--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important thing about leadership…" description: "\"The most important thing about leadership is your character and the values that guide your life.\" — Brenda Barnes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/brenda-barnes-96864_character_the-most-important-thing-about-leadershi_1709964.png" --- # The most important thing about leadership is your… ![“The most important thing about leadership is your character and the values that guide your life.” quote by Brenda Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/brenda-barnes-96864_character_the-most-important-thing-about-leadershi_1709964.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/brenda-barnes-96864_character_the-most-important-thing-about-leadershi_1709964.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/brenda-barnes-96864_character_the-most-important-thing-about-leadershi_1709964.png) > “The most important thing about leadership is your character and the values that guide your life.” [Brenda Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-barnes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership hinges on character and values that shape one’s life purpose. **In simple terms:** Leadership depends on character and values. Key Takeaway Develop strong personal values. Themes leadership character values purpose Mood inspirational serious Type Character:1 Guides:0 Important:0 Important things:0 Leader:1 Leadership:1 Life:0 Purpose:1 Values:1 Leadership Character:0 Thing Leadership:0 When to use this quote - career advancement - team building - personal coaching Key Concepts ethics personal development management Questions to Reflect On - How to align values with leadership? - What defines good character? A Different Perspective Values can be compromised. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Guides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guides/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-character-221681/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Thing Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-leadership-1235441/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [Leadership is character in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hunter/leadership-is-character-in-action/) [James Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hunter/) > [The most important ingredient of leadership is character. Most of the proficiencies can be learned, but what's inside you is something that's difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-robredo/the-most-important-ingredient-of-leadership-is-character-most-of-the/) [Jesse Robredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-robredo/) > [No matter how good you think you are as a leader, my goodness, the people around you will have all kinds of ideas for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-yong-kim/no-matter-how-good-you-think-you-are-as-a-leader-my-goodness-the/) [Jim Yong Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-yong-kim/) > [“As good surgical doctor works on a patient in the theater with varied kinds of surgical instruments, so a true leader also needs a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/as-good-surgical-doctor-works-on-a-patient-in-the-theater-with-varied/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The hardest thing in leadership is managing your own psychology, and yet it's also the least talked about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dunn/the-hardest-thing-in-leadership-is-managing-your-own-psychology-and/) [Andy Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dunn/) > [Character in leadership is the most important balance for leadership. Without character, leaders have no safety. Leadership has no protection without character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/character-in-leadership-is-the-most-important-balance-for-leadership/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [The worst thing you can do in a leadership position is be something you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-muschamp/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-in-a-leadership-position-is-be-something/) [Will Muschamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-muschamp/) > [I think the most important thing... is leadership. It's something that has been lacking in young women and girls for a very long time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zozibini-tunzi/i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-leadership-it-s-something-that/) [Zozibini Tunzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zozibini-tunzi/) > [“The important thing about leadership is not what happens when you're there but what happens when you are not there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-marquardt/the-important-thing-about-leadership-is-not-what-happens-when-you-re/) [Michael J. Marquardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-marquardt/) > [If you don't demonstrate leadership character, your skills and your results will be discounted, if not dismissed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-don-t-demonstrate-leadership-character-your-skills-and-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People will not follow a leader with moral incongruities for long. Every time you compromise character you compromise leadership. The foundation of firm leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hybels/people-will-not-follow-a-leader-with-moral-incongruities-for-long/) [Bill Hybels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hybels/) > [The hardest thing about leadership is the intimacy it requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-hardest-thing-about-leadership-is-the-intimacy-it-requires/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/my-own-definition-of-leadership-is-this-the-capacity-and-the-will-to/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) > [I think the best value to leaders is understanding the generations for the purpose of integrating a younger workforce and transferring knowledge from an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-espinoza/i-think-the-best-value-to-leaders-is-understanding-the-generations/) [Chip Espinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-espinoza/) ## More by Brenda Barnes > [You need a plan for yourself, just like you need a plan for a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-barnes/you-need-a-plan-for-yourself-just-like-you-need-a-plan-for-a-business/) [Brenda Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-barnes/) [Explore all 2 Brenda Barnes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-barnes/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most important thing about leadership is your character and the values that guide your life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brenda Barnes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-barnes/the-most-important-thing-about-leadership-is-your-character-and-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-barnes/the-most-important-thing-about-leadership-is-your-character-and-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/brenda-barnes-96864_character_the-most-important-thing-about-leadershi_1709964.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/brenda-barnes-96864_character_the-most-important-thing-about-leadershi_1709964.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/brenda-barnes-96864_character_the-most-important-thing-about-leadershi_1709964.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The most important thing about leadership is your character and the values that guide your life.” — Brenda Barnes", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brenda Barnes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-barnes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The most important thing about leadership...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-barnes/the-most-important-thing-about-leadership-is-your-character-and-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-barnes/the-most-important-thing-about-leadership-is-your-character-and-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```