---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Managers light a fire under people…"
description: "\"“Managers light a fire under people; leaders light a fire in people.”\" — Kathy Austin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/kathy-austin-252522_fire_managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leade_1274849.jpg"
---

#  Managers light a fire under people; leaders light a fire…

![“Managers light a fire under people; leaders light a fire in people.” quote by Kathy Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/kathy-austin-252522_fire_managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leade_1274849.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/kathy-austin-252522_fire_managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leade_1274849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/kathy-austin-252522_fire_managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leade_1274849.jpg)

> ““Managers light a fire under people; leaders light a fire in people.””

Kathy Austin

## About This Quote

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

Leaders inspire intrinsic motivation while managers rely on external pressure.

**In simple terms:** Leaders inspire, managers pressure.

Key Takeaway

Inspire from within, not just push.

Themes

leadership motivation management

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

Fire:0 Leader:1 Leaders:1 Leadership:1 Management:1 Managers:1 People Leaders:0 Leaders Light:0 Managers Light:0

When to use this quote

- team meetings
- performance reviews
- project kickoffs

Key Concepts

intrinsic vs extrinsic drive influence authority

Questions to Reflect On

- How can managers become inspirational?
- What fuels intrinsic motivation?

A Different Perspective

Leaders also need to manage tasks; just inspire.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/)

## Related quotes

> [Change your leaders, not your light bulbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/change-your-leaders-not-your-light-bulbs/)

[Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/)

> [When I talk to managers I get the feeling that they are important. when I talk to leaders I get the feeling that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-den-heijer/when-i-talk-to-managers-i-get-the-feeling-that-they-are-important/)

[Alexander Den Heijer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-den-heijer/)

> [“Managers and leaders cause most of the organizational confusion and frustration by not doing their jobs — their real jobs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-weber/managers-and-leaders-cause-most-of-the-organizational-confusion-and/)

[Liz Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-weber/)

> [Though there are many types of people, leaders, followers, business men, artists, spiritual leaders, and so on, the fact remains that a person's life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/though-there-are-many-types-of-people-leaders-followers-business-men/)

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

> [“The common goal of leaders is to increase the value and productivity of people. Leaders inspire others to do better than they would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-common-goal-of-leaders-is-to-increase-the-value-and-productivity/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [The reverse is a system in which you basically let people who were leaders in one way or another - people sometimes decried as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-cowan/the-reverse-is-a-system-in-which-you-basically-let-people-who-were/)

[Geoffrey Cowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-cowan/)

> [Managers will tell people what to do, whereas leaders will inspire them to do it, and there are a few things that go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-weiner/managers-will-tell-people-what-to-do-whereas-leaders-will-inspire/)

[Jeff Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-weiner/)

> [Managers help people see themselves as they are; Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/managers-help-people-see-themselves-as-they-are-leaders-help-people/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [The leaders who get the most out of their people are the leaders who care most about their people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/the-leaders-who-get-the-most-out-of-their-people-are-the-leaders-who/)

[Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/)

> [“Don't take purposeless people as your leaders. Their life is like an empty book with a nice cover paper and you have attempted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/don-t-take-purposeless-people-as-your-leaders-their-life-is-like-an/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [Some great people are leaders and others are more lucky, in the right place at the right time. I'd put myself in the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/some-great-people-are-leaders-and-others-are-more-lucky-in-the-right/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [Leadership is accomplishing something through other people that wouldn't have happened if you weren't there. . . Leadership is being able to mobilize ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-tichy/leadership-is-accomplishing-something-through-other-people-that/)

[Noel Tichy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-tichy/)

> [“However, if the key to a values-based organization is really the people, then leaders need to spend a lot more time developing the team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-m-kraemer/however-if-the-key-to-a-values-based-organization-is-really-the/)

Harry M. Kraemer

> [Religion is always in danger of growing apart from the people when its leaders forget to reflect carefully on their own behavior and come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/religion-is-always-in-danger-of-growing-apart-from-the-people-when/)

[Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/)

> [“Misery and poverty of a nation is associated with the conscious of its people not leaders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/misery-and-poverty-of-a-nation-is-associated-with-the-conscious-of/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

## More Fire quotes

> [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/)

[Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/)

[St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [Tonight I feel like a prisoner on fire, waiting desperately... denied, sentenced forever more. Only your love can set me free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bolton/tonight-i-feel-like-a-prisoner-on-fire-waiting-desperately-denied/)

[Michael Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bolton/)

> [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/)

[William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/)

> [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/)

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

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Carrying that lumber the forty meters from the forest had left his knuckles blistered, his underarms sopping, but now a few hours of flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/carrying-that-lumber-the-forty-meters-from-the-forest-had-left-his/)

[Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/)

> [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/)

[Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/)

> [AHHHHHH! Goyle has set the bloody place on fire! -Ron Weasley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ahhhhhh-goyle-has-set-the-bloody-place-on-fire-ron-weasley/)

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

[Browse all 8,652 Fire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Managers light a fire under people; leaders light a fire in people.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kathy Austin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-austin/managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leaders-light-a-fire-in-people/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fire"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-austin/managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leaders-light-a-fire-in-people/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/kathy-austin-252522_fire_managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leade_1274849.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/kathy-austin-252522_fire_managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leade_1274849.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/kathy-austin-252522_fire_managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leade_1274849.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Managers light a fire under people; leaders light a fire in people.” — Kathy Austin",
                "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": "Kathy Austin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-austin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Managers light a fire under people;...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-austin/managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leaders-light-a-fire-in-people/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-austin/managers-light-a-fire-under-people-leaders-light-a-fire-in-people/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
