This post is all about 18 inspiring poems about leadership.
Are you interested in poems about leadership so that you can become a better leader? Maybe you want to send these poems to a leader that inspires you, so that you can let them know the impact that they have made on your life.
No matter why you are here to read these poems about leadership, I know you will find them to be so motivating, inspiring, and even comforting. These leadership poems describe what it means to be a great leader.
What does it mean to be a good leader?
Good leaders know the importance of characteristics like gratitude, empathy, trust, etc., and these inspirational poems about leadership will show you why those qualities are so important.
Perhaps these poems about leadership even offer you a new perspective about leadership that you’ve never thought of before!
If you like these poems, you will love this post about the great leadership quotes of Simon Sinek and our other post about the amazing leadership quotes of Lao Tzu.
Inspiring Poems About Leadership
The following leadership poems will inspire you to become an even better leader.
1. “Worth While” – great leaders must be kind and pleasant, even when things aren’t going their way.
‘Tis easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows on like a song,
But the man worth while is the man with a smile
When everything else goes wrong.
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox
2. “Will Power” – this poem is all about the power of determination, which is a quality that great leaders possess and practice often.
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate
Can circumvent, or hinder, or control
The firm resolve of a determined soul.
Gift counts for little; Will alone is great
All things give way before it, soon or late.
What obstacle can stay the mighty force
Of the sea-seeking river in its course,
Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait?
Each well-born soul must win what it deserves,
Let the fool prate of Luck! The fortunate
Is he whose earnest purpose never swerves,
Whose slightest action or inaction serves
The one great aim.
Why, even death stands still
And waits, an hour, sometimes, for such a Will!
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox
3. “The Sun Was in My Eyes: Part One” – on the importance of gratitude. Great leaders often express gratitude toward their team for the hard work that their team does.
The sun was shining in my eyes, and I could barely see
To do the necessary task that was allotted me.
Resentment of the vivid glow, I started to complain –
When all at once upon the air I heard the blind man’s cane.
– Earl Musselman
4. “Nobility” – this poem is about the importance of being kind and trustworthy. These two characteristics are so important when it comes to being a great leader.
True worth is in being, not seeming,-
In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good, not in the dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.
For whatever men say in their blindness,
And spite of the fancies of youth,
There’s nothing so kingly as kindness,
And nothing so royal as truth.
– Alice Cary
5. “Worry” – this poem is all about how worrying is useless because it’s being concerned that something may happen, even though it hasn’t. Great leaders know not to create a frenzy of worry amongst the people that they lead.
The burdens that make us groan and sweat,
The troubles that make us fume and fret,
Are the things that haven’t happened yet.
– George Bain
6. “The Leader” – this poem is all about what it takes to be a great leader: patience, confidence, honesty, and so much more.
Patient and steady with all he must bear,
Ready to meet every challenge with care,
Easy in manner, yet solid as stell,
Strong in his faith, refreshingly real,
Isn’t afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn’t conform to the usual mold,
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won’t do,
Never backs down when he sees what is true,
Tells it all straight, and means it all too.
Going forward and knowing he’s right,
Even when doubted for why he would fight,
Over ad over he makes his case clear
Reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear.
Growing in strength, he won’t be unnerves,
Ever assuring he’ll stand by his word.
Wanting the world to join his firm stand,
Bracing for war, but praying for peace,
Using his power so evil will cease:
So much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must.
– Anonymous
7. “Great Leaders…” – this poem is all about the characteristics of great leaders. If this poem interests you, check out this post on 71 powerful words to describe great female leaders.
Awaken minds.
Bring people together.
Communicate effectively.
Dare to take calculated risks.
Enlighten and empower.
Foster collaboration.
Give you tools to succeed.
Help you do for yourself.
Invite and encourage questions.
Joyfully embrace diversity.
Keep an open mind.
Lead by example.
Motivate with respect.
Never give up on you.
Open doors to new worlds.
Put first things first.
Quest to make learning fun.
Recognize problems early.
Share roles and responsibilities.
Take time to explain things.
Unwrap talents and abilities.
Value everyone’s input.
Welcome mistakes as part of learning.
Exceed expectations.
Yearn to connect, not correct.
Zest to make a difference.
– Meiji Stewart
8. “Dreams” – all great leaders have dreams and visions that they must hold on to.
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
– Langston Hughes
More Inspiring Poems About Leadership
Here are even more inspiring poems about leadership.
9. “See It Through” – great leaders know that they must never give up, even when things seem incredibly difficult.
When you’re up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it’s vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!
Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don’t let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you’re beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don’t give up, whate’er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!
– Edward Guest
10. “Write it on your heart…” – great leaders know the power of positivity.
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day,
and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely,
with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
11. “Failures You Have None?” – this poem reminds us that even the greatest leaders fail and they even accept failure. Failure is how you learn and grow as a leader and as a person.
If failures you have none
If mistakes you have not one
Then living you are not
You’re living in the same spot.
You see to get ahead
You must live not play dead
Some risks you may have to take
You have to live life awake.
Failures you will see
Some may not be pretty
But learn from them and then go on
Success is not stumbled upon.
We all make mistakes
But let that give your head a shake
Start again with new knowledge
It will put you above the average.
So let your failures teach you
The one thing that was the issue
With determination and persistence too
You will find success in what you do!
– Catherine Pulsifer
12. A poem about trust – trust is so important when it comes to leadership. If a leader doesn’t have trust, it is going to be very hard for them to influence their team.
Trust not what you hear,
Trust not what you see,
But trust
What you feel.
– Sri Chinmoy
13. “The Man Who Does” – great leaders know that obstacles are often part of the journey. They don’t give up or change course completely when an obstacle is in the way. Instead, they try to figure out ways around or through it with the help of their team.
There are two kinds of persons in the world:
Those who think first of difficulties,
And
Those who think first of the importance of accomplishment in spite of difficulties.
If a thing ought to be done the presence of severe obstacles to its doing
Is only a further reason for bringing it to pass.
The trait of instantly showing why a thing cannot be done is
Keeping down more young men, and older men too,
Than any other factor in their lives.
Anybody can point out difficulties; it calls for brains and courage
To look beyond difficulties to the end.
If you want to stay just where you are in the procession,
Or fall steadily behind, give obstacles a first place in your life.
If you want to count for something more than the “average,”
Let every obstacle be a fresh incentive to action.
– Unknown
14. “An Amazing Thing Happens” – this poem is all about doing what you love. Great leaders are passionate about what they do, and this shines through with their leadership skills.
An amazing thing happens when
You get honest with yourself and
Start doing what you love,
What makes you happy.
You stop wishing for the weekend.
You stop merely looking forward to special events.
You begin to live
In each moment
And you start feeling
Like a human being.
You just ride the wave that is life,
With this feeling of contentment and joy.
You move fluidly, steadily, calm
And grateful.
A veil is lifted,
And a whole new perspective is born.
– Unknown
15. “If…” – this poem reminds great leaders that they must stay calm in times of chaos, never let their egos get the best of them, never give up when things get tough, and so much more. This is a great poem that shows what it means to be a strong, successful person as well as a leader.
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream — and not make dreams your master;
If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And which is more: you’ll be a Man, my son!
– Rudyard Kipling
16. “Keep Going” – this is another great poem about the power of not giving up. Life has a funny way of changing instantly, but leaders know that change is inevitable, and they choose to keep going even when the path looks a lot different than they originally imagined.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must—but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
– Edward Guest
17. “Don’t Quit” – sometimes we work so hard for a very long time to see no results. But it’s the people who give up too soon that will never be able to see their hard work pay off. Great leaders know this, and they choose to keep moving forward even when they don’t see success immediately.
When times are hard, you might stop for a bit,
But it’s not over until the moment you quit.
On a river’s bridge, failures are the planks;
Take one step at a time until you reach its banks.
Don’t give up on your dreams; chase them instead;
You will find, one morning, as you wake up from bed,
That you are the person about whom you dreamed,
And you can reach great heights, impossible though it seemed.
When things go wrong and your back is to the wall,
Try to stand up; no more can you fall.
Life is full of ups and downs; take them in your stride.
You will discover your little star hidden inside.
– M. Tarun Prasad
18. “Successful Life” – at the end of the day, a good leader knows that how full their life is and how they treat people is so much more important than the money they make, the clothes they wear, or the car they drive. A great leader is truly successful when they have helped those that follow them.
Death is an inevitable fate.
Someday we have to go.
You hope you did
your best in life,
but how are you to know?
It’s not the model of your car
or brand of clothes you wear.
It’s not some fancy, famous name,
sewn in your underwear.
It’s not the square footage of your house
or what you keep inside.
There’s no material you possess
that proves success in life.
It’s everything you sacrificed
and choices you made.
It’s all the problems that you solved,
your lessons from mistakes.
It’s bad times you’ve persevered.
It’s all the fun you’ve had.
It’s any time you’ve ever laughed
and every tear you’ve shed.
It’s any time that you’ve been proud
of others or yourself.
It’s every song you turned up loud,
and every friend you helped.
It’s every wish you ever had.
It’s all your dreams and hopes.
It’s all the books you ever read,
the movies that you’ve seen.
It’s all the stories you told,
The places you’ve been.
It’s every sunset that you caught
and every cent you spent.
It’s anyone you’ve ever loved
who mourns you in the end.
It’s all these things
and so much more,
so don’t stress.
If you lived your life
Wild-n-free,
Then it’s been a success.
– Eugene Grinman
If you want to learn what makes a bad leader so you know what traits to watch out for, here is a post all about 30 bad leadership traits to look out for.
This post is all about 18 inspiring poems about leadership.
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