Explore Quotes on Leadership

The leader is a person who has the possibility through destiny to know the people, to recognize their capacities, and to bring them to bear on the problem.

While followers idealize the real, leaders realize the ideal... They outshine with their power of love those whose only motivation is love of power.

What's emerging is a new synthesis of science, spirituality and leadership as different facets of a single way of being.

The best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present.

The greater a man is in power above others, the more he ought to excel them in virtue. None ought to govern who is not better than the governed.

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.

There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing.

There are many in public life who deserve only our praise and admiration. But there are too many who are products of a class that knows little other than spin and the machinations of politics. Little wonder that leadership of the transforming sort is so hard to come by. The danger is that this may be permanent. Where our best people shun politics because the profession isn't honoured as it once was, this only serves to make the profession even less honoured.

When was the last time you heard an insightful, inspiring piece of oratory from an Australian political leader, an appeal to what is pure and true within humanity: a statement of belief backed by ideas for change betterment, a call to those immutable values wherein lie the potential greatness of people individually and collectively? Such exhortation, such leadership is lamentably scarce.

My current fear is that the message being sent by the level of vitriol surrounding Gillard's flawed leadership (but tell me whose wasn't flawed) is being heard by Australian women and girls loud and clear. And the message is: 'Don't aspire to high office,sweetheart, because we'll flay you alive.'

Some things transcend politics and policy and the lust for power. Truth, honesty, integrity, decency and fairness are immutable values. They are the ethical substance of life. They ought to be cherished. To sell them out is to sell one's soul.

I'm not so sure liberal democracy as we know it has reached its terminus. It's clear though, that many have genuinely lost confidence in the Australian political class. One reason is that we like to place enormous burdens of expectations on modern political leaders. To be sure such expectations aren't always honest. Just as we want better public services but object to paying the higher taxes that would make them possible, we often want leadership but only if there aren't hard choices with real consequences.

We have a natural constant craving for leadership. Democracy is always a fragile and imperfect achievement. Yet a distinct feeling of malaise in our political culture lingers. There is something missing from our public debates.

The beginning is the most important part of any work, especially in the case of a young and tender thing; for that is the time at which the character is being formed and the desired impression is more readily taken.

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.

The man who occupies the first place seldom plays the principal part.

In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm... in the real world all rests on perseverance.

Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.

The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper, and re-imagines the world.

There are many qualities that make a great leader. But having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristic of a great leader.

In choosing a President, we really don't choose a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or liberal. We choose a leader.