As a woman, you must make yourself strong. There are going to be times in your life when you feel discouraged and depressed and hopeless and defeated, but you have to fight those feelings with everything you’ve got.
A quote can be incredibly inspiring, especially when it comes from someone who has done something worth emulating. Women leaders can be especially inspirational, as they are often underrepresented in the business world and are looked to as examples of how to make it in a typically male-dominated industry.
Moreover, if you’re a woman looking to get ahead in your career, it can be helpful to hear advice from other women who have done the same.
These 137 quotes on leadership by incredible women leaders will inspire you, motivate you, and remind you of why being yourself and blazing your own trail are so important.
These are incredible Woman Quotes on Leadership that will inspire you to take action and make your voice heard, whether you’re trying to get your team onboard with an idea or just want to let the world know what kind of leader you are.
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Short Woman Quotes on Leadership That Will Inspire You
I am deliberate and afraid of nothing. ―Audre Lorde
You are never too small to make a difference. ―Greta Thunberg
The way you tell your story to yourself matters. ―Amy Cuddy
Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet. ―Sarah Louise Delany
I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. ―Estée Lauder
The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me? ―Ayn Rand
Hard work keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit. ―Helena Rubinstein
Delete the negative; accentuate the positive. ―Donna Karan
Dreams and reality are opposites. Action synthesizes them. ―Assata Shakur
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. ―Anais Nin
Give light and people will find the way. ―Ella Baker
Nothing is impossible, the word itself is, ‘I’m possible!’ ―Audrey Hepburn
If it doesn’t scare you, you’re probably not dreaming big enough. ―Tory Burch
Who you are surrounded by often determines who you become. ― Vicky Saunders
When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example. ―Roxane Gay
Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want. ―Dianne Feinstein
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. ―Oprah Winfrey
An important attribute of success is to be yourself. Never hide what makes you, you. ―Indra Nooyi
Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are. ―Lady Gaga
The only safe ship in a storm is leadership. ―Faye Wattleton
Champions keep playing until they get it right. ―Billie Jean King
My best successes came on the heels of failures. ―Barbara Corcoran
The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have. ―Padmasree Warrior
Do something you love. ―Lisa Sugar
The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them. ―Ida B. Wells
People respond well to those that are sure of what they want. ―Anna Wintour
I have broken many glass ceilings – so I know it can be done. ―Helen Clark
Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be. ―Elizabeth Gilbert
Get Inspired by These Awesome Woman Quotes on Leadership
I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse. ―Florence Nightingale
If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive. ―Betty Eadie
I’m a maniacal perfectionist. And if I weren’t, I wouldn’t have this company. ―Martha Stewart
I just want women to always feel in control. Because we’re capable, we’re so capable. ―Nicki Minaj
If you’re not making some notable mistakes along the way, you’re certainly not taking enough business and career chances. ―Sallie Krawcheck
Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences. ―J. K. Rowling
Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. ―Brené Brown
Continuous learning leads to continuous improvement. Commit yourself to advancing your knowledge, skills, and expertise. The business environment is quickly changing, and your understanding of the leading practices, thinking, and emerging tools will help you manage for better results. Be a lifelong student. ―Pamela Gill Alabaster
Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes. ―Margaret Wheatley
The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves. ―Barbara Corcoran
People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer [to fulfillment]. Actually, a job is better for me. ―Princess Diana
One of the criticisms I’ve faced over the years is that I’m not aggressive enough or assertive enough or maybe somehow, because I’m empathetic, it means I’m weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong. ―Jacinda Ardern
Without being willing to fail and continually get back up again, I would never have been able to find the right market and establish my product within it. ―Kelly Manthey
Making the decision to not follow a system, or someone else’s rules has allowed me to really dig into what my own strengths and gifts are without spending time feeling jaded or wasteful. ―Ishita Gupta
I decided I can’t pay a person to rewind time, so I may as well get over it. ―Serena Williams
Quotes from Women Leaders about Failures
We need to accept that we don’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes. Understand that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success. ―Arianna Huffington
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ―Margaret Mead
We must have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed. Life would be a sorry business without them. With them, it’s grand and great. ―Lucy Maude Montgomery
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow. ―Mary Anne Radmacher
If you have an idea, you have to believe in yourself or no one else will. ―Sarah Michelle Gellar
Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing. ―Mary D. Poole
Listening to others, especially those with whom we disagree, tests our own ideas and beliefs. It forces us to recognize, with humility, that we don’t have a monopoly on the truth. ―Janet Yellen
It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent. ―Madeleine Albright
You have to look at your career and personal life at the big-picture level: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Doing that helps me feel OK during the weeks when one part of my life overwhelms the other. ―Joanna Horsnail
I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be. ―Diane von Furstenberg
Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live. ―Anne Sweeney
Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives. ―Michelle Obama
I think the truth of the matter is, people who end up as ‘first’ don’t actually set out to be first. They set out to do something they love and it just so happens that they are the first to do it. ―Condoleezza Rice
Magic happens when you connect people. I credit much of my success to always making it a point to truly get to know people and help them whenever I can. It’s become the backbone of our firm’s success. Women founders in particular are often highly skilled at making connections that can help advance their businesses. ―Susan Macpherson
On my own, I will just create, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll create something else. I don’t have any limitations on what I think I could do or be. ―Oprah Winfrey
Part of leadership is knowing when to go ahead with a decision that’s within your authority because you’re really convinced it’s the right thing, even if other people don’t understand it at that point. ―Dr. Ingrid Mattson
The mere fact of being able to call your job your passion is success in my eyes. ―Alicia Vikander
You need to spend political capital; be unafraid to introduce people, compliment somebody when it’s deserved and stand up for something you really believe in, rather than just go with the flow. ―Amy Schulman
Buckle up, and know that it’s going to be a tremendous amount of work, but embrace it. ―Tory Burch
Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. ―Ella Fitzgerald
Leadership is about the team – the culture they keep and embrace, it’s about empathy for your customers, clients, employees and the communities where you do business, it’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons, being confident enough to take risks and responsible enough to think of those who your decisions and risks may affect. ―Kat Cole
I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass. ―Maya Angelou
When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example. ―Roxane Gay
Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want. ―Dianne Feinstein
Do not be afraid to make decisions. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. ―Carly Fiorina
When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. ―Harriet Beecher Stowe
You can and should set your own limits and clearly articulate them. This takes courage, but it is also liberating and empowering, and often earns you new respect. ―Rosalind Brewer
I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist. ―Ginni Rometty
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. ―Alice Walker
I think it’s a combination of personality traits that have helped me to succeed. Not only hard work, but patience, sacrifice and choosing my battles have all helped me to reach the point in my career to which I aspired, in a company I admired. ―Katelyn Gleason
Woman Leadership Quotes on Fearlessness
Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me. ―Arianna Huffington
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. ―Wilma Rudolph
Rarely are opportunities presented to you in a perfect way. In a nice little box with a yellow bow on top. ‘Here, open it, it’s perfect. You’ll love it.’ Opportunities – the good ones – are messy, confusing and hard to recognize. They’re risky. They challenge you. ―Susan Wojcicki
Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ―Helen Keller
Dreams are lovely but they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change. ―Shonda Rhimes
Whatever it is that you think you want to do — and whatever it is that you think stands between you and that — stop making excuses. You can do anything. ―Katie Beauchamp
People will say to me, ‘You’ve played so many strong women,’ and I’ll say, ‘Have you ever said to a man, ‘You’ve played so many strong men?’’ No! Because the expectation is men are varied. Why can’t we have that expectation about women?” – Meryl Streep
A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be. ―Rosalynn Carter
Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence. ―Sheryl Sandberg
To me, leadership is about encouraging people. It’s about stimulating them. It’s about enabling them to achieve what they can achieve – and to do that with a purpose. ―Christine Lagarde
The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. ―Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
I raise up my voice not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard… We cannot succeed when half of us are held back. ―Malala Yousazai
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ―Muriel Strode
Abandon anything about your life and habits that might be holding you back. ―Sophia Amoruso
If you are committed to creating value and if you aren’t afraid of hard times; obstacles become utterly unimportant. A nuisance perhaps; but with no real power. The world respects creation; people will get out of your way. ―Candice Carpenter Olson
Leadership is not a person or a position. It is a complex moral relationship between people based on trust, obligation, commitment, emotion, and a shared vision of the good. ―Joanne Ciulla
A good leader is able to paint a picture of a vision for the future and then enlist others to go on the journey with her. A truly conscious leader recognizes that it is not about her, but that the team is looking to her for inspiration and direction. Keeping her ego in check is essential. ―Tamra Ryan
Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you. ―Hillary Clinton
It’s okay to admit what you don’t know. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s more than okay to listen to the people you lead – in fact, it’s essential. ―Mary Barra
You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing, no one to blame. ―Erica Jong
Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself. ―Gloria Steinem
Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else. ―Sara Blakely
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. ―Amelia Earhart
I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough. ―Marissa Mayer
You may not always have a comfortable life, and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own. ―Michelle Obama
If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities. ―Maya Angelou
Emotional intelligence is the ability to use emotion to increase your own and others’ success. ―Annie McKee
Every twist and turn in life is an opportunity to learn something new about yourself, your interests, your talents, and how to set and then achieve goals. ―Jameela Jamil
Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough. ―Emily Dickinson
You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. ―Maya Angelou
We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained. ―Marie Curie
Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. ―Eleanor Roosevelt
I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them. ―Madam C. J. Walker
A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves. ―Eleanor Roosevelt
Powerful Quotes From Women Leaders
When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid. ―Audre Lorde
Leadership is hard to define, and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader. ―Indra Nooyi
Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, She doesn’t have what it takes. They will say, Women don’t have what it takes. ―Clare Boothe Luce
Strategic leaders must not get consumed by the operational and tactical side of their work. ―Stephanie S. Mead
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. ―Marianne Williamson
Grace is meeting those moments on the journey, then picking yourself back up, being humble enough to learn, and not being too hard on yourself. ―Michelle Peluso
If you want to run for Prime Minister, you can. If you don’t, that’s wonderful, too. Shave your armpits, don’t shave them, wear flats one day, heels the next. These things are so irrelevant and surface to what it is all really about, and I wish people wouldn’t get caught up in that. We want to empower women to do exactly what they want, to be true to themselves, to have the opportunities to develop. ―Emma Watson
Finally I was able to see that if I had a contribution I wanted to make, I must do it, despite what others said. That I was OK the way I was. That it was all right to be strong. ―Wangari Maathai
You cannot live to please everyone else. You have to edify, educate and fulfill your own dreams and destiny. ―Viola Davis
You have to fight because you can’t count on anyone else fighting for you. And you have to fight for people who can’t fight for themselves. To get anything of real value, you have to fight for it. ―Ronda Rousey
Cultivate a network of trusted mentors and colleagues. Other people can give us the best insight into ourselves—and our own limitations. We must have the courage to ask for help and to request feedback to expand our vision of what’s possible. ―Maria Castañón Moats
I tell my daughters to have their voice in this world, and it became clear I needed to role-model that. ―Melinda Gates
We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead. ―Beyoncé
With kids, they don’t do what you want them to do when you want them to do it. Organizations don’t necessarily, either. You’ve got to listen. You’ve got to learn how to influence. ―Ellen J. Kullman
No one else is going to build the life you want for you. No one else will even be able to completely understand it. The most amazing souls will show up to cheer you along the way, but this is your game. Make a pact to be in it with yourself for the long haul, as your own supportive friend at every step along the way. ―Tara Mohr
Women need to shift from thinking, “I’m not ready to do that” to thinking, “I want to do that – and I’ll learn by doing it.” ―Sheryl Sandberg
I’ve always subscribed to the belief that the best leader is not one who has the most followers, but one who creates the most leaders. I strive every day — and in every program and offering we have at Integrous Women — to create more conscious, confident, and soulful leaders who, in return, will build a better world for all. ―Stephanie Courtillier
The best way to change it is to do it. Right? And then after a while, you become it and it’s easy. ―Ursula Burns
The way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first. ―Iyanla Vanzant
There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me. ―Jane Austen
I don’t follow trends or try to compete with anyone. Everything I do stems from following my passion and my love for design. ―Guo Pei
‘Restore connection’ is not just for devices, it is for people too. If we cannot disconnect, we cannot lead. ―Arianna Huffington
You have got to do the right thing even if it is painful. Don’t trim or track all over the place. Set your course and take the difficult decisions – because that is what needs to be done. ―Margaret Thatcher
I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear. ―Rosa Parks
No matter how senior you get in an organization, no matter how well you’re perceived to be doing, your job is never done. ―Abigail Johnson
Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you. ―Ruth Bader Ginsburg
If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader. ―Dolly Parton
Quotes You’d Love to Tweet
I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them. ―Madam C. J. Walker Share on XTake criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you. ―Hillary Clinton Share on XThe most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any. ―Alice Walker Share on XBuckle up, and know that it’s going to be a tremendous amount of work, but embrace it. ―Tory Burch Share on XI didn't know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be. ―Diane von Furstenberg Share on XCourage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. ―Brené Brown Share on XI attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse. ―Florence Nightingale Share on XPower can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself. ―Gloria Steinem Share on XOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. ―Marianne Williamson Share on XThe way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first. ―Iyanla Vanzant Share on XQuotes Woman Quotes on Leadership with Images
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FAQs
What is the definition of a leader?
There are many definitions of a leader, but most agree that leaders are those who motivate, inspire and influence others. Leaders can be found in all walks of life and in every type of organization. They may have official positions of power, or they may simply be respected for their knowledge and expertise. What all leaders have in common is the ability to make others want to follow them.
What qualities do great leaders possess?
The best leaders are those who are passionate about their work and driven to achieve their goals. They have a strong vision for what they want to achieve and are able to communicate this to others in a clear and inspiring way. They are also able to listen to feedback and learn from their mistakes. Great leaders possess these qualities and more, which is why they are so successful in achieving their goals.
What are some effective leadership styles for women?
When it comes to leadership styles, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The best leaders are those who are able to adapt their style to the situation and the people they are leading.
What are some famous quotes from women leaders?
Some of the best quotes by women leaders are:
* Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. ―Oprah Winfrey
* Delete the negative; accentuate the positive. ―Donna Karan
* Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet. ―Sarah Louise Delany
* I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass. ―Maya Angelou
Conclusion
When it comes to leadership, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. But there are some key qualities that all great leaders share.
As these quotes demonstrate, women leaders are no exception. So if you’re looking for some inspiration, look no further than these incredible women leader quotes.
Hope you enjoyed the list of the best woman quotes on leadership!
What other inspiring female leaders do you know? Share in the Contact Us page!
You can visit Forbes to find the world’s 15 most inspiring female leaders.
