65 Quotes to Inspire and Motivate Employees

Are you struggling for inspiration? Feeling a little demotivated? Sometimes, all it takes is a short quote to bring your team back on its feet. Fortunately, you're in the right place. We've compiled 65 quotes from famous business leaders, cultural icons, and more divided along the themes of teamwork, leadership, determination and not giving up.

Quotes about the importance of teamwork 

You already know the saying that teamwork makes the dream work and indeed that’s true. All companies demand teamwork nowadays, with the main reason being that the whole business value increases. But working in a team is not always so perfect, and there are often many challenges when working with different people. So we created a list of quotes to remind you of the importance of teamwork.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” - Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese author.

“The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side.” - Margaret Carty, American author and executive director of MLA.

“Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal.” - Patrick Lencioni, American author.

“One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American former professional basketball player.

“Our love is so big. It has room for everybody.” - Cari Tuna, President of the Open Philanthropy Project and Good Ventures.

“Good teams incorporate teamwork into their culture, creating the building blocks for success.” - Ted Sundquist, American football player.

“Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” - Vince Lombardi, American football coach and executive in the National Football League.

“Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” - Mattie Stepanek, American poet.

“It all starts with a great idea and teamwork.” - Garrett Camp, Canadian entrepreneur.

“A company is only as good as the people it keeps.” - Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics. 

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” - Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist.

“We cannot win in team situations or in relationships by ourselves.” - Terry Orlick, Canadian professor.

“Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.” - Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha, Educator and bestselling author. 

“With an enthusiastic team, you can achieve almost anything.” - Tahir Shah, British author, journalist, and documentary maker. 

“Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.” - Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha, Educator and bestselling author. 

“With an enthusiastic team, you can achieve almost anything.” - Tahir Shah, British author, journalist, and documentary maker. 

“Ask your colleagues for help—early and often." - Jill Konrath, Sales strategist and speaker.

Quotes to inspire leadership

Being a manager is a lot of hard work.You have a lot of responsibilities to juggle -  and have to make sure that your team is taken care of. All these responsibilities can make life as a manager stressful, and there are understandably times when you may find yourself doubting your own leadership qualities. So, here are some quotes to inspire your inner leader and ensure that your team stays motivated.

“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” - Ken Blanchard, American author and motivational speaker.

“Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart.” - Phil Jackson, American former professional basketball player and coach.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” - Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary.

“Be brutally honest about the short term and optimistic and confident about the long term." - Reed Hastings, American businessman and co-chief executive officer of Netflix. 

“Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” - Sara Blakely, American businesswoman and entrepreneur.

“The art of effective listening is essential to clear communication, and clear communication is necessary to management success.” - James Cash Penney, American businessman and entrepreneur.

"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” — Stephen Covey, American educator and author.

“Great leaders don't succeed because they are great. They succeed because they bring out the greatness in others.” — Jon Gordon, American author and speaker.

Quotes about determination and success

Determination is a key trait for business success. It keeps you motivated and thriving for more. By staying determined, you always have your goals in mind and strive to achieve them. But it’s not always easy to stay determined and work hard. Tasks often pile up and that can affect your determination. Here are some quotes to fix that and get you back on track.

“It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” — Shonda Rhimes, American television producer. 

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” — Michael Jordan, American businessman and former professional basketball player.

“What people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.” — Madeleine Albright, American politician.

“Elevate true productivity over the appearance of hard work.” — Scott Belsky, American entrepreneur and author. 

“People doing good work feel good and people doing exceptional work feel exceptional. Accomplishments contribute greatly to satisfaction.” — Mark Sanborn, Author and professional speaker.

“Success is very much the intersection of luck and hard work.” — Dustin Moskovitz, Co-founder and CEO of Asana.

“Motivation comes from working on things we care about. It also comes from working with people we care about.” —Sheryl Sandberg, American business executive. 

“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” — Charles F. Kettering, American inventor and engineer.

“Success can cause people to unlearn the habits that made them successful in the first place.” — Satya Nadella, Indian-American business executive.

“It will never be done. It’s a continuous exercise.”— Dara Khosrowshahi, Iranian-American businessman and CEO of Uber. 

“People with goals succeed because they know where they're going.” — Earl Nightingale, American radio speaker and author.

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” — John Wooden, American basketball player and coach.

“Anything is possible if you wish hard enough.” — J.M. Barrie, Scottish novelist, playwright, and creator of Peter Pan. 

“The road to success is always under construction.” — Lily Tomlin, American actress and comedian. 

“The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.” — Joe Girard, American salesman and motivational speaker.

Quotes about not giving up  

We all work hard, and of course, we hope to succeed after putting in so much effort. But unfortunately that's not always the case. Failure is a part of life and what’s just as important is picking yourself up after those failures.. Being scared of failure is not the way to work, so here are some quotes that will give you a new perspective on failure and get you back on the right path.

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that changes really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” — Mark Zuckerberg, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of Facebook.

“Being successful is a choice and, therefore, being defeated is a decision.” — Jim Stovall, American writer.

“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, Greek-American author and businesswoman.

“You have no choices about how you lose, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again.” — Pat Riley, American professional basketball executive.

“Positive thinking is a valuable tool that can help you overcome obstacles, deal with pain, and reach new goals.” — Amy Morin, Psychotherapist and mental strength trainer.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessman.

“It's the building of things that makes you happy. You have to enjoy the process whether you succeed or fail.” — Caterina Fake, American entrepreneur and businesswoman.

“If you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes backbone to lead the life you want.” — Richard Yates, American fiction writer. 

“Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.” — Jack Canfield, American author and motivational speaker

“Failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result. It’s vulnerability that breeds with self-doubt and then is escalated, often deliberately, by fear.” — Michelle Obama, American attorney, author, and former First Lady of the United States.

“All failure is failure to adapt, all success is successful adaptation.” — Max McKeown, American author.

“You’ve got to let go of who you were, to become who you will be.” — Janet Fitch, Author of the Oprah's Book Club novel White Oleander.

“Giving up is the only sure way to fail.” — Gena Showalter, American author. 

“Every single failure has an equally great upside if you are willing to stay in the game.” — Barbara Corcoran, American businesswoman. 

“Anyone can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart, now that is true strength.” — Chris Bradford, English author. 

“It doesn’t matter how many times you have failed. You only have to be right once.” — Mark Cuban, American entrepreneur and television personality. 

“Between being able to and actually doing something lies an ocean, and on its bottom rests all too often the wreck of willpower.” — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Austrian writer.

“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” — Amelia Earhart, American aviation pioneer and author.

How Plecto keeps your employees motivated 

Keeping employees motivated is our passion and specialty. That’s why we created many solutions for your employees and work culture. One of these solutions is gamification tools with features such as contests, instant notifications, and achievements that will boost motivation and create healthy competition. Work doesn’t have to be boring. Engage your team by holding contests and recognize the achievements of your team with real-time instant notifications. 

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