Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple, and it is also that difficult.

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.

The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.

Taking charge of your own learning is a part of taking charge of your life, which is the sine qua non in becoming an integrated person.

Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery.

Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard.

Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.

The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.

People who cannot invent and reinvent themselves must be content with borrowed postures, secondhand ideas, fitting in instead of standing out.

The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.

Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere. Truly profound and original insights are to be found only in studying the exemplary.

The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.

Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple, and it is also that difficult.

The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.

You need people who can walk their companies into the future rather than back them into the future.

There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.

There is a profound difference between information and meaning.

Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will accomplish them.

Leaders keep their eyes on the horizon, not just on the bottom line.

Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led.

The manager has his eye on the bottom line; the leader has his eye on the horizon.

Listening to the inner voice - trusting the inner voice - is one of the most important lessons of leadership.

I'm glad I'm not Brezhnev. Being the Russian leader in the Kremlin. You never know if someone's tape recording what you say.

Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader.

The most important quality in a leader is that of being acknowledged as such. All leaders whose fitness is questioned are clearly lacking in force.

Show me a poorly uniformed troop and I'll show you a poorly uniformed leader.

I was a gang leader. Although, it was a gang for defensive purposes. It was not a gang to sell drugs.

But let's be clear. We're talking about a country where there's no opposition. As leader he can ignore Parliament and - sorry that's Tony Blair isn't it? Um, so he doesn't even have to ask the country before he goes to war - sorry that's still Tony Blair.

I am not the kind of leader who pontificates about what should be done - I don't operate on scenarios, and I am not a prophet.

Tony Blair has turned his back on the principles he claimed he believed in before he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with George W. Bush. He was an entirely different kind of leader.

Somebody has to take responsibility for being a leader.

Obama likes to quote great men but will never be a great man himself. I can't stand it when our leader goes around apologizing for who we are.

The 'transition' involves the transfer of power from one president to another. In recent times, the incoming President has designated a Director of the Transition, a team leader, to oversee and administer the orderly transfer of power.

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.

Today America lost a great elder statesman, a committed public servant, and leader of the Senate. And today I lost a treasured friend. Ted Kennedy was an iconic, larger than life United States senator whose influence cannot be overstated. Many have come before, and many will come after, but Ted Kennedy's name will always be remembered as someone who lived and breathed the United States Senate and the work completed within its chamber.

The fountain of youth with the youthful young musician is one meaning, and the fountain of youth with the youthful energy of the leader is another meaning.

When you have a clearly open homosexual scout leader, the scouts are going to talk about it. And they're not there to learn about that. They're there to learn about what it means to be loyal and trustworthy and thrifty.

I think it's good to have competition. Now we have a third country that can launch astronauts, so it's good for all of us. It makes us a little bit more competitive and wanting to be the leader.

People, like sheep, tend to follow a leader - occasionally in the right direction.

I was writing a chapter of Beautiful Evidence on the subject of the sculptural pedestal, which led to my thinking about what's up on the pedestal - the great leader.

Those who cannot think or take responsibility for themselves need, and clamor for, a leader.

We would very much like to see Iran take a position as a responsible leader that doesn't intimidate or threaten or scare its neighbors and others. But the choice is really up to Iran and we're going to keep working to try to come out with the right decision.

The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.

What is the primary purpose of a political leader? To build a majority. If voters care about parking lots, then talk about parking lots.

I hope that we can continue this cooperation on other critical issues related to America's future technological competitiveness. We must work together to encourage the creative talents that have made our country the world leader in technology.

The adoring crowds and overwhelming Democratic support in the 2008 election was based largely on joy at jettisoning Bush and the appeal of electing a superbly qualified charismatic African American leader.

In Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Canada has at last produced a political leader worthy of assassination.

Followers are the customers of the Higher Ground Leader, who strives to meet or exceed the outer and inner needs of followers.