140 Boss Lady Quotes To Help Straighten Your Crown

These boss lady quotes will help you define your own worth.

You might have heard someone referred to as a “Boss Lady” or “Boss Babe” before.

What does the term mean, though?

Well, in its most literal sense, it is a female boss or supervisor.

However, mostly when someone earns the title of “Boss Lady” or “Boss Babe.” it is because they exhibit a fearless ability to create their life.

That life might look different, whether you are a successful professional, an innovative entrepreneur, or the mom who runs an entire household while making it look effortless!

These “Boss Lady” quotes come from some women who command a presence like Queen Bae herself, or the former first lady.

I think they would agree that being called a boss lady is a compliment, but they might just prefer you call them a straight-up boss!

Keep reading these “Boss Lady” quotes for some excellent advice on leadership, empowering women, and even “how to” be a “Boss Lady!”

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration.

Our inspirational quote category page has even more inspirational and educational quotes.

Badass boss lady quotes from successful women

1. “Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.” — Shonda Rhimes

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2. “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder

3. “When they go low, we go high.” — Michelle Obama

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4. “Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams.” — Lady Gaga

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5. “Power is not given to you. You have to take it.” — Beyoncé

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6. “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

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7. “Women have always been the strong ones of the world.” — Coco Chanel

8. “If there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” — Beyoncé

9. “I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do.” — Salma Hayek

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10. “Sometimes you gotta be a beauty and a beast.” — Nicki Minaj

11. “Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes.” — Margaret Wheatley

12. “Some leaders are born women.” — Geraldine Ferraro

Short Boss Lady Quotes

13. “I’m not bossy, I’m the boss.” — Beyoncé

14. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle

15. “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” — Steve Martin

16. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” ― Coco Chanel

17. “She overcame everything that was meant to destroy her.” ― Sylvester McNutt III

18. “I’m gracing you with my presence.” — Kourtney Kardashian

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19. “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen

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20. “It is within everyone’s grasp to be a CEO.” — Martha Stewart

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21. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

22. “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” — Muhammad Ali

More boss woman quotes about leadership

23. “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” — Faye Wattleton

24. “Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing.” — Mary D. Poole

25. “Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.” — Dianne Feinstein

26. “You were born to create and contribute.” — Marie Forleo

27. “Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

28. “My best successes came on the heels of failure.” — Barbara Corcoran

Boss lady quotes that will inspire you

29. “You don’t get what you don’t ask for.” — Sophia Amoruso

30. “Rooting for other people’s failure does get in the way of your success.” — Amy Poehler

31. “You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” — The Wizard of Oz

32. “True leaders understand that leadership is not about them, but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.” — Sheri L. Dew

33. “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” — Rosalynn Carter

34. “A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self-promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity.” — Mollie Marti

35. “Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.” — Oprah Winfrey

36. “Little girls with dreams become women with vision.” — Unknown

37. “I stay true to myself and my style, and I am always pushing myself to be aware of that and be original.” — Aaliyah

38. “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everyone else.” — Unknown

Motivational girl boss quotes

39. “Don’t cut off your career branches too early. Don’t step away from your career based on what ‘might’ happen.” — Mary Barra

40. “As women, we must stand up for ourselves. We must stand up for each other. We must stand up for justice for all.” — Michelle Obama

41. “Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions… Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.” — Tina Fey

42. “The amount of good luck coming your way depends on your willingness to act.” — Barbara Sher

43. “Take criticism seriously, but not personally.” — Hillary Clinton

44. “Women have been trained to speak softly and carry a lipstick. Those days are over.” — Bella Abzug

More Boss Lady quotes and sayings

45. “We need to understand that there is no formula for how women should lead their lives. That is why we must respect the choices that each woman makes for herself and her family. Every woman deserves the chance to realize her God-given potential.” — Hillary Clinton

46. “I talk a lot about taking risks, and then I follow that up very quickly by saying, ‘Take prudent risks.’” — Irene Rosenfeld

47. “I don’t follow trends or try to compete with anyone. Everything I do stems from following my passion and my love for design.” — Guo Pei

48. “Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country.” — Margaret Thatcher

49. “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” — J. K. Rowling

50. “Instead of looking for all of the reasons it won’t work—start counting all the reasons it will.” — Reese Evans

Classy boss lady quotes about leadership

51. “Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.” — Indra Nooyi

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

53. “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.” — Marian Anderson

54. “People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer to fulfillment. Actually, a job is better for me.” — Princess Diana

55. “Women are leaders everywhere you look, from a CEO to a housewife that holds together a home. Our country was built by women who stand alone.” — Denise Clark

56. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” — Dolly Parton

57. “I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind leading.” — Amy Poehler

58. “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” — Madonna

59. “The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.” — Elaine Agather

60. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” — Mother Teresa

Boss Lady Quotes To Inspire Passion

61. “We need to get women to the point where they aren’t apologizing. It’s time to take ownership in our success.” – Tory Burch

62. “The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.” ― Sophia Amoruso

63. “Compete with yourself, not with others.” ― Sophia Amoruso

64. “She gets what she wants because she works for it.” ― Sophia Amoruso

65. “Keep your heels, head, and standards high.” ― Coco Chanel

66. “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint.” ― Oprah Winfrey

67. “I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay.” — Beyoncé

68. “I was the brave little girl who dared to believe I could change the world. And I am.” ―  Christina J. Daniels

69. “If you are always trying to be normal, you’ll never know how amazing you can be.” ― Maya Angelou

70. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” ―  Oprah Winfrey

Boss Lady Quotes That Will Make You Stay Focused

71. “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” — Michele Ruiz

72. “When you learn how much you’re worth, you’ll stop giving people discounts.” — Karen Salmansohn

73. “The thing women have yet to learn is that nobody gives you power. You just take it.” — Roseanne Barr

74. “Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility.” — Michelle Obama

75. “Smile and Slay. You have to slay it in life or life will slay you.” — Janna Cachola

76. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” — Maya Angelou

77. “Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams. The World needs that special gift that only you have.” — Marie Forleo

78. “Even if your dream seems unattainable, you can achieve it if you stay focused, driven, and diligent.” — Rebecca Minkoff

79. “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” — Brené Brown

80. “A woman with vision is unstoppable, a woman who is always increasing her skills multiplies. Along with passion, this woman is undeniable.” — Janna Cachola

Classy Boss Lady Quotes For Fempreneurs

81. “I wear a lot of pink cos’ seeing pink activates endorphins and energizes my creativity. It is a color of femininity and fierceness” ― Janna Cachola

82. “We weren’t born to create excuses, we were born to create excellence.” ― Janna Cachola

83. “I’m a boss! A diamond in the rough! A Queen of Queens and I do dare say this, a magical and mysterious mermicorn.” ― Helen Edwards

84. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” — Babe Ruth

85. “You must understand: they fear you. There is nothing scarier in their minds than a girl who knows the power of her flames.” ― Nikita Gill

86. “There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” ― Rihanna

87. “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” ― Sheryl Sandberg

88. “Be the kind of woman that makes other women want to up their game.” — BossBabe

89. “The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens.” — Beyoncé

90. “And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” ― Mark Anthony

Boss Lady Quotes To Help You Overcome Obstacles

91. “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” — C.Chanel

92. “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently.” — Marie Forleo

93. If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.” — Dhirubhai Ambani

94. “Women don’t need to find a voice. They have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it, and people need to be encouraged to listen.” — Meghan Markle

95. “A wise girl knows her limits, a smart girl knows she has none.” — Marilyn Monroe

96. “Some women fear the fire, some women simply become it.” — R.H. Sin

97. “I want every little girl who’s been told she’s bossy to be told again she has leadership skills.” — Sheryl Sandberg

98. “A woman’s best protection is money of her own.” — Clare Boothe Luce

99. “Don’t give up, don’t take anything personally, and don’t take no for an answer.” — Sophia Amoruso

100. “I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” — Simone Biles

Boss Lady Quotes For Being Strong and Fearless

101. “And you, you scare people because you are whole all by yourself.” ― Lauren Alex Cooper

102. “Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” ― Maya Angelou

103. “I am a strong woman with or without this other person, with or without this job, and with or without these tight pants.” ― Queen Latifah

104. “I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and my femininity. And I want to be respected for all of my femaleness because I deserve to be.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

105. “I like to play a strong woman, but a strong woman can also be very fragile and vulnerable at the same time.” ― Carice van Houten

106. “She was brave, and strong, and broken all at once.” ― Anna Funder

107. “One of the best things that ever happened to me is that I’m a woman. That is the way all females should feel.” ― Marilyn Monroe

108. “A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not to do.” ― Marge Piercy

109. “She was powerful not because she wasn’t scared, but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear.” ― Atticus

110. “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” ― Melinda Gates

Boss Lady Quotes About the Strength Of A Woman

111. “Act like a lady think like a boss.” ― Keita B

112. “Woman must not accept she must challenge.” ― Marilyn Monroe

113. “If you want something said ask a man if you want something done ask a woman.” ― Margaret Thatcher

114. “You educate a man you educate a man you educate a woman you educate a generation.” ― Brigham Young

115. “Blossoming into a badass woman with more faith than fear.” ― Rashmi Desa

116. “Beware for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” ― Mary Shelly

117. “A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink.” ― Gina Carey

118. “Women do not realize how powerful they are.” ― Judith Light

119. “Women they are a complete mystery.” ― Stephen Hawking

120. “Women are tired of presenting themselves we just want to be who we are.” ― Michaela Coel

Positive Boss Lady Quotes

121. “Women are wiser than men because they know less and understand more.” ― James Thurber

122. “Women should have choices and women should feel good in what they wear.” ― Phoebe Philo

123. “Women should take care of each other not tear each other down.” ― Jennifer Garner

124. “The qualities I most admire in women are confidence and kindness.” ― Oscar de la Renta

125. “Women have to summon up the courage to fulfill dormant dreams.” ― Alice Walker

126. “Women are the reason why mankind exists let’s give them their due.” ― Abhinav Shukla

127. “Women are better than men.” ― Ryan Gosling

128. “Women are always beautiful.” ― Ville Valo

129. “You cannot make women contented with cooking and cleaning and you need not try.” ― Ellen Swallow Richards

130. “There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish.” ― Michelle Obama

131. “She wears strength and darkness equally well; the girl has always been half goddess, half hell.” — Nikita Gill

132. “A boss lady knows her worth and doesn’t entertain discounts.” — Tiffany Winfree

133. “She’s not just a girl; she’s a weapon, a strategy, a force that cannot be tamed.” — J. Iron Word

134. “A boss lady is not defined by her title, but by the way she handles challenges with grace and confidence.” — Megan Smith

135. “In a world full of trends, be a classic boss lady.” — Matshona Dhliwayo

136. “She believed she could, so she did. A boss lady writes her own success story.” — R.H. Sin

137. “She is a queen, her soul is royalty. She wears her crown with pride and grace, defining what it means to be a boss lady.” — Alex Elle

138. “She’s a blend of perseverance, ambition, and grace – a boss lady who conquers with kindness and leads with strength.” — Christie Watson

139. “A boss lady is a woman who rises in the face of adversity, who stands tall in the midst of challenges, and who leads with purpose.” — Rashida Rowe

140. “She’s not just a boss lady; she’s the architect of her destiny, building her dreams with the bricks thrown at her.” — Matshona Dhliwayo

What did you learn from these boss lady quotes?

So what should you do, if you want to become a boss?

Start with some self-love and care.

Each of the women quoted here has healthy self-esteem; probably forged by kicking ass in heels!

Don’t let anyone else’s opinion of you hold you back.

You define your own worth!

Of course, it doesn’t come easy, and there will be struggles and failures along the way.

Dust yourself off, straighten that crown on your head and keep going! Find a tribe of women that will support your ‘crazy’ ideas, motivate you to keep going, and hand you a tissue when your mascara is running.

Do you have women in your life who are total “Boss Ladies?” (I think we all are Boss Ladies, by the way!)

It’s difficult to juggle all the things life throws at us women, and yet we stay strong.

Leave a shout-out to your favorite ‘Boss Lady’ in the comment section below.

Don’t forget to also mention any other favorite boss lady quotes and sayings.