55 Quotes on Servant Leadership to Motivate and Inspire You
I was once told that “good leaders are good servants.”
I bristled at first, but soon came to realize this did not mean they are subservient or submissive. Rather, it means they made a conscious choice to tamp down their ego and become a good coach to their team.
Their main focus is on helping their players achieve peak performance. They dedicate themselves to the specific needs of each team member.
They understood that the best leaders do not care about amassing power or earning a fancy job title. They don’t see their employees as cogs in a machine. They truly care about each individual - about helping each of them become the best version of themselves, both professionally and personally.
They knew that a good leader does not wake up in the morning and ask themselves, “How can I get ahead today?”
Instead, they ask, “How can I help my team succeed today?”
That is what being a servant leader is all about - being humble, being grateful, setting the desire for personal glory aside, and focusing on what’s best for the team.
There is true power in servant leadership. Some of the world's most powerful leaders were servant leaders, including:
Mahatma Gandhi
Abraham Lincoln
Nelson Mandela
Mother Teresa
Martin Luther King Jr.
There’s a natural feeling of strength that exudes from a person who’s in service to others that we all recognize.
Think about it. An important decision has to be made. Who do you want to make it?
A leader who will put their own desires ahead of the needs of the team, or
A clear leader who will prioritize the common goal of the group
Which is the most effective leader? Who do you respect more? Who do you want to follow?
If you are like most people, the answer is clear. You want your leaders to be good servants.
With that in mind, I believe we all need to make an important choice. Which type of leader do we want to be? How do we want to show up for the people in our lives?
If you’d like to be a good servant and an even better person, here are some famous quotes from great leaders that are sure to motivate and inspire you.
(I also threw in a bonus quote at the end from one of my favorite presidents!)
“The servant-leader is servant first, it begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first, as opposed to, wanting power, influence, fame, or wealth.” - Robert Greenleaf
“Leadership is not about you; it's about investing in the growth of others.” - Ken Blanchard
“Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” -Lao Tzu
“Who then is the greatest leader? The one who has served the most.” - James Hunter
“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi
“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” - John Maxwell
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” - Lao Tzu
“Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth.” - Shirley Chisholm
“Serving others prepares you to lead others.” - Jim George
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” -Winston Churchill
“I'm always friendly and encouraging on set. I want people to be at their best creatively.” - Mark Wahlberg
“I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” - Albert Schweitzer
“Your value lies not in status or title, but in the roots of your character and depth of your compassion.” - Mollie Marti
“Ego can’t sleep. It micro-manages. It disempowers. It reduces our capability. It excels in control.” - Robert Greenleaf
“Prayer in action is love, love in action is service.” - Mother Teresa
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” - Mother Teresa
“An ounce of patience is worth more than a tonne of preaching.” - Mahatma Gandhi
“People will resist change when it's done to them, not with them.” - Ken Blanchard
“Lead from the back – and let others believe they are in front.” - Nelson Mandela
“It always seems impossible, until it is done.” - Nelson Mandela
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” - John Maxwell
“The time is always right to do what is right.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
“The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.” - Tom Peters
“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity” - Tom Peters
“A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi to come back - but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us. It is up to you.” - Marian Wright Edelman
“Never work just for money or for power. They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night.” - Marian Wright Edelman
“Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.” - Albert Schweitzer
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” - Winston Churchill
“You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” - Shirley Chisholm
“We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.” - Dave Ramsey
“For your own good, for the good of your family and your future, grow a backbone. When something is wrong, stand up and say it is wrong, and don't back down.” - Dave Ramsey
“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.” - M. Scott Peck
“Genuine love is self-replenishing. The more I nurture the spiritual growth of others, the more my own spiritual growth is nurtured.” M. Scott Peck
“The amount of time we give to something indicates its importance to us.” - Jim George
“Let others see their own greatness when looking in your eyes.” - Mollie Marti
“Seek justice: Make a commitment to serve the needs of the ‘least of these’ and give voice to the voiceless.” - Artika Tyner
“Always seek to learn: The leader is always learning new things and gaining new insights.” - Artika Tyner
“Gratitude, warm, sincere, intense, when it takes possession of the bosom, fills the soul to overflowing and scarce leaves room for any other sentiment or thought.” - John Quincy Adams
“The words ‘I Love You’ kill, and resurrect millions, in less than a second.” - Aberjhani
“A true natural servant automatically responds to any problem by listening first.” - Lyssa Adkins
“Micromanagement is the destroyer of momentum.” - Miles Anthony Smith
“There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” - Tony Hsieh
“Life becomes a dilemma when you are living a purposeless and goalless life” - Sunday Adelaja
“You are either supporting the vision or supporting division” - Saji Ijiyemi
“Where there is love, distance doesn't matter.” - Mata Amritanandamayi
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you.” - Max De Pree
“Worry not that your child listens to you; worry most that they watch you.” - Ronald A. Heifetz
“Leadership is not about your ambition. It is about bringing out the ambitions of your team.” - Cheryl A. Bachelder
“It's been said that everything rises and falls on leadership, and the best type of leader is a servant leader. For me, my life as a kingmaker includes serving.” - Cary Hokama
“All my jobs have been with food in one way or another since 1948. My parents were in the hotel business, and I just loved the warm-hearted people who worked so hard with such good humor.” - Graham Kerr
“A story untold could be the one that kills you.” - Pat Conroy
"Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength." - Billy Graham
“Don’t let your values change with society; instead let your values change society.” - Tony Gaskins
“Authentic leadership is the full expression of ‘me’ for the benefit of ‘we’.” - Henna Inam
Bonus Quote:
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” - Harry Truman
Let these servant leadership quotes serve you in your career and life. Write some of them down to help you remember to put the needs of others ahead of your own desires. You’ll be a more effective leader and better person.
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About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.