--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Leadership is the willingness to put…" description: "\"Leadership is the willingness to put oneself at risk.\" — John C. Maxwell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/john-c-maxwell-113_leader_leadership-is-the-willingness-to-put-one_2592864.jpg" --- # Leadership is the willingness to put oneself at risk. ![“Leadership is the willingness to put oneself at risk.” quote by John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/john-c-maxwell-113_leader_leadership-is-the-willingness-to-put-one_2592864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/john-c-maxwell-113_leader_leadership-is-the-willingness-to-put-one_2592864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/john-c-maxwell-113_leader_leadership-is-the-willingness-to-put-one_2592864.jpg) > “Leadership is the willingness to put oneself at risk.” [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership means accepting personal risk for the sake of others. **In simple terms:** Leaders take risks. Key Takeaway Embrace responsibility despite danger. Themes leadership risk service Mood inspirational practical Type leadership motivational When to use this quote - business decisions - team guidance - crisis management Key Concepts ethics courage Questions to Reflect On - When is risk justified? - How to mitigate fallout? A Different Perspective Risk can endanger leader and followers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-willingness-1875462/) [Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself/) [Oneself Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself-risk-1875461/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) [Willingness Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness-oneself-725776/) ## Related quotes > [Maturity starts with the willingness to give oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/maturity-starts-with-the-willingness-to-give-oneself/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [That's what world leadership is: A willingness to point at bad guys and say they're the bad guys and to keep the bad guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/that-s-what-world-leadership-is-a-willingness-to-point-at-bad-guys/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ The most critical variable \[to becoming a change-maker\] is one's willingness to give oneself permission. To break the mental chains that make us small… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-drayton/the-most-critical-variable-to-becoming-a-change-maker-is-one-s/) [Bill Drayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-drayton/) > [Two elements of successful leadership: a willingness to be wrong and an eagerness to admit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/two-elements-of-successful-leadership-a-willingness-to-be-wrong-and/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/the-true-price-of-leadership-is-the-willingness-to-place-the-needs-of/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Honesty, willingness to exert oneself, friendship - all these things shaped me too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/honesty-willingness-to-exert-oneself-friendship-all-these-things/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [Anxiety and desire are two, often conflicting, orientations to the unknown. Both are tilted toward the future. Desire implies a willingness, or a need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-epstein/anxiety-and-desire-are-two-often-conflicting-orientations-to-the/) [Mark Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-epstein/) > [We were looking at weather and our relationships with weather. It goes to a few other places, and I don't want to spoil anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-rice/we-were-looking-at-weather-and-our-relationships-with-weather-it-goes/) [Travis Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-rice/) > [The willingness to take risk is largely a function of wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-conard/the-willingness-to-take-risk-is-largely-a-function-of-wealth/) [Edward Conard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-conard/) > [It is true that the virtues which are less esteemed and practiced now--independence, self-reliance, and the willingness to bear risks, the readiness to back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-true-that-the-virtues-which-are-less-esteemed-and-practiced-now/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Creativity requires introspection, self-examination, and a willingness to take risks. Because of this, artists are perhaps more susceptible to self-doubt and despair than those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/creativity-requires-introspection-self-examination-and-a-willingness/) [Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/) > [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More by John C. Maxwell > [“Why do so many people do nothing? I think it’s because most of us look at the evils and injustice around us, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/why-do-so-many-people-do-nothing-i-think-it-s-because-most-of-us-look/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [You cannot have growth without change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/you-cannot-have-growth-without-change/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/change-is-inevitable-growth-is-optional/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Goals not only help you develop initial motivation by making your dreams obtainable, but they also help you continue to be motivated and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/goals-not-only-help-you-develop-initial-motivation-by-making-your/) [John C. 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Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [A person who has a dream knows what he is willing to give up in order to go up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/a-person-who-has-a-dream-knows-what-he-is-willing-to-give-up-in-order/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [The bottom line on attitude is that a good one helps to increase your possibilities. Pessimists usually get what they expect. So do optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-bottom-line-on-attitude-is-that-a-good-one-helps-to-increase-your/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Working together precedes winning together...collaboration is multiplication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/working-together-precedes-winning-together-collaboration-is/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Leaders don't rise to the pinnacle of success without developing the right set of attitudes and habits; they make every day a masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/leaders-don-t-rise-to-the-pinnacle-of-success-without-developing-the/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Your leadership skills determine the level of your success, and the success of those who work around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/your-leadership-skills-determine-the-level-of-your-success-and-the/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) [Explore all 1,233 John C. Maxwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) ## More Leader quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [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/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. 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That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [I always wanted someone looking up to me and trying to understand where I'm coming from as a leader. I'm ready for that. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillon-brooks/i-always-wanted-someone-looking-up-to-me-and-trying-to-understand/) [Dillon Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillon-brooks/) > [I really don't think you need a letter on your jersey to be a leader on a hockey club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-price/i-really-don-t-think-you-need-a-letter-on-your-jersey-to-be-a-leader/) [Carey Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-price/) > [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [Leadership is made for service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hyles/leadership-is-made-for-service/) [Jack Hyles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hyles/) > [“All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-to-often-on-the-long-road-up-young-leaders-become-servants-of/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. 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