127 Uplifting Quotes for Women on Strength and Leadership – Inspirational Words of Wisdom

Motivational Quotes for Women strength and leadership that are uplifting for women. To run the world’s most important organizations, women continue to shape the world through their leadership.

Uplifting Quotes for Women on Strength to honor their great ideas and achievements, I’ve put together a list of quotes by women that will make us work a little harder, speak a little louder, and dream a little bigger. Women may not understand how pivotal they are for leadership roles, but their abilities and talents are evident.

Inspirational Words of Wisdom, it’s critical that we acknowledge the accomplishments of women in the workplace and in other areas of their lives. It’s also essential that we listen and comprehend what these powerful women have to say.

Inspirational Quotes for Women on Strength and Leadership

1. “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 (Partner, Polaris Partners)

2. “The way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first.”—Iyanla Vanzant

3. “People respond well to those that are sure of what they want.” – Anna Wintour (Editor-in-Chief, Vogue)

4. “The important thing is to always ask the world to do some things. But sometimes they cannot be done, so you have to take a stab, and you have to do them.”—Malala Yousafzai

5. “Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.” – Dianne Feinstein (Senior United States Senator)

6. “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 (Former President of Liberia)

7. “Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished.”—Lisa Cash Hanson

8. “Good leaders organize and align people around what the team needs to do. Great leaders motivate and inspire people with why they’re doing it. That’s the purpose. And that’s the key to achieving something truly transformational.”—Marillyn Hewson

Best Inspiring Leadership Quotes From Powerful Women

9. “Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors; care for one’s crew.”—Grace Hopper

10. “Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for.” – Jennifer Lopez

11. “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

12. “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 (Assurance Partner, PwC)

13. “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 (Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Centric Brands)

14. “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends.” – J. K. Rowling

15. “Power isn’t control at all—power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.”—Beth Revis

16. “Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”—Michelle Obama

17. “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

18. “’Restore connection’ is not just for devices, it is for people too. If we cannot disconnect, we cannot lead. Creating the culture of burnout is opposite to creating a culture of sustainable creativity. This is something that needs to be taught in business schools. This mentality needs to be introduced as a leadership and performance-enhancing tool.”—Arianna Huffington

Empowering Female Leader Quotes And Positive Images

19. “If you don’t like being a doormat then get off the floor.”– Al Anon

20. “Emotional intelligence is the ability to use emotion to increase your own and others’ success.” – Annie McKee (Author and Business Advisor)

21. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” – Marianne Williamson (Author and Activist)

22. “And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong, and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” – Mark Anthony

23. “Seeing what is wrong and how it could be made right propels us into action, but in that action we often leave other people behind and don’t give ourselves enough time to be present, or to stop and reflect. Leaders have to get comfortable with pausing in that uncomfortable gap.”—Jessica Lawrence

24. “Your job as leader is to stay as close in touch as possible with those closest to the action.”—Kat Cole

25. “I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.”—Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales

26. “Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for.” – Jennifer Lopez (see more quotes from Jennifer Lopez)

27. “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” — Malala Yousafzai

28. “The way in which we think of ourselves has everything to do with how our world sees us and how we see ourselves successfully acknowledged by the world.” – Arlene Rankin

Motivational Quotes From Inspiring Women Leaders

29. “One bad day from one member of my staff doesn’t mean they are not really good at their jobs the rest of the time. I play a long game in terms of management.”—Helen McCabe

30. “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.”—Faye Wattleton

31. “Strategic leaders must not get consumed by the operational and tactical side of their work. They have a duty to find time to shape the future.”—Stephanie S. Mead

32. “We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.”—Whoopi Goldberg

33. “Find the smartest people you can and surround yourself with them.”—Marissa Meyer

34. “Success is an exception, so be exceptional.” – Malti Bhojwani (Professional Coach and Author)

35. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Muriel Strode (Poet)

36. “I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together.”—Queen Elizabeth II

37. “I believe in a quiet, strong and grounded leadership. I think some of the best leaders are those whose work is widely known and respected but who, themselves, are relatively unknown.”—Rachael Chong

38. “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 (CEO, Women’s Bean Project)

Inspiring Leadership Quotes Famous Quotes On Women’s

39. “If you’re not making some notable mistakes along the way, you’re certainly not taking enough business and career chances.” – Sallie Krawcheck (CEO & Co-Founder, Ellevest)

40. “Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” – Byron Katie

41. “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 (Prime Minister of New Zealand)

42. “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 (Group Chief Executive, Kin+Carta)

43. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

44. “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

45. “She was powerful not because she wasn’t scared but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear.” – Atticus

46. “One of the most important things for any leader is to never let anyone else define who you are. And you define who you are. I never think of myself as being a woman CEO of this company. I think of myself as a steward of a great institution.”—Ginni Rometty

47. “I am big on quotes. I love quotes and mantras because they are reminders of what I believe in. I like a phrase that is simple but powerful. I always tell everyone to ‘Go for It.’”—Aixa G. Lopez

Famous Female Leaders In History Quotes And Images

48. “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 (Leadership Coach and Author)

49. “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 (COO & President of FOCUS Brands)

50. “The best protection any woman can have … is courage.”– Elizabeth Cady Stanton

51. “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

52. “Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes.”—Margaret Wheatley

53. “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

54. “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 (CEO & Founder of Eligible)

55. “Women are leaders everywhere you go, from the CEO who runs a Fortune

56. “Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got. There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, it’s all the same day.” – Janis Joplin

57. “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.” – Anne Sweeney (Former President, Disney ABC Television Group)

Inspirational Leadership Quotes From Women

58. “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 (Professor, Huron University College)

59. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

60. “Just because you are CEO, don’t think you have landed. You must continually increase your learning, the way you think, and the way you approach the organization.”—Indra Nooyi

61. “I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist.” – Ginni Rometty (Executive Chairman, IBM)

62. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”—Mother Teresa

63. “The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.” – Padmasree Warrior (CEO & Founder, Fable)

64. “Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama (Former First Lady of the United States)

65. “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

66. “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” – Oprah Winfrey (Media Executive and Philanthropist)

67. “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

Top Inspirational Quotes For Women On Strength And Images

68. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”– Alice Walker

69. “You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are.” – Melissa Etheridge

70. “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 (Founder & CEO, McPherson Strategies)

71. “I think leadership is service and there is power in that giving: to help people, to inspire and motivate them to reach their fullest potential.”—Denise Morrison

72. “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

73. “It’s possible to climb to the top without stomping on other people.” – Taylor Swift

74. “True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed….Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.”—Sheryl Sandberg

75. “You are never too small to make a difference.” – Greta Thunberg (Environmental Activist)

76. “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 (Former First Lady of the United States)

77. “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 (CEO, Youtube)

Powerful Quotes By Women To Inspire The Boss In You

78. “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn

79. “Leaders are not just born. Sure, some people are born with strong competencies and strengths for leading in certain situations, but it is very clear that leadership can also be developed. That means everyone can strengthen their skills and abilities to lead and influence.”—Dr. Susan Madsen

80. “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 (Founder, Fear.less Magazine)

81. “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 (Founder & CEO, Spanx)

82. “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 (President & CEO, Carbon)

83. “What I have learned is that people become motivated when you guide them to the source of their own power and when you make heroes out of employees who personify what you want to see in the organization.”—Anita Roddick

84. “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 (Co-CEO, Fullbridge)

85. “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 (Former CEO, PepsiCo)

86. “I have broken many glass ceilings – so I know it can be done.” – Helen Clark (Former New Zealand Prime Minister and UNDP Administrator)

87. “Do not be afraid to make decisions. Do not be afraid to make mistakes.” – Carly Fiorina (Former CEO, Hewlett-Packard)

88. “Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them still feeling empowered and accomplished.”—Lisa Cash Hanson

Inspirational Quotes For Women On Strength And Leadership

89. company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to breakdown walls and defy stereotypes.”—Nancy Pelosi

90. “Without passion, a person will have very little influence as a leader.”—Michele Payn-Knoper

91. “Who you are surrounded by often determines who you become.” – Vicky Saunders (Founder, SheEO)

92. “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” ― Brigham Young

93. “Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.” – Eleanor Roosevelt (Former First Lady of the United States)

94. “I am a woman with thoughts and questions and sh*t to say. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story – I will.” – Amy Schumer

95. “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 (CEO, General Motors)

96. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me?” – Ayn Rand (Author)

97. “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 (Founder & CEO, Thrive Global)

98. “If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” – Maya Angelou (Civil Rights Activist and Poet)

99. “I am nice. There’s not such a thing as ‘too nice.’ But my expectations are high, and people do rise to my expectations. I don’t manage based on fear. I manage based on expectations.”—Marjorie Kaplan

100. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a b*tch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”— Maya Angelou

Exhilarating Quotes By Great Female Leaders

101. “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 (Actor and Activist)

102. “I’m a maniacal perfectionist. And if I weren’t, I wouldn’t have this company.” – Martha Stewart (Author and Television Personality)

103. “Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing.” – Mary D. Poole (Author)

104. “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”—Eleanor Roosevelt

105. “I believe in a quiet, strong and grounded leadership. I think some of the best leaders are those whose work is widely known and respected but who, themselves, are relatively unknown.”—Rachael Chong

106. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou

107. “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 (Co-Founder, Lumi Labs)

108. “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 (Partner, Mayer Brown LLP)

109. “Some women choose to follow men, and some choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” – Lady Gaga

110. “Women lead in different ways. Women rarely feel the need to speak the most at a meeting to make their point.”—Patricia Bellinger

111. “Don’t waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions; go over, under, through, and opinions will change organically when you’re the boss. Or they won’t. Who cares? Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.”—Tina Fey

112. “Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing.”—Mary D. Poole

113. “Whenever you see a successful woman, look out for three men who are going out of their way to try to block her.” – Yulia Tymoshenko

114. “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 (COO & Group President of Starbucks)

115. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” – Sheryl Sandberg (COO, Facebook)

116. “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 (Founder, Integrous Women)

117. “Our emerging workforce is not interested in command and control leadership. They don’t want to do things because I said so, they want to do things because they want to do them.”—Irene Rosenfield

118. “One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.”– Sheila Murray Bethel

119. “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 (Author and Educator)

120. “Everyone has inside of her a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is.” — Anne Frank

121. “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

122. “As a leader, it’s a major responsibility on your shoulders to practice the behavior you want others to follow.”—Himanshu Bhatia

123. “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 (American Politician)

124. “As a leader, it’s a major responsibility on your shoulders to practice the behavior you want others to follow.”—Himanshu Bhatia

125. “Do you know that one of the great problems of our age is that we are governed by people who care more about feelings than they do about thoughts and ideas?”—Margaret Thatcher

126. “My father had a simple test that helps me measure my own leadership quotient: When you are out of the office, he once asked me, does your staff carry on remarkable well without you?”—Martha Peak