Words of Wisdom
Empowering Quotes to Live By
As I sat down to write an article for the WILL Newsletter I realized that there have been many women who have provided us with wonderful words that guide us, inspire us, and make us think. Rather than give you my thoughts about leadership, I decided to provide you with a few selected quotes, albeit it was hard to settle on only a few. I hope that these quotes from these amazing women from diverse walks of life will be the impetus for internal self -reflection as well as food for discussion.
- “I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind leading.” -Amy Poehler
- “You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone.” -Tina Fey
- “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” -Madeline Albright
- “Leadership is not about men in suits. It is a way of life for those who know who they are and are willing to be their best to create the life they want to live.” -Kathleen Schafer
- “Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to it.” -Diane Sawyer
- “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – undemanding that failure in not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” -Arianna Huffington
- “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” -Sheryl Sandberg
- “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” -Ayn Rand
- “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
- “Expect the unexpected, and whenever possible, be the unexpected.” -Lynda Barry
- “Nothing will work unless you do.” -Maya Angelou
- “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
- “To handle yourself, use your head, to handle others, use your heart.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Presenting leadership as a list of carefully defined qualities (like strategic, analytical, and performance-oriented) no longer holds. Instead, true leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed…Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.” -Sheryl Sandberg
- “Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes.” -Margaret Wheatley
- “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
- “True leaders understand that leadership is not about them but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.” -Sheri L. Dew
- “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
- “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” -Amelia Earhart
- “When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” -Audre Lorde
- “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” -Sheryl Sandberg