---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always imagine a good leader is…"
description: "\"I always imagine a good leader is surrounded by people who call their mothers at the end of the day and tell them, 'Mom, you can't believe what I did t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/james-altucher-1597_about_i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrou_1124598.png"
---

#  I always imagine a good leader is surrounded by people who…

![“I always imagine a good leader is surrounded by people who call their mothers at the end of the day and tell them, 'Mom, you can't believe what I did today. Let me tell you about it.'” quote by James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/james-altucher-1597_about_i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrou_1124598.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/james-altucher-1597_about_i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrou_1124598.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/james-altucher-1597_about_i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrou_1124598.png)

> “I always imagine a good leader is surrounded by people who call their mothers at the end of the day and tell them, 'Mom, you can't believe what I did today. Let me tell you about it.'”

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Great leaders stay connected to personal roots, sharing daily experiences with loved ones to stay grounded.

**In simple terms:** Leaders share daily wins with family.

Key Takeaway

Stay grounded by sharing daily stories.

Themes

leadership family humility communication gratitude

Mood

hopeful encouraging

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- daily check‑ins
- family calls
- team debriefs
- personal journaling

Key Concepts

authenticity relationship building emotional intelligence

Questions to Reflect On

- Who do you tell about your day?
- How does this habit affect your decision making?

A Different Perspective

Risk of over‑personalizing professional image.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [End of the day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-day/) [Good leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-leader/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothers/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/)

## Related quotes

> [There are many more women who identify as unique people as well as mothers, or instead of as mothers, than there used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/there-are-many-more-women-who-identify-as-unique-people-as-well-as/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [When I was going on auditions, it was nerve-racking. I'd always say to my mom that it would be awesome if I could get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-rodriguez/when-i-was-going-on-auditions-it-was-nerve-racking-i-d-always-say-to/)

[Rico Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-rodriguez/)

> [“It's so nice to be around a man who isn't hung up about his car," she said. "Mom, I can't believe you're saying that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-hegwood/it-s-so-nice-to-be-around-a-man-who-isn-t-hung-up-about-his-car-she/)

Martin Hegwood

> [My mom always made me believe that people with only talent didn't go very far. Hard work was what made things possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/my-mom-always-made-me-believe-that-people-with-only-talent-didn-t-go/)

[Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/)

> [“Did other people’s mothers vanish into holes in the ground during their midlife crises?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/did-other-people-s-mothers-vanish-into-holes-in-the-ground-during/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [The more famous an actress becomes, the less she's allowed to eat. Unless she wants to play people's mothers. And in bad clothes, yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-turner/the-more-famous-an-actress-becomes-the-less-she-s-allowed-to-eat/)

[Lana Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-turner/)

> [ She \[a mother\] never outgrows the burden of love, and to the end she carries the weight of hope for those she bore. Oddly,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florida-scott-maxwell/she-a-mother-never-outgrows-the-burden-of-love-and-to-the-end-she/)

[Florida Scott-Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florida-scott-maxwell/)

> [My father left... but I tell my mom - and I told my mom this when I was a kid - I said, 'You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-martinez/my-father-left-but-i-tell-my-mom-and-i-told-my-mom-this-when-i-was-a/)

[J. R. Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-martinez/)

> [“How do you tell your mom you're following your dream when it's the one that warned you to befriend a psychotic boy before he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-chaucer/how-do-you-tell-your-mom-you-re-following-your-dream-when-it-s-the/)

Jack Chaucer

> [When I was little Im gonna tell your mom was the scariest sentence ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bubbly/when-i-was-little-im-gonna-tell-your-mom-was-the-scariest-sentence/)

Bubbly

> [“Going?” I smile and wait for her to remove her hand before I answer. “Just meeting up with a friend.” Friend. There, I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-rae/going-i-smile-and-wait-for-her-to-remove-her-hand-before-i-answer/)

[Kristin Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-rae/)

> [All I wanted to do was play soccer. I used to tell my mom that I wanted to be like Marta, that I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-andrade/all-i-wanted-to-do-was-play-soccer-i-used-to-tell-my-mom-that-i/)

[Jessica Andrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-andrade/)

> [My main goal was to not tell my mom anything or anyone anything. Even within our family, we like to do it ourselves, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/my-main-goal-was-to-not-tell-my-mom-anything-or-anyone-anything-even/)

[Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/)

> [When you were little, I'm goingto tell your mom, was the scariest sentence ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-were-little-i-m-goingto-tell-your-mom-was-the-scariest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When I was little, I am gonna tell your mom was the scariest sentence. :S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-was-little-i-am-gonna-tell-your-mom-was-the-scariest-sentence-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by James Altucher

> [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [Take control of who you report to, what you do, what you create. Or start a business on the side. Deliver some value, any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/take-control-of-who-you-report-to-what-you-do-what-you-create-or/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [“oxytocin is the “god hormone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/oxytocin-is-the-god-hormone/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [“How do you get past this?” Diversification is everything. You get past “this” by having lots of “that”s.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/how-do-you-get-past-this-diversification-is-everything-you-get-past/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [The best speakers are the ones who have put 10,000 hours into listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/the-best-speakers-are-the-ones-who-have-put-10-000-hours-into/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [“Someone who is reinventing always has spare time. Part of reinvention is collecting little bits and pieces of time and carving them the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/someone-who-is-reinventing-always-has-spare-time-part-of-reinvention/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [America is a country of fighters. People who fought their way in and then continued fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/america-is-a-country-of-fighters-people-who-fought-their-way-in-and/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [I'm scammed almost every day. Or, if not scammed, at the very least someone tries to scam me. Usually more than once a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/i-m-scammed-almost-every-day-or-if-not-scammed-at-the-very-least/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [Honesty is about the scars. It's about the blemishes. But it's more than just bragging about failure, which could be a form of ego.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/honesty-is-about-the-scars-it-s-about-the-blemishes-but-it-s-more/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [Poker is a charismatic game. People who are larger than life play poker and make their living from playing games and hustling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/poker-is-a-charismatic-game-people-who-are-larger-than-life-play/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [Help is a conversation. If one side talks too much, the other side will get bored. So make sure you help back when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/help-is-a-conversation-if-one-side-talks-too-much-the-other-side-will/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [“Finally, I started to care more about getting better than about winning. I started to study my losses. I would take my losses to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/finally-i-started-to-care-more-about-getting-better-than-about/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [“g) Time it takes to reinvent yourself: five years. Here’s a description of the five years: Year One: You’re flailing and reading everything and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/g-time-it-takes-to-reinvent-yourself-five-years-here-s-a-description/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [I can tell you this: Everything in my life that I am happy about it is the product of a huge mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/i-can-tell-you-this-everything-in-my-life-that-i-am-happy-about-it-is/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [Be honest about mistakes. Even if you are afraid of what people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/be-honest-about-mistakes-even-if-you-are-afraid-of-what-people-think/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

[Explore all 224 James Altucher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I always imagine a good leader is surrounded by people who call their mothers at the end of the day and tell them, 'Mom, you can't believe what I did today. Let me tell you about it.'",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Altucher"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrounded-by-people-who-call-their/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrounded-by-people-who-call-their/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/james-altucher-1597_about_i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrou_1124598.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/james-altucher-1597_about_i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrou_1124598.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/james-altucher-1597_about_i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrou_1124598.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I always imagine a good leader is surrounded by people who call their mothers at the end of the day and tell…” — James Altucher",
                "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": "James Altucher",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I always imagine a good leader...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrounded-by-people-who-call-their/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/i-always-imagine-a-good-leader-is-surrounded-by-people-who-call-their/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
