10 Quotes to Inspire Leaders in 2025 (Part 1)

By Linda Fisher Thornton

This series includes 10 quotes (linked to blog posts) to inspire you and help you improve your leadership and leadership development as we head into the new year. Part 1 includes the first 5.

“What is globally responsible leadership and why does it need to be a business priority? If we did think beyond our geographical boundaries, what would that look like? How can we help develop the present and future generation of globally responsible leaders?
Linda Fisher Thornton in Ethical Leadership Development: Global Awareness

“When leaders are able to practice dealing with complex ethical issues while they are learning, they are better prepared to make ethical decisions when faced with difficult decisions on the job.”
Linda Fisher Thornton in Ethical Leadership Development: Preparing Leaders For the Future

“Leadership mindset is more important than competency. If you lack certain competencies or have the wrong competencies for the job, you can learn. If you have a “fixed” and outdated mindset, however, you may resist learning and potentially do more harm than good.”
Linda Fisher Thornton in Mental Maps Impact Leader Behavior

“We have many mistaken assumptions about leadership that can lead us to make bad choices. Those flawed assumptions are like the deadwood we prune away from our plants in the spring.”
Linda Fisher Thornton in What Is (and Isn’t) Leadership?

“Leader competence is either going to be a multiplier or a divider. When you have it, you multiply performance and trust, with exponential results. Without it, you divide your possible results by the incompetence factor. The more leaders who are behind the times, the higher the incompetence factor that is eroding your organization’s desired results.”
Linda Fisher Thornton in 5 Compelling Reasons Leader Development is a Strategic Priority

As we begin 2025, a grounding in ethical values will help leaders successfully navigate the inevitable challenges the new year will bring. But leading with values isn’t as simple as it may sound. It’s time to make a plan for how you’ll get there.