5 POWERFUL QUOTES 5 POWERFUL QUOTESAND HOW TO USE THEM AND HOW TO USE THEM

The power of language, the resonance it holds and the inspiration it conjures can often be wrapped up in a simple sentence or two. In the digital age of information overload, if we can succinctly summarise our point in the form of a humble quote, the chances of that integral immediate connection with our audience greatly increases. Why use a page to tell a story, if a paragraph can serve the same purpose?

Quotes can hold great power for an individual or a team. It may provide a simple narrative to guide your moral compass, or the tagline to a team ethos that lifts you up when times are are at their most challenging.

Using quotes is a way to connect with your audience to communicate your message in a way which is both unique and memorable.

This resource explores five exceptional quotes and the way in which you can apply them to your leadership environment. Merely a passing thought when viewed in a social media meme or on a bumper sticker, these quotes can come to life in your presentations and mission statements, when connected with your specific situation and addressed to your team.

Have we missed your favourite quote in our Top Five? Do you have a tried and true saying that summarises your leadership mantra?

We would love to hear from you so please share the quotes that define your leadership purpose on the Leaders of Evolution Facebook page.

The power of language, the resonance it holds and the inspiration it conjures can often be wrapped up in a simple sentence or two. In the digital age of information overload, if we can succinctly summarise our point in the form of a humble quote, the chances of that integral immediate connection with our audience greatly increases. Why use a page to tell a story, if a paragraph can serve the same purpose?

Quotes can hold great power for an individual or a team. It may provide a simple narrative to guide your moral compass, or the tagline to a team ethos that lifts you up when times are are at their most challenging.

Using quotes is a way to connect with your audience to communicate your message in a way which is both unique and memorable.

This resource explores five exceptional quotes and the way in which you can apply them to your leadership environment. Merely a passing thought when viewed in a social media meme or on a bumper sticker, these quotes can come to life in your presentations and mission statements, when connected with your specific situation and addressed to your team.

Have we missed your favourite quote in our Top Five? Do you have a tried and true saying that summarises your leadership mantra?

We would love to hear from you so please share the quotes that define your leadership purpose on the Leaders of Evolution Facebook page.

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To get started, consider how you will use, present and explain your quotes. Here’s our top tips to ensure the quotes you have chosen make a mark with your team.

Plan your delivery: It might sound obvious but it is imperative you completely understand how you will use your quote to deliver your intended message. If you miss the mark on delivery, the content may be forgotten. When will you share your quote and through what channel or medium? Will it be the headline for your monthly staff newsletter? Or perhaps the start of a team briefing? Don’t just plan the delivery you need to think about the environment it will be received in too.

Do your research:Where relevant (and available), reference the original source of the quote and share their story. This adds power and prestige to your message, as well as showing your leadership influences. Understanding your audience is also crucial, a quote must resonate with your people so choose quotes reflective of the impact it will have based on your understanding of team dynamics.

Resist over-explaining: Allow enough grey for the audience to use the quote as a means of self reflection. The quote should provide simple context and understanding for the audience without drilling down so far that they are buried trying to unpack it. If you have to do this, the quote has already missed the mark. Let the quote hang in the air long enough that the audience can use it as a measure of their own behaviour and action.

Tailor to your audience:Quotes can be used just as significantly with individuals as they can teams. Using a quote to reinforce a key message or positive behaviour with an individual is a great tactic and can be easily put into an email ‘I was thinking about our conversation recently and stumbled across this quote...’ This demonstrates individual attention to a team member’s growth, which shows excellent leadership in anyone’s book.

Be tech savvy:Powerpoint is great, we all know how to use it and everyone is comfortable with it as a presentation tool. However, doing something a little different can again add power to the message you are communicating. Perhaps investigate Powtoon (an easy to use infographic movie maker), try overlaying a voice memo to support the visual piece, iMovie is also pretty easy to use and there’s something called YouTube which might just do the job for you. Using technology can add further weight to the story you want to tell and keeps your team guessing.

A few tips first...

If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six hours sharpening my axe.

If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six hours sharpening my axe.

Preparing for success

Abraham Lincoln

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The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is best known for leading the country through the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery, strengthening the federal government and modernising the economy.

Behind the doors of the White House, Lincoln’s methodical approach to planning and attention to detail was exceptionally astute, as shown in 1864 when he managed his own re-election campaign. Lincoln is consistently ranked as one of the great Presidents of the United States of America.

Why use it?As Dad used to tell me “prior preparation prevents poor performance”. Some of us are more competent planners than others and this quote provides a great analogy to use with your team and a point of reference when planning is/isn’t being executed i.e. “Did we keep our axe sharp on this one?!” This reinforcement ensures the purpose of the quote isn’t lost over time.

When to use it?It’s probably going to be when you need to address the planning process of your team! However if planning is fundamental to your success, it must be incorporated into your project cycles at the start. This might be the beginning of a new year, when initiating a new project or if you have taken over a new team. Delivering your message early closes the expectation gap with your team and clearly articulates your direction.

Preparing for success

All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.

All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.

Self Belief

Walt Disney

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Two months after relocating to Hollywood in 1923, Walt Disney and his brother pooled their savings and set up a cartoon studio, which was to be the beginning of Disney Brother’s Studio.

As an animator and entrepreneur, Walt Disney co-founded The Walt Disney Company. He began as the voice of Mickey Mouse and went on to win seven Emmy Awards and 22 Academy Awards from 56 nominations. His legacy continues today, with Disneyland resorts and theme parks located all over the world.

His genius opened the door for the countless animation companies and feature films we see now and his pioneering spirit in the animation world is summed up beautifully in this quote.

Why use it?Every now and then, we need a bit of inspiration, something to lift the spirits up! Who better to give this to us than a man who inspired a sense of fun and wonder in many of us when we were children? As a leader, you will always be assessing your team, their emotions and mindset, so understanding when the time is right to deliver a quote like this is critical.

When to use it?Perhaps start with an activity connecting the team — ‘what is everyone’s favourite Disney movie?’ It builds rapport and develops fun dialogue. This quote can then be used to draw attention to overcoming current challenges or encouraging others to make brave decisions. Word of warning: not everyone will necessarily connect to what some may call a bit of a ‘fairytale’ quote.

Self Belief

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Resilience

Michael Jordan

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For anyone who followed sport in the late 80’s and 90’s you will recall the Chicago Bulls court announcer blast out to thousands of fans… “Frommmm North Carolina..at GUARD...6 foot 6’...Michael Jordan.” He was a formidable sight to opposition and teammates alike.

The GOAT (Greatest of All Time) is irrefutably one of the most recognised sports people on the planet with a list of individual accomplishments and team championships as long the swoosh on the Nike brand he helped create. Although an incredibly talented individual, Jordan grew into a committed team player who would often heap credit on his teammates in post match interviews.

He was however cut from a high school team early in his career and his ability to bounce back from failure and absorb pressure over a long career sees MJ as someone who can speak from experience when talking about resilience.

Why use it?To add an additional layer to this quote, over the course of 1072 NBA games, MJ missed more shots than he made. He shot 49.7% and we all know hard it is to handle setbacks, let alone failing more than you succeed.

Very rarely in fact do we ever get things in life 100% right the first time, or anytime for that matter. There’s always room for improvement whether it’s achieving the same result at a higher efficiency or refining your approach to ensure a favourable outcome. Whatever the reason, your ability to bounce back from adversity is paramount in forging forward to bring success to your team and personal goals.

When to use it?This quote lends itself to encouraging self reflection within your team, a critically under utilised form of professional developmentIf this self or team reflection comes from a less than desirable outcome, we recommend you visit this quote and explore how successful MJ was, despite his setbacks.

Add a visual element to this process by finding an appropriate YouTube clip to support and motivate your mindset to bounce back — www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA7G7AV-LT8

Resilience

Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

Teamwork

Vince Lombardi

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Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American Football player, coach and executive. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight and five total National Football League Championships in seven years.

He was a charismatic leader who was the ultimate exponent of teamwork and determination to succeed. He embodied a forceful emphasis on the execution of simple plays, whilst remaining committed to excellence.

Why use it?Using this quote brings together the synergy of individual and team. Teams work because individuals commit to a purpose, each other and specific actions. When individuals understand their role and how this impacts the greater team, it brings clarity and underlines the importance of individual commitment to group collaboration. The Lombardi quote sums up this ideology.

When to use it?Even highly purposeful and functioning teams need to be challenged to get better, that is what makes them continually great. This quote should be utilised when a new team is being put together or a stable team needs some further motivation. In the latter instance be specific and potentially use the Lombardi analogy of executing the simple things and committing to excellence i.e. not resting on laurels!

Teamwork

Encourage your people to be committed to a project rather than just involved in it. You know the difference between involvement and commitment don’t you? In a meal of bacon and eggs, the chicken is involved, the pig is committed.

Encourage your people to be committed to a project rather than just involved in it. You know the difference between involvement and commitment don’t you? In a meal of bacon and eggs, the chicken is involved, the pig is committed.

Project Management

Richard Pratt

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Richard Pratt was a Polish immigrant who settled in Regional Victoria in 1938. He played Australian Rules as a teenager and also toured London and New York as a stage actor. He is best known however as the Chairman of Visy Industries, the company he took over from his father and turned into a billion dollar organisation.

Pratt was a large figure in Melbourne society through his philanthropic, public service and sporting passions.

Why use it?Because it’s funny! Displaying a sense of humour and keeping your team engaged through yet another meeting is critical and showcases that you can actually get through the day with a smile on your face. However the quote does resonate and provides an entertaining analogy to what will probably be a more serious discussion.

When to use it?This quote really hits you between the eyes as there is no black or white — are you a pig or a chicken? You can use this quote with the whole team as it provides both the carrot (pig) and the stick (chicken) without having to individualise. It gives the opportunity for reflection and behavioural change to be initiated by the individual rather than directed by the leader. This approach should be considered only in the preventative phase however, it will not be as effective if it is time for cure.

Project Management