--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Successful leaders are like icebergs…" description: "\"“Successful leaders are like icebergs. When you look at an iceberg, you see only about 10 percent of it, and the rest of it is hidden under the water. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/john-c-maxwell-113_heroism_successful-leaders-are-like-icebergs-whe_2285361.jpg" --- # Successful leaders are like icebergs. When you look at an… ![“Successful leaders are like icebergs. When you look at an iceberg, you see only about 10 percent of it, and the rest of it is hidden under the water. When you look at successful leaders, you see only a fraction of their lives. You see the part that looks really good, but there’s usually a lot that…” quote by John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/john-c-maxwell-113_heroism_successful-leaders-are-like-icebergs-whe_2285361.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/john-c-maxwell-113_heroism_successful-leaders-are-like-icebergs-whe_2285361.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/john-c-maxwell-113_heroism_successful-leaders-are-like-icebergs-whe_2285361.jpg) > ““Successful leaders are like icebergs. When you look at an iceberg, you see only about 10 percent of it, and the rest of it is hidden under the water. When you look at successful leaders, you see only a fraction of their lives. You see the part that looks really good, but there’s usually a lot that remains hidden that’s neither exciting nor glamorous. Tennis star Arthur Ashe said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost.” True leadership is the same.”” [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. Leaders appear polished, but most of their effort and struggle are unseen, similar to an iceberg’s hidden mass. **In simple terms:** Leadership's hidden work is crucial. Key Takeaway Recognize unseen effort. Themes leadership humility visibility Mood inspirational thoughtful Type advice motivational When to use this quote - team management - mentorship - public perception - career advancement Key Concepts psychology role modeling Questions to Reflect On - What unseen efforts do you admire? - How can you acknowledge hidden work? A Different Perspective Focusing only on visible success can foster unrealistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-leaders/) [True leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-leadership/) ## Related quotes > [“Anyaele Sam Chiyson Leadership Law of Affection: Successful leaders like, set a good example to other leaders and determine the course with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anyaele-sam-chiyson/anyaele-sam-chiyson-leadership-law-of-affection-successful-leaders/) Anyaele Sam Chiyson > [True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. 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It’s about compassion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/heroes-care-true-heroism-as-the-ancients-understood-isn-t-about/) [Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/) > [“Gentlemen, here is a truth: Enduring tedium over real time in a confined space is what real courage is… True heroism is minutes, hours,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/gentlemen-here-is-a-truth-enduring-tedium-over-real-time-in-a/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/true-heroism-consists-in-being-superior-to-the-ills-of-life-in/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [All leaders make mistakes. They are a part of life. 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The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/true-leadership-cannot-be-awarded-appointed-or-assigned-it-comes-only/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from Influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/true-leadership-cannot-be-awarded-appointed-or-assigned-it-comes-only-2/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less...titles don't have much value when it comes to leading. True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/leadership-is-influence-nothing-more-nothing-less-titles-don-t-have/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) ## More by John C. Maxwell > [“Why do so many people do nothing? 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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 Heroism quotes > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The last act in the biography of the hero is that of the death or departure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-last-act-in-the-biography-of-the-hero-is-that-of-the-death-or/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [“Forgotten hero was never the real hero, real hero can not be forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/forgotten-hero-was-never-the-real-hero-real-hero-can-not-be-forgotten/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“But surely even heroes weary lugging around the burdens of their heroism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-h-trumble/but-surely-even-heroes-weary-lugging-around-the-burdens-of-their/) [J.H. Trumble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-h-trumble/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [There was no heroism in 'Manichitrathazhu' but there will be heroism in 'Chandramukhi.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-vasu/there-was-no-heroism-in-manichitrathazhu-but-there-will-be-heroism-in/) [P. Vasu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-vasu/) > [The universe appears to me like an immense, inexorable torture-garden…Passions, greed, hatred, and lies; social institutions, justice, love, glory, heroism, and religion: these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/the-universe-appears-to-me-like-an-immense-inexorable-torture-garden/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [The epic disappeared along with the age of personal heroism; there can be no epic with artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-epic-disappeared-along-with-the-age-of-personal-heroism-there-can/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/true-heroism-is-remarkably-sober-very-undramatic-it-is-not-the-urge/) [Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/) > [“Hero' is not an official status or designation, but if the world recognize you as a hero, it is the highest honor you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/hero-is-not-an-official-status-or-designation-but-if-the-world/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Heroism, self-denial, and magnanimity, in all instances where they do not spring from a principle of religion, are but splendid altars on which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/heroism-self-denial-and-magnanimity-in-all-instances-where-they-do/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [You don't see heroism, humanity and hope like you do in a horror story. 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