What is leadership? In one word, leadership is influence. It’s the ability to accomplish things through others.

Taken to the next level, and as the noble ideal that leadership has become (as opposed to say, management) great leadership involves positive influence that leads to positive results. Leadership makes others, and therefore the world, better through focus on people.

With this in mind, here are some of the great leadership quotes that espouse what real leadership is:

“Lead from the back- and let others believe they are in front.” Nelson Mandela

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” Sheryl Sanberg

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

“Leaders don’t create more followers, they create more leaders.” Tom Peters

“Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader…they set out to make a difference. Its never about the role- always about the goal.”

“Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and example.”

“Leaders take all the blame and give away all the credit.”

“The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.” John Buchan

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. Jack Welch

“The key to successful leadership today is influence not authority.” Ken Blanchard