25 inspirational quotes from business leaders

Here are some words of wisdom shared by business leaders across the globe. 

Ratan Tata (Chariman emeritus of Tata Sons)

"I admire people who are very successful. But if that success has been achieved through too much ruthlessness, then I may admire that person, but I can’t respect him." Book: 'From Steel to Cellular' by Ratan Tata

Dhirubhai Ambani

“If you don't build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.”

― Against All Odds: A Story Of Courage, Perseverance And Hope

Narayana Murthy (Co-founder, Infosys)

“Respect, recognition, and reward flow out of performance.” — Entrepreneur of the New Millennium N.R. Narayana Murthy: Life and Times of N.R. Narayana Murthy, 2003. 

Azim Premji (Chairman, Wipro)

"I was 21 and had spent the last few years in Stanford University Engineering School at California. Many people advised me to take up a nice, cushy job rather than face the challenges of running a hydrogenated oil business. Looking back, I am glad I decided to take charge instead. Essentially leadership begins from within. It is a small voice that tells you where to go when you feel lost. If you believe in that voice, you believe in yourself." )

Warren Buffett (CEO, Berkshire Hathaway)

"Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." — Of Permanent Value: The Story of Warren Buffett by Andrew Kilpatrick, 2007. 

Richard Branson (Founder and Chairman, Virgin Group)

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership, 2014. 

Sheryl Sandberg (CEO, Facebook)

"Trying to do it all and expecting that it all can be done exactly right is a recipe for disappointment. Perfection is the enemy." — Lean In, 2013. 

Bill Gates (Co-founder, Microsoft)

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” — The Road Ahead, 1995. 

Steve Jobs (Co-founder, Apple)

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” — Stanford Commencement address, 2005.

Mark Zuckerberg (Co-founder, Facebook)

“I think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.” — Mark Zuckerberg: Ten Lessons in Leadership, 2012. 

Oprah Winfrey (Chairwoman, Oprah Winfrey Network)

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." — The uncommon wisdom of Oprah Winfrey: a portrait in her own words, 1996. 

Jack Ma (Founder and Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group)

"Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine." — Interview with Rebecca Fannin, 2006. 

Carlos Slim Helu (Honorary Chairman, América Móvil)

“Competition makes you better, always, always makes you better, even if the competitor wins.” — “Questions and Answers,” Carlosslim.com, 2007. 

Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks)

“Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.” — Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul, 2007. 

Arianna Huffington (Co-founder and editor-in-chief, The Huffington Post)

“We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.” — Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, 2014. 

Steve Case (Co-founder, AOL)

“A vision without the ability to execute is probably a hallucination.” — Business Week, 2001.

Walt Disney (Co-founder, The Walt Disney Company)

"A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there." —  Quoted in Walt Disney, Magician of the Movies, 1966. 

Li Ka-shing (Chairman, Hutchison Whampoa)

"We are approaching a new age of synthesis. Knowledge cannot be merely a degree or a skill... it demands a broader vision, capabilities in critical thinking and logical deduction without which we cannot have constructive progress.” — Financial Expert Witness Communication: A Practical Guide to Reporting and Testimony, 2014. 

Virginia Rometty (Chairman and CEO, IBM)

“Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share." — Council on Foreign Relations event, 2013.

Donald Trump (President and CEO, Trump Organization Inc.)

“In the end, you're measured not by how much you undertake but by what you finally accomplish." — Trump : The Art of the Deal, 1987. 

Larry Page (Co-founder, Google)

“You don’t need to have a 100-person company to develop that idea.” — Interview with BusinessWeek Online Technology, 2001. 

Henry Ford (Founder, The Ford Motor Company)

"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." — Quoted in News Journal, 1965. 

Jack Welch (Former chairman and CEO, General Electric)

“Arrogance is a killer, and wearing ambition on one's sleeve can have the same effect. There is a fine line between arrogance and self-confidence.” — Jack: Straight from the Gut, 2001. 

Indra Nooyi (CEO, PepsiCo)

"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. I've never forgotten that."

- Book: No Fear of Failure: Real Stories of How Leaders Deal with Risk and Change

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