--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is better to lead than to follow. It…" description: "\"“It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people.”\" — E. Lockhart" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/e-lockhart-1636_leadership_it-is-better-to-lead-than-to-follow-it-i_374496.png" --- # It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak… ![“It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people.” quote by E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/e-lockhart-1636_leadership_it-is-better-to-lead-than-to-follow-it-i_374496.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/e-lockhart-1636_leadership_it-is-better-to-lead-than-to-follow-it-i_374496.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/e-lockhart-1636_leadership_it-is-better-to-lead-than-to-follow-it-i_374496.png) > ““It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people.”” [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership is about guiding, speaking up, and creating opportunities rather than following, staying silent, or closing doors. **In simple terms:** Lead, speak, open doors. Key Takeaway Embrace proactive leadership. Themes leadership communication opportunity Mood motivational assertive Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - team building - public speaking - innovation initiatives Key Concepts guidance assertiveness empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance leading and listening? - When should you keep doors closed? A Different Perspective May ignore the value of listening. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Lead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-lead-417193/) [Better Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-speak-453533/) [Follow Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-better-3368031/) [Lead Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lead-follow-567537/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Open doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-doors/) [Silent Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-better-2009173/) [Stay Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-silent/) ## Related quotes > [It is better to be alone, she figures, than to be with someone who can't see who you are. It is better to lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/it-is-better-to-be-alone-she-figures-than-to-be-with-someone-who-can/) [E. 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Follow me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/jesus-offered-a-single-incentive-to-follow-himto-summarize-his/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [“Jesus offered a single incentive to follow him; it was woven into all he said and did. Here is how I would after twenty-four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/jesus-offered-a-single-incentive-to-follow-him-it-was-woven-into-all/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [“It is necessary for those who are sensitive to remain silent. However, rather than remaining silent, it is much better if it is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/it-is-necessary-for-those-who-are-sensitive-to-remain-silent-however/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Silent Is Better Than Jealousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/silent-is-better-than-jealousy/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Meaningless silent is always better than meaningless words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/meaningless-silent-is-always-better-than-meaningless-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Better remain silent, better not even think, if you are not prepared to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/better-remain-silent-better-not-even-think-if-you-are-not-prepared-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have NEVER worked with a better lead generating company! Thank You Zillow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-rascoff/i-have-never-worked-with-a-better-lead-generating-company-thank-you/) [Spencer Rascoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-rascoff/) > [It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-better-to-lead-from-behind-and-to-put-others-in-front-2/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It's always great when you get a lot of people pushing themselves to do better, be better, invent better, better serve, better lead customers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/it-s-always-great-when-you-get-a-lot-of-people-pushing-themselves-to/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-better-to-lead-from-behind-and-to-put-others-in-front/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It works better if your lead character is complex and interesting and not perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/it-works-better-if-your-lead-character-is-complex-and-interesting-and/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) ## More by E. Lockhart > [“She makes the world seem shiny and sunlit. -Noel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/she-makes-the-world-seem-shiny-and-sunlit-noel/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“And then he's grabbing my hand, and pulling me into a storage room they use for art supplies. And he puts his finger to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/and-then-he-s-grabbing-my-hand-and-pulling-me-into-a-storage-room/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“Noel shook his head. "You think better of this scene than I do, Ruby. Don't you see how fake those girls are? Let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/noel-shook-his-head-you-think-better-of-this-scene-than-i-do-ruby-don/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“the best way to avoid having your heart broken was to pretend you don’t have one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/the-best-way-to-avoid-having-your-heart-broken-was-to-pretend-you-don/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [Secrets are more powerful when people know you've got them," said Mr. Sutton. "You show them the tiniest edge of your secret, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/secrets-are-more-powerful-when-people-know-you-ve-got-them-said-mr/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“Also, I was living in the middle of my parents' marriage. 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Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“Now, he was free to go forth and make a name for himself in the wide, wide world. And maybe, just maybe, he'd come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/now-he-was-free-to-go-forth-and-make-a-name-for-himself-in-the-wide/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“It doesn't matter if one of us is desperately, desperately in love. So much in love, that equally desperate measures must be taken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/it-doesn-t-matter-if-one-of-us-is-desperately-desperately-in-love-so/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“The presentation of self in everyday life. This guy Goffman had the idea that in different situations, you perform yourself differently. Your character isn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/the-presentation-of-self-in-everyday-life-this-guy-goffman-had-the/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“She made me act normal. Because I was. Because I could. She told me to breathe and sit up. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/she-made-me-act-normal-because-i-was-because-i-could-she-told-me-to/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“And now, she was walking down the hall with her books clutched to her chest, looking down at the floor while guys called, "Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/and-now-she-was-walking-down-the-hall-with-her-books-clutched-to-her/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“Please, that is so antiquated. The institutions of male supremacy only have real power over you if you buy into that notion. Go found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/please-that-is-so-antiquated-the-institutions-of-male-supremacy-only/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) [Explore all 218 E. Lockhart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) ## More Leadership quotes > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [It is absolutely necessary... for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-absolutely-necessary-for-me-to-have-persons-that-can-think-for/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“Under the treaty of Sevres in 1920 Greece had been given Smyrna, and by 1922 the Greek army was trying to push its way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-faulks/under-the-treaty-of-sevres-in-1920-greece-had-been-given-smyrna-and/) [Sebastian Faulks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-faulks/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [Some people you speak to you speak into their heads. It's logical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/some-people-you-speak-to-you-speak-into-their-heads-it-s-logical/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [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/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [You can have Asians being leading men that are sex symbols. 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