Leadership Quotes

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

30104 quotes

C
"A leader must be the first to sacrifice for his people."
Cato the Elder
C
"To rule is to understand the beast within every man."
Commodus
C
"To command is divine; to obey is human."
Commodus
C
"A soft voice commands fewer swords than a sharp one."
Commodus
C
"The empire thrives on order, and order requires an iron hand."
Commodus
C
"The Senate exists to validate my decisions, not to make them."
Commodus
C
"Empires fall not from invasion, but from soft hearts."
Commodus
C
"A tyrant's downfall begins the moment he shows restraint."
Commodus
C
"The people want bread and blood; I provide both."
Commodus
C
"The Senate protests in whispers; I rule through thunder."
Commodus
C
"A empire survives not on law, but on the will to enforce it."
Commodus
C
"A tyrant's greatest achievement is making tyranny seem inevitable."
Commodus
C
"Loyalty purchased with fear outlasts loyalty purchased with gold."
Commodus
D
"The measure of a leader is not in the battles won, but in the peace maintained."
Diocletian
D
"To govern well, one must first govern oneself."
Diocletian
D
"To serve is to lead, and to lead is to serve."
Diocletian
D
"To build a great empire, one must first build great character."
Diocletian
D
"A leader who listens is stronger than one who only commands."
Diocletian
D
"The strength of a leader is not in his iron will, but in his flexible wisdom."
Diocletian
D
"The greatest power lies in the ability to inspire others to greatness."
Diocletian
D
"To lead is to bear the burden of others' hopes and dreams."
Diocletian
T
"Optimus Princeps"
Trajan
T
"To lead is to serve"
Trajan
T
"The art of leadership is knowing when to listen"
Trajan
T
"A leader must walk the path he asks others to follow"
Trajan
T
"A true leader serves before commanding"
Trajan
S
"A soldier's duty is to obey, but a leader's burden is to decide what commands are just."
Septimius Severus
S
"A leader who cannot admit his mistakes will be buried beneath them."
Septimius Severus
S
"To serve is the highest calling; to serve justly is the highest art."
Septimius Severus
S
"To lead is to serve; those who forget this become tyrants."
Septimius Severus