is meant to be."
Catherine de Medici
"I prefer to command through love than through fear, but I prefer fear to nothing at all."
Catherine de Medici
"A queen's duty is not to be happy but to be remembered."
Catherine de Medici
"A truly powerful person makes others believe they are powerful."
Catherine de Medici
I
"To demand much of oneself is to demand the same of others; excellence is contagious."
Isabella d'Este
M
"Leadership is the capacity to inspire others toward their highest potential."
Marsilio Ficino
"Leadership is the art of inspiring others"
Giambattista Vico
"Leadership begins with the mastery of oneself"
Giambattista Vico
P
"To teach is to plant seeds that grow long after we are gone."
Poliziano Angelo
"The most dangerous person is one who has learned to think critically."
Émilie du Châtelet
P
"Leadership is not command, but inspiration through example."
Pico della Mirandola
P
"Leadership begins with the willingness to serve, not to command."
Pico della Mirandola
G
"True leadership lies not in command, but in the ability to inspire voluntary excellence."
Giambattista della Porta
G
"Leadership is the privilege of bearing the burden of others' futures."
Giambattista della Porta
G
"The successful leader makes others feel larger, not smaller, in his presence."
Giambattista della Porta
"A woman who masters her household masters kingdoms."
Catherine de Medici
"I have seen kingdoms fall because men forgot to question themselves."
Catherine de Medici
"The greatest luxury is not wealth, but the trust of those you govern."
Catherine de Medici
"A queen's duty is heavier than any crown she may wear."
Catherine de Medici
"A ruler who does not question themselves is already lost."
Catherine de Medici
"A woman of influence must never show that she is influenced."
Catherine de Medici
"A wise ruler knows that the most dangerous enemy is complacency."
Catherine de Medici
"A woman's influence grows in inverse proportion to how much she speaks of it."
Catherine de Medici
I
"A woman's influence extends far beyond the walls of her home when she cultivates her intellect."
Isabella d'Este
I
"I believe that to command, one must first understand."
Isabella d'Este