15 quotes about leadership from great leaders

This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider. 

You can learn a lot from other great leaders.

Whether they’re all-star baseball players or military heroes, they’ve got a thing or two to say about duty, honor, and integrity.

But perhaps what leaders have the most insight into is leadership itself.

In a recent note to clients, Fundstrat’s George Gianarikas compiled a list of quotes from leaders on what they themselves believed to be important traits for leadership.

Check them out below.

• “It’s almost impossible to overpay the truly extraordinary CEO… but the species is rare.” – Warren Buffett
• “The CEO is, by far, the most important decision for a company… The company is going to rise and fall with the CEO.” – Carl Icahn
• “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
• “To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less.” – Andre Malraux
• “Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” – Margaret Thatcher
• “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” – Steve Jobs
• To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way.” – Pat Riley
• “Earn your leadership every day.” – Michael Jordan
• “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” – Wayne Gretzky
• “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
• “To lead people, walk behind them.” – Lao Tzu
• “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn
• “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan
• “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” – Ray Kroc
• The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” – Harvey S. Firestone

Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

To keep up with the Agenda subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Author: Elena Holodny works at Business Insider.

Image: A businessman walks on the esplanade of La Defense, in the financial and business district in La Defense. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes.