90 Greatness Quotes for Finding Your True Potential

By Nia Simone McLeod | Published September 15, 2022

Are you striving to achieve greatness?

The greatness quotes below will strengthen your mindset and shed light on your true potential.

Who do you believe embodies greatness?

Depending on who you ask, the definition of greatness differs.

Some may believe that greatness depends on business success, while others may believe greatness lies within having a large impact on your community.

No matter what your vision of success looks like, our quotes will put you on the right path towards them.

Our collection features quotes from entrepreneurs, celebrities, writers, and so much more.

Learn from the amazing quotes below and use the knowledge to chase your goals!

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation.

Browse our entire collection of inspirational quotes for more motivating ideas and concepts.

Inspirational greatness quotes

1. “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” – Wilma Rudolph

2. “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” – Bob Marley

3. “Greatness is not guarding yourself from the people; greatness is being accepted by the people.” – Mike Tyson

4. “There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” – Leo Tolstoy

5. “It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

6. “Man’s greatness lies in his power of thought.” – Blaise Pascal

7. “You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” – Zig Ziglar

8. “Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.” – Dorothy Height

9. “True greatness consists in being great in little things.” – Charles Simmons

10. “You can’t cost-cut your way to greatness.” – Ruth Porat

11. “Greatness comes from fear. Fear can either shut us down and we go home, or we fight through it.” – Lionel Richie

12. “Stick to your true north – build greatness for the long term.” – Ruth Porat

13. “Run away from greatness and greatness will follow you.” – Abu Bakr

14. “Seek not greatness, but seek truth and you will find both.” – Horace Mann

Greatness quotes about leadership

15. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

16. “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” – Arnold H. Glasow

17. “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.” – Henry Kissinger

18. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” – Max Lucado

19. “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” – Margaret Fuller

20. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs

21. “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” – Harold S. Geneen

22. “Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” – John D. Rockefeller

23. “A leader is a dealer in hope.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

24. “The real leader has no need to lead – he is content to point the way.” – Henry Miller

25. “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.” – Mahatma Gandhi

26. “The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” – Ray Kroc

27. “A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone.” – Henry Kissinger

Greatness quotes about change

28. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

29. “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” – Gail Sheehy

30. “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy

31. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill

32. “Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert

33. “Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” – Benjamin Disraeli

34. “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” – Flannery O’Connor

35. “What’s dangerous is not to evolve.” – Jeff Bezos

36. “You’re only as young as the last time you changed your mind.” – Timothy Leary

37. “Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” – Denis Waitley

38. “When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” – Robert Anthony

39. “To change ones life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly.” – William James

40. “Ignorance is always afraid of change.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

Greatness quotes about learning

41. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” – Richard Branson

42. “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” – Gloria Steinem

43. “A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.” – Will Rogers

44. “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo

45. “Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you’ve got something to share.” – Steve Harvey

46. “Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen – that stillness becomes a radiance.” – Morgan Freeman

47. “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.” – Daniel J. Boorstin

48. “You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking.” – Lyndon B. Johnson

49. “Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning.” – Benjamin Disraeli

50. “The learning process continues until the day you die.” – Kirk Douglas

Other greatness quotes and sayings

51. “Build yourself up to stand out and be recognized in a crowd.” – Ansuman Bhagat

52. “A star does not compete with other stars around it; it just shines.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

53. “Beautiful souls are shaped by ugly experiences.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

54. “Thunder roars but does not strike. Lightning strikes but does not roar. Choose to be lightning.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

55. “Cowards shrink from challenges, weaklings flee from them, but warriors wink at them.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

56. “Stars do not pull each other down to be more visible, they shine brighter.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

57. “Believe in your greatness. Because what you believe is what you become.” – Udai Yadla

58. If a lion turned every time small dogs barked at it, it would be the laughing stock of the jungle.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

59. “When all seems to be against you, remember, a ship sometimes has to sail against the current, not with it.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

60. “The louder the dogs bark the less a lion feels threatened.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

Motivational Greatness Quotes And Sayings

61. “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em — Shakespeare

62. “The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill

63. “Everyone can be great at something; everyone is on a path to becoming great, and leaders facilitate, encourage and empower that greatness.” — Jim Holm

64. “Greatness does not approach him who is forever looking down.” — Hitopadesa

65. “Do not confuse notoriety and fame with greatness… For you see, greatness is a measure of one’s spirit, not a result of one’s rank in human affairs.” — Sherman Finesilver

66. “Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.” – Henry Ward Beecher

67. “You must remain focused on your journey to greatness.” — Les Brown

68. “Whoever renders service to many, puts himself in line for greatness.” — Jim Rohn

69. “When you are destined for greatness, it shows in everything you do. It becomes you. Greatness becomes you.” — Lorii Myers

70. “Give yourself permission to step into your greatness.” — Dave Gambrill

Greatness Quotes To Push You To Be Yourself

71.”When you live positively it is impossible to not also be living for something greater than yourself.” ― Bryant McGill

72. “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” ― Albert Einstein

73. “Great men are not born great, they grow great” ― Mario Puzo

74. “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” — Dwayne Johnson

75. “To achieve greatness one should live as if they will never die.” — François de La Rochefoucauld

76. “The seeds of greatness are ideas you learn from people who’ve been great in their service to others.” — Denis Waitley

77. “Greatness is attainable. Greatness is multiple small achievements built over a period of time.” — Lee David Daniels

78. “Overcome your fear of failure, so it doesn’t stop you from achieving greatness.” — Matthew Turner

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

80. “Big dreams create the magic that stir men’s souls to greatness.” — Bill McCartney

Greatness Quotes To Motivate Effort in Your Work

81. “We become what we expect to become. Greatness can be achieved only if we expect it from ourselves and from others!” — James Ericson

82. “You have the power to achieve greatness and create anything you want in life – but you must take action.” — Jack Canfield

83. “The brain is one truly amazing organ, and the power it wields can propel you to greatness only if you put in the necessary effort.” — Annabelle Higgins

84. “Greatness begins beyond your comfort zone.” — Robin S. Sharma

85. “The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” — Pope Benedict XVI

86. “A man’s dreams are an index to his greatness.” — Zadok Rabinwitz

87. “Work leads to greater success than nonwork. Hard work leads to greatness.” — Greg Henry Quinn

88. “That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” — Abraham Lincoln

89. “Greatness comes by beginning something that doesn’t end with you.” — Robin Sharma

90. “Surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself!” — Zig Ziglar