Summertime is a wonderful time to reflect. As you head into a season of longer days, take time to assess your leadership. These five quotes offer perspective:
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis
Leaders do the quiet, heavy work of bridging imagination and the messy, resource-constrained world where results are earned.
“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale
This is accountability. The dual refusal to offer excuses or accept them from others sets a standard that begins with the self before it’s ever applied externally.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
This offers a test for leadership that has nothing to do with title or authority. It’s purely outcome-based and other-focused. Leaders are multipliers of human potential.
“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” – Brené Brown
This is deceptively simple. We don’t need to soften, hedge, or withhold hard truths in the name of being nice. That’s really kindness to ourselves, not the other person. Candor is an act of care and respect.
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker
Leadership is fundamentally a question of judgment about what matters. Without sound leadership, a team can execute flawlessly while marching toward the wrong destination.
What thoughts do these quotes inspire? How do you want to continue to evolve as a leader? What will you do this summer to learn, grow, and rejuvenate?
Answering these questions will illuminate important next steps on your leadership development journey.
Founded in 2004, Lead Star is the company behind the best-selling books SPARK, Leading from the Front, and Bet on You. Lead Star helps professionals reach new levels of success through its innovative leadership development programs.
