- MatthewDusQues
As anyone who is into the work of good management and solid business strategies, you probably know that there is a lot of thought-out quotes. While some are extremely old, many are relevant to even today’s most popular issues in business management.
Quotes are often times very important and truly inspirational as they let us see how other great businessmen reached their goals despite all difficulties, making things easier for us by paving the way with lessons learned from previous experience.
Penn Book has collected the best quotes for businessman from some of the worlds to help you boost your businesses in the right direction.
Top Inspirational Business Quotes And Sayings
I never thought of success. I worked for it. — Estée Lauder
People may become lost in contemplation. In their mind’s eye, the achievement is plainly set out. It’s as though they’re already there. Daydreaming could be creative, but creativity needs labor. You’re not going to get far standing in place.
Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games. — Babe Ruth
This has been expressed in many ways, but sometimes it takes the sports comparison to get it to sink through. Of course, for Ruth, this wasn’t a metaphor but actuality. However, it also applies to business. We can’t rely on previous glories.
The only place where success comes before labor is in the dictionary. — Vidal Sassoon
It’s an odd way to look at things, but there’s truth in the idea that success is not something we are given. It is something we must work at. Success isn’t inherited. While we could be gifted enormous money, power and status, what we do with it matters.
Almost anything good comes with it some form of risk, whether it’s starting a new company, whether it’s leaving home, whether it’s getting married, or whether it’s going into space. — Chris Hadfield
True, but not all dangers are created equally. Going into space seems like a more significant risk than launching a business. That puts things in perspective, however, and recognizes that nothing is without danger; thus, don’t strive to entirely bubble-wrap your firm. Play it cautiously, of course, but not to the point of lethargy.
Even if you are on the correct track, you’ll be run over if you simply sit there. — Will Rodgers
America’s ambassador of good cheer did more than hand out smiles throughout his life. He delivered practical business advice: complacency is death. Even if you’re doing the right thing, if you’re not going ahead, continuously pushing yourself to reach beyond your comfort zone, you’re in danger. The competition will overcome you.
The true test is not whether you escape this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or humiliate you into inactivity, or if you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere. — Barack Obama
The president understands a lot about failure and achievement. The Affordable Healthcare Act was dead in the water more than once, but the president didn’t give up. He compromised, he persuaded, and he struggled, but not once did he allow himself to get resentful.
Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it. – William Durant
There is only the present, so the enlightened ones tell us, and we cannot allow ourselves to become tied to the past or enchanted by the future. There is only the here and now. We must concentrate on that and act. This quote doesn’t reject the lessons of the past or the plans for the future, but we only have this moment, so do your best in it.
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. – Albert Einstein
You’ll have noticed that often one inspirational quote contradicts the next. That’s because it is in these paradoxes that real wisdom is born. There is never just one way to look at something; with perspective comes opportunity. Ideas might be nothing without execution, but the execution is empty without those ideas.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved. – Helen Keller
People should take failure as a badge of honor. It’s a crucible that burns things down to their essence and shows us what we’re made from. If the path to success was clear, everyone would be on it, and success would lose all meaning.
The first one gets the oyster, the second gets the shell. – Andrew Carnegie
It sounds brutal, and one doesn’t become a steel baron without nerves of steel, but this statement has a harsh truth. Resources are exploited by businesses to achieve their goals. They’re not a collective, sharing the wealth, so like the early bird, if you want the worm, get up early.
The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. – Walt Disney
The more business quotes from these masters of industry and history, the more you notice a common thread knitting them together. They tend to do the same things only in different ways. That alone should make it clear that actions speak louder than words to use another old axiom.
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. – Colin Powell
Inspiration is great, but there’s no point in reinventing the wheel. The general is right. Success is being prepared, working hard and learning from mistakes, as many others have stated. If we can edit the quote a wee bit, we’d add luck to fill out the recipe for success. There’s always an unknown element in the mix.
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right! – Henry Ford
This statement might confuse you at first, but it makes perfect sense once you get it, like a Zen koan. The father of automotive automation is imparting with this quote that success is as much a mind game as it is determined by fate. With the right attitude, you can do almost anything.
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer
Many people have it backward, struggling to achieve success to feel good about themselves. But the irony is that it’s in the doing, not the goal, where the happiness resides. Even if you fail at your enterprise and enjoy the process, you’ll be happy.
Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable. – Coco Chanel
If you keep your eyes on what can go wrong, it will go wrong. Successful people strive to move on. They aren’t ignorant of failure but are also not hindered by it. They don’t know what failure is because, to them, it’s merely a bump in the road, not its terminus.
Every problem is a gift—without problems we would not grow. – Anthony Robbins
The idea that one can go through life without conflict or issues is unrealistic. Some might dream of a frictionless ride through the world as the ideal journey, but growth is impossible without some form of pushback. It is these problems that we face which build our character, engage our creativity and build humility.
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. – Thomas Edison
The famous story about Edison and the incandescent lightbulb, which took thousands of tries to find a filament that would burn but not extinguish, is proof of the pudding of his statement. You just never know what’s around the corner until you get there.
I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. – Oprah Winfrey
We spoke of luck as a crucial element to any success. There are always those forces beyond our control. Still, there are also those forces that are within our ability to regulate. If opportunities are rare, one must be ready for them when they come to take advantage. That might not be the definition of luck, but it does feel like good fortune.
There is no other way but through. – Robert Frost
The renowned American poet argues that what must be done cannot be avoided. The challenges in our lives or businesses cannot be avoided; instead, we must confront them squarely and find solutions. Success is defined by just having the confidence to accomplish that.
The finest investment is made in one’s own trade’s tools. – Theodore Roosevelt
In addition to being one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, Benjamin Franklin was also an inventor and businessman who understood the value of having the appropriate tools for the task.
Success is not definitive, and failure is not fatal: what matters is the fortitude to go on. — William Churchill
Churchill guided Britain through a difficult time. The strain to survive was enormous since opponents attacked London daily and threatened to cross the English Channel. But Churchill recognized that failure was a necessary step in the process, just like any successful businessperson. One may learn from their errors, but the most important lesson was that there was always a tomorrow to fight another day.
The next business opportunity is constantly on the way, just like buses. – Branson, Richard
Branson’s Virgin has shown that everything is possible, from record labels to aircraft. Although the door isn’t constantly open, it is sometimes ajar, or the key is lying on the ground. Simply pick it up and crank the lock to open it. The conditions for success fluctuate, but a savvy businessperson never becomes complacent.
As long as you don’t do too many things wrong, you just need to accomplish a few things correctly in your life. – Warren Buffet
Naturally, the concept of right and wrong is a construct, and it may seem unduly idealistic to argue that making the correct decisions would make the road ahead less complicated.
However, the renowned investor only emphasizes with this proverb that making the correct choice is just as vital as avoiding a bad one. Of course, thorough preparation helps you avoid making poor selections.
Ferocity while following the rules. – Phillip Knight
The company behind “Just do it!” narrows down the phrase, which has always struck me as being too general. Knight makes it quite evident that you cannot “simply do it” without consideration of the laws. These regulations level the playing field and safeguard healthy competition. However, how passionately you play within the rules has nothing to do with them.
Those who are too busy to hunt for success typically find it for them, the saying goes. – Thoreau, Henry David
Naturalist, philosopher, writer, etc.
Thoreau had some knowledge about production. He correctly observed that folks pursuing success probably romanticize the notion rather than putting in the required arduous, realistic labor.
And then a day came when the anguish of being tightly closed in a bud was greater than the discomfort of opening up. – Anas Nin
Nin was not new to being creative. She had to put pen to paper for her tales to exist outside her head as a writer. To keep these ideas to oneself is safer. That way, there is no opportunity for rejection or criticism. Still, there is also no possibility of improving one’s abilities and creating something worthwhile.
There are plenty of brilliant ideas; what’s lacking is the motivation to put them into action. – Seth Godin
Godin, a writer and former dot-com entrepreneur, asserts that discourse is cheap but in a better manner. Ideas are plentiful, but the meat comes from putting effort into making them a reality. Only then do the surface of the issue and the actual task of fixing them begins.
I credit my success to having politely listened to the finest counsel and then acting in complete opposition to it. – G. K. Chesterton
Chesterton is the contrarian on our list and is known for his contradictory storytelling. He speaks for both visionaries and pigheaded people. Sometimes it’s necessary to defy accepted wisdom. Knowing whether your actions are motivated by your convictions for your principles or ego is complicated.
I don’t know what ‘quit’ means. Either I didn’t or I did away with it. – Sue Butcher
She is making a point by exaggerating rather than being literal. Everybody has a point in life when the thought of just giving up appeals. You’re worn out. The challenges seem overwhelming. However, those who can resist the notion of giving up and drawing from an unexpected source are often the ones who succeed.
The opportunity to work hard at a worthwhile job is by far the finest gift that life has to offer. – Theodore Roosevelt
People get preoccupied with the end result and neglect that the value of everything is found in the process. Whether you succeed or fail, what matters most is that you gave something you value your best effort. Even just that is satisfying.
If you pay careful attention, most overnight achievements didn’t happen right away. – Stephen Jobs
Only after it has been attained do we perceive the success. The roots that support it are unseen, much like a tree that grows to the skies. They’ve been excavating for years to maintain and support the tree’s development, and now they’re below the surface. The same is valid for business.
Best Business Quotes to Inspire Entrepreneurs & Go-Getters
Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. — Winston Churchill
Money is like gasoline during a road trip. You don’t want to run out of gas on your trip, but you’re not doing a tour of gas stations.– Tim O’Reilly, founder, and CEO of O’Reilly Media
Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.-Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO
Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.– Oprah Winfrey
The real test is not whether you avoid this failure because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere. – Barack Obama
Be the change you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi
Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you. – Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos
The success of a company is always about the team. All pieces that come from the team are necessary to bring the company forward and to reach new heights. – Sassa Akervall, CEO & Owner of Akervall Technologies Inc.
[Don’t] let anyone convince you that your dream, your vision to be an entrepreneur, is something that you shouldn’t do. What often happens is that people who are well-meaning, who really care for us, are afraid for us and talk us out of it. -Cathy Hughes, entrepreneur, radio and television personality, and business executive
Stay self-funded as long as possible.– Garrett Camp, founder of Expa, Uber, and StumbleUpon
Good Businessman Quotes About Success
Before dreaming about the future or making plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you – as entrepreneurs do. – Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn
It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results. – Warren Buffett
Don’t worry about failure; you only have to be right once. – Drew Houston, co-founder, and CEO of Dropbox
My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had — every day I’m learning something new. – Richard Branson, founder Virgin Group
I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance. – Steve Jobs, Co-founder, CEO, Chairman Apple Inc.
In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. – Bill Cosby
It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction. – Warren Buffett
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. – Steve Jobs, Co-founder, CEO, Chairman Apple Inc.
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 Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself. – Oprah Winfrey, media proprietor
The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake – you can’t learn anything from being perfect – Adam Osborne
Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. -Napoleon Hill
Inspirational Business Quotes
You just have to pay attention to what people need and what has not been done. – Russell Simmons, found Def Jam Records
This quote is a great reminder that stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing new things is the best way to learn. You can research, plan, and educate yourself, but the only true way to improve is to put yourself or your business out there and learn from what you experience. – Matt English, Digital Marketing Specialist at atlasRFIDstore
Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.– Arianna Huffington, president, and editor in chief The Huffington Post Media Group
If you start thinking you are good at something, that’s often the day you stop trying to be better and open the back door for someone to come after you. That’s why we always aim higher. We never feel like we’re done. -Drew Houston, co-founder and CEO of Dropbox
Best Business Motivational Quotes from Business Leaders
Five days a week, I read my goals before I go to sleep and when I wake up. There are 10 goals around health, family, and business with expiration dates, and I update them every six months. -Daymond John, founder, president, and CEO of FUBU
All humans are entrepreneurs not because they should start companies but because the will to create is encoded in human DNA. – Reid Hoffman
In my experience as CEO, I found that the most important decisions tested my courage far more than my intelligence. Every time you make the hard, correct decision you become a bit more courageous, and every time you make the easy, wrong decision you become a bit more cowardly. – Ben Horowitz
I think a lot of business quotes focus on the end result or the success. Instead, we should see the journey to the end as part of the process as well; and, if we like it or not, our family is along for the ride as well. It’s important to have people speak these truths into your life so you don’t get lost along the way. – Jackie Martin, Co-Founder of Option Gray
In this day and age of information overload, we can learn just about anything for free. But what is the point if we do not DO anything with that knowledge? Did you really mean to do loads of research on how to start a business…and never act upon it? What was your original intention? Certainly, it wasn’t just to read about starting a business, so get out there, overcome the fear of failure and the fear of success…and get going! – Sabina King, Co-founder of VeppoCig
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. – Bill Gates
Dear entrepreneurs! You have to have greater professionalism, responsibility and a service-oriented mindset to grow and thrive your business. ― Lord
Most of us want to tell our coworkers or friends, or husbands or wives, our ideas. For what reason? We want validation. But I feel ideas are most vulnerable in their infancy. Out of love and concern, friends and family give all the reasons or objections on why [you] shouldn’t do it. I didn’t want to risk that. -Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx
I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying. – Jeff Bezos, founder, and CEO of Amazon
There is no royal flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it, for whatever success I have attained has been the result of much hard work and many sleepless nights. -Madam C.J. Walker, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist
It inspires me that doing takes a lot of hard work but it’s worth it in the end. – Antennagear, LLC
Before dreaming about the future or making plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you – as entrepreneurs do.– Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn
Read also: Best Boss Vs Leader Quotes to Uplift Your Business
Entrepreneur Quotes That’ll Get You Out of Bed in the Morning
All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney
I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy to finish the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one area where I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. – J.K. Rowling
There is something artificial when everyone is agreeing with each other. It’s useful to indulge people who don’t agree, and see their viewpoint or force yourself to explain things better. -David Sack, founder of Yammer
This quote inspires me to continue to move forward and that business, as well as life, will be filled with setbacks, challenges, failures as well as successes. That there will always be people who get in your way, are negative, and armchair quarterback from the sidelines, however, they are just a footnote in the lives of the successful and embody the other famous quote the world needs ditch diggers. – Scott Anderson, Director of Marketing at Ball Chain Manufacturing Co., Inc
Being a woman in business doesn’t come without challenges. My advice? Surround yourself with other supportive women that encourage you, share ideas, and get you motivated. -Jessica Alba, Founder of The Honest Company
This quote constantly reminds me that I am not working solely to gain wealth for myself but to share the wealth with others who are in need. Being of service to others and to the planet makes me feel good about myself. I know that I am adding value to the universe and not just selfishly taking things away. When I first realized this, I started looking for small ways to make a positive difference in the world around me. This completely changed my life for the better! – Sebastian Mitchell Tarver, President of Boybeads
When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue. -Josh James, co-founder and CEO Omniture, founder and CEO Domo
Running a successful business also requires that you are keeping your customers and employees happy. Running an honest business is the mark of some of the best entrepreneurs of all time.
Don’t take too much advice. Most people who have a lot of advice to give — with a few exceptions — generalize whatever they did. Don’t over-analyze everything. I myself have been guilty of over-thinking problems. Just build things and find out if they work. – Ben Silbermann, founder of Pinterest
Openly share and talk to people about your idea. Use their lack of interest or doubt to fuel your motivation to make it happen.– Todd Garland, Founder BuySellAds
Everyone has an idea – it’s those who are focused and work hard that make those ideas come to life.- Naseem Dalal. Owner of Rhinoleather
There are lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world. – Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote
If you are not getting traction on your idea, you try a few things. You try pushing harder, cleaning up something, building up to something aggressively — but if it doesn’t get traction, then don’t bother. -Vijay Sharma, Founder of Paytm
Reminds me to quickly learn to form my mistakes, and be attentive to the lessons from others’ mistakes. It helps me to never repeat the same mistakes again. – Akosua Asare, CEO and Founder of Essence Luxe Couture
When in doubt, bootstrap. Using your own personal resources is the easiest way to start a business. You don’t have to convince investors about the merits of your idea. You just have to convince yourself. -Ryan Holmes, Co-founder of Hootsuite
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently… A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large. -Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.– Steve Jobs, Co-founder, CEO, Chairman Apple Inc.
Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. – Jim Rohn
The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer. -Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck-E-Cheese’s
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. – Mark Twain
In carrying out e-commerce, the most important thing is to keep doing what you are doing right now with passion, to keep it up. – Jack Ma
So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.
– Caterina Fake, co-founder Flickr
An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it. – Roy Ash, co-founder Litton Industries
FAQs
What is the purpose of motivational business quotes?
Motivational business quotes are used to inspire and encourage individuals in their personal and professional lives. They help people to stay focused and motivated towards their goals, and also provide a source of inspiration and guidance.
How can I use motivational business quotes in my work?
- Motivational business quotes can be used in various ways, such as:
- Sharing them with your team members to boost morale
- Including them in presentations or speeches to add depth and inspiration
- Displaying them in your office or work space to create a positive atmosphere
- Using them as a personal reminder to stay focused and motivated
Who are some famous motivational business speakers?
Some well-known motivational business speakers include Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, and Stephen Covey.
Where can I find motivational business quotes?
Motivational business quotes can be found in a variety of sources, including:
- Books and articles on business and self-improvement
- Websites and blogs that specialize in motivational content
- Social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest
- Quotation databases and compilations, such as Goodreads or BrainyQuote
How do I know if a motivational business quote is relevant to my life and work?
When evaluating a motivational business quote, consider if it resonates with your personal values and goals, and if it provides you with a fresh perspective or new insight into your work and life. If it inspires you and motivates you to take action, it is likely to be relevant and useful to you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, motivational business quotes are a powerful tool for individuals looking to achieve success in their personal and professional lives. They provide inspiration, guidance, and motivation, helping people to stay focused on their goals and overcome obstacles along the way. Whether displayed in the workplace, shared with colleagues, or used as a personal reminder, these quotes can play a significant role in fostering a positive and motivated mindset. So, find the quotes that resonate with you and use them to support your journey towards success.