The Best 7 Quotes from the World’s Most Respected Business Leaders

Business leaders do more than manage their teams—they inspire them to do better. Take advice from the world’s best business leaders with these seven influential quotes. Their advice will help your company succeed in the future and beyond.

1. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”—Warren Buffet

It really does take a long time to earn respect, and along the way, people will constantly question whether you know enough to do your job. At the same time, all your hard work can be brought down in seconds. When you remind yourself that it really doesn’t take much to fall back to square one, you’ll continue working just as hard to stay at the top.

2. “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.”—Estee Lauder

It’s fun to sit back and picture what will happen once you achieve your dream goals, but you’ll never make it there if you don’t put in the work. Today, Estee Lauder’s make-up brand is a household name, counting stars such as Kendell Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and Eva Mendes as ambassadors. To reach world-renowned status, Lauder dedicated her time and efforts developing a quality skincare and cosmetic line customers would love.

3. “Leadership is not bullying and leadership is not aggression. Leadership is the expectation that you can use your voice for good. That you can make the world a better place.”—Sheryl Sandberg

The Lean In founder speaks boldly. She’s not afraid to let her colleagues know what’s happening, but she also understands how important positive psychology is in business. Be firm and clear, without being rude. That’s a lesson anyone managing a team can follow. As a leader, you want your colleagues to excel at their jobs. As an employee, don’t get offended by constructive criticism. Consider it a helpful tip for you to perform your best work.

4. “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”—Steve Jobs

Jobs is associated with some of our favourite inventions: the iPhone, the MacBook, and, of course, the iPod. Most of us are very familiar with his mutiny from the company before his triumphant return. The effort you put in is necessary for achieving your bigger goals. It only looks like success happens quickly. In reality, Jobs spent many long nights perfecting the devices we now can’t live without.

5. “If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.”—Elon Musk

Elon Musk has faced a number of challenging hurdles—leaving many doubtful that he’d even accomplish his goals in our lifetime. He doesn’t let that negative energy stop him, and neither should you. You understand the significance behind your task, so don’t let seemingly impossible factors stop you from achieving it. Push forward.

6. “Make every detail perfect, and limit the number of details to perfect.”—Jack Dorsey

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey makes a strong point, particularly when you consider that tweets are limited to a specific character count. Perfection trickles down to the tiniest detail. Minimizing what you need allows you to focus on what’s important and weed out the unnecessary aspects. You’ll ensure every last bit is exactly how you want it to be.

7. “You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.”—Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey has a rags-to-riches success story, and she worked hard to get there. Her ascent from humble beginnings to triumphant success was accomplished with perseverance and passion. This is a wise piece of advice. Doing your job without an expectation of compensation is a motivational factor to knowing you are on the right path.