--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've…" description: "\"I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself on being a leader and not a follower.\" — Dustin Diamond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/dustin-diamond-18421_being-a-leader_i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-alwa_3104020.jpg" --- # I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself… ![“I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself on being a leader and not a follower.” quote by Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/dustin-diamond-18421_being-a-leader_i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-alwa_3104020.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/dustin-diamond-18421_being-a-leader_i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-alwa_3104020.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/dustin-diamond-18421_being-a-leader_i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-alwa_3104020.jpg) > “I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself on being a leader and not a follower.” [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker asserts personal leadership, distinguishing himself from followers, highlighting confidence and responsibility in guiding others. **In simple terms:** Be a leader, not a follower. Key Takeaway Take charge and guide others. Themes leadership confidence individualism Mood assertive inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team sports - workplace projects - community activism Key Concepts responsibility initiative role model Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance leading and listening? - When is following more effective? A Different Perspective Leadership can become authoritarian if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being a leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-leader/) [Followers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followers/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shepherd/) [Shepherds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shepherds/) ## Related quotes > [It is a fool of a shepherd who culls his dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-smith/it-is-a-fool-of-a-shepherd-who-culls-his-dogs/) [Jefferson Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-smith/) > [If, therefore, the Greeks or others say that they are not committed to Peter and to his successors, they necessarily say that they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-boniface-viii/if-therefore-the-greeks-or-others-say-that-they-are-not-committed-to/) [Pope Boniface VIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-boniface-viii/) > [Quit acting like a wolf, and feel the shepherd's love filling you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/quit-acting-like-a-wolf-and-feel-the-shepherd-s-love-filling-you/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [This is the blessed life-not anxious to see far in front, nor eager to choose the path, but quietly following behind the Shepherd, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-b-meyer/this-is-the-blessed-life-not-anxious-to-see-far-in-front-nor-eager-to/) [F.B. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/) > [My role is the shepherd's role. The shepherd is the one who opens the gate and allows the flock to go through and whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/my-role-is-the-shepherd-s-role-the-shepherd-is-the-one-who-opens-the/) [Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/) > [There is one fold and one shepherd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-boniface-viii/there-is-one-fold-and-one-shepherd/) [Pope Boniface VIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-boniface-viii/) > [Reason is the shepherd trying to corral life's vast flock of wild irrationalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-eldridge/reason-is-the-shepherd-trying-to-corral-life-s-vast-flock-of-wild/) [Paul Eldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-eldridge/) > [Sheep are always looking for a new shepherd when the terrain gets rocky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sheep-are-always-looking-for-a-new-shepherd-when-the-terrain-gets/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [If so many Americans are looking for the government to save them, then it is hard to have a dignified search for a shepherd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/if-so-many-americans-are-looking-for-the-government-to-save-them-then/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [What can I give Him, Poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb. If I were a Wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-rossetti/what-can-i-give-him-poor-as-i-am-if-i-were-a-shepherd-i-would-bring-a/) [Christina Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-rossetti/) > [Do exactly the opposite of what the sheep are doing in order to become the Shepherd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-sylver/do-exactly-the-opposite-of-what-the-sheep-are-doing-in-order-to/) [Marshall Sylver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-sylver/) > [To be a good shepherd is to shear the flock, not skin it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiberius/to-be-a-good-shepherd-is-to-shear-the-flock-not-skin-it/) [Tiberius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiberius/) > [“The emerald life of shepherds always reminds us the romantic and humble life we have lost due to living in the cities!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-emerald-life-of-shepherds-always-reminds-us-the-romantic-and/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/the-lord-is-my-shepherd-i-shall-not-want-he-maketh-me-to-lie-down-in/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [“What a blessing to be able to leave the cares of life for a brief period and spend time in the outstretched arms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/what-a-blessing-to-be-able-to-leave-the-cares-of-life-for-a-brief/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) ## More by Dustin Diamond > [You see people who are 19 or 20 years old and they don't even know who The Who is. It's like, where have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/you-see-people-who-are-19-or-20-years-old-and-they-don-t-even-know/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [If I ever went, I'd want to go peacefully in my sleep. I wouldn't want to plan my own death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/if-i-ever-went-i-d-want-to-go-peacefully-in-my-sleep-i-wouldn-t-want/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [I don't expect that we're going to become the biggest craze. If it happened, I'd be really shocked. I think people will dig it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-don-t-expect-that-we-re-going-to-become-the-biggest-craze-if-it/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [This music isn't Top 40, we really stand out from anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/this-music-isn-t-top-40-we-really-stand-out-from-anyone/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [Chess is a game that benefits people of all ages, especially kids, in any area of life, business, problem solving, and social skills. Chess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/chess-is-a-game-that-benefits-people-of-all-ages-especially-kids-in/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [These days, everyone is a writer, producer and movie star. You post something on the web, get enough hits, and suddenly you have TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/these-days-everyone-is-a-writer-producer-and-movie-star-you-post/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [Kids these days don't know as much about music as they think they do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/kids-these-days-don-t-know-as-much-about-music-as-they-think-they-do/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [The Britney Spears fans aren't going to dig us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/the-britney-spears-fans-aren-t-going-to-dig-us/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [I've been in this business so long, it just doesn't faze me. I know what's going to happen before it happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-ve-been-in-this-business-so-long-it-just-doesn-t-faze-me-i-know/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [There's people that figure if they hang out with you, all of a sudden they're going to be successes. I've had two or three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/there-s-people-that-figure-if-they-hang-out-with-you-all-of-a-sudden/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [I'm the guy who will eat something that looks nice when I'm out, but when I take it home in a doggie bag, it'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-m-the-guy-who-will-eat-something-that-looks-nice-when-i-m-out-but/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [I don't really go back over my old shows, but I'll see them occasionally, mostly I want to go back and change things about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-don-t-really-go-back-over-my-old-shows-but-i-ll-see-them/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [We don't know what we're writing until it just comes out. We don't sit around crunching numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/we-don-t-know-what-we-re-writing-until-it-just-comes-out-we-don-t-sit/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [All these child stars grow up and they're knockin' over banks and getting prostitutes. I'm, like, one of the only people I know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/all-these-child-stars-grow-up-and-they-re-knockin-over-banks-and/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [The sword was a very elegant weapon in the days of the samurai. You had honor and chivalry much like the knights, and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/the-sword-was-a-very-elegant-weapon-in-the-days-of-the-samurai-you/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) [Explore all 35 Dustin Diamond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) ## More Being a leader quotes > [A good general not only sees the way to victory; he also knows when victory is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polybius/a-good-general-not-only-sees-the-way-to-victory-he-also-knows-when/) [Polybius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polybius/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hume/i-never-thought-in-terms-of-being-a-leader-i-thought-very-simply-in/) [John Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hume/) > [Being consistent meant not departing from convictions already formulated; being a leader meant making other persons accept these convictions. It was a narrow track,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessamyn-west/being-consistent-meant-not-departing-from-convictions-already/) [Jessamyn West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessamyn-west/) > [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/) > [That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/that-s-nonsense-in-fact-the-opposite-is-true-leaders-are-made-rather/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/he-who-has-never-learned-to-obey-cannot-be-a-good-commander/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Leadership is possible in all different ways, and in all different areas of life. Whether it is with friends or family, I expect them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/leadership-is-possible-in-all-different-ways-and-in-all-different/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [A leader leads by example not by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/a-leader-leads-by-example-not-by-force/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/management-is-efficiency-in-climbing-the-ladder-of-success/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [It is the solemn obligation of a leader always to be a leader. Even when - perhaps especially when - you don't feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-owens/it-is-the-solemn-obligation-of-a-leader-always-to-be-a-leader-even/) [Bill Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-owens/) > [Being a leader is making the people you love hate you a little more each day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/being-a-leader-is-making-the-people-you-love-hate-you-a-little-more/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [Be strong, but not rude; Be kind, but not weak; Be bold, but not bully; Be humble, but not timid; Be prooud, but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/be-strong-but-not-rude-be-kind-but-not-weak-be-bold-but-not-bully-be/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Somebody has to take responsibility for being a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/somebody-has-to-take-responsibility-for-being-a-leader/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Whether it is with friends or family, I expect them to set a great example for me, and hopefully I will do the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/whether-it-is-with-friends-or-family-i-expect-them-to-set-a-great/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) [Browse all 82 Being a leader quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-leader/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself on being a leader and not a follower.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dustin Diamond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-always-prided-myself-on-being-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being a leader" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-always-prided-myself-on-being-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/dustin-diamond-18421_being-a-leader_i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-alwa_3104020.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/dustin-diamond-18421_being-a-leader_i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-alwa_3104020.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d0/dustin-diamond-18421_being-a-leader_i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-alwa_3104020.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm a shepherd, not a sheep, and I've always prided myself on being a leader and not a follower.” — Dustin Diamond", "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": "Dustin Diamond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm a shepherd, not a sheep,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-always-prided-myself-on-being-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-m-a-shepherd-not-a-sheep-and-i-ve-always-prided-myself-on-being-a/#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 } } ] } ```