--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Leadership is not about popularity, it is…" description: "\"Leadership is not about popularity, it is about doing what is right.\" — Laura Bush" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/laura-bush-4252_funny_leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is_2044932.jpg" --- # Leadership is not about popularity, it is about doing what… ![“Leadership is not about popularity, it is about doing what is right.” quote by Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/laura-bush-4252_funny_leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is_2044932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/laura-bush-4252_funny_leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is_2044932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/laura-bush-4252_funny_leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is_2044932.jpg) > “Leadership is not about popularity, it is about doing what is right.” [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) ## 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 defined by ethical action rather than seeking approval. **In simple terms:** Lead by doing right, not by being liked. Key Takeaway Act with integrity. Themes leadership ethics integrity popularity Mood thoughtful determined Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - politics - business - community service - education - nonprofits Key Concepts moral philosophy social responsibility decision making Questions to Reflect On - What ethical dilemmas have you faced? - How do you handle criticism when doing what's right? A Different Perspective Popularity can sometimes be necessary for influence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Doing right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-right/) [Doing What Is Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-what-is-right/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-popularity-3131897/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) [Popularity Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity-doing-3824299/) ## Related quotes > [Leadership is not a popularity contest; it's about leaving your ego at the door. The name of the game is to lead without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leadership-is-not-a-popularity-contest-it-s-about-leaving-your-ego-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We live in a society obsessed with public opinion. But leadership has never been about popularity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/we-live-in-a-society-obsessed-with-public-opinion-but-leadership-has/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [You'll never go wrong in doing what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-ll-never-go-wrong-in-doing-what-is-right/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [Integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/integrity-means-always-doing-what-is-right-and-good-regardless-of-the/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [The art of governing consists simply of being honest, exercising common sense, following principle, and doing what is right and just.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-art-of-governing-consists-simply-of-being-honest-exercising/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Stop doing what is easy or popular. Start doing what is right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/stop-doing-what-is-easy-or-popular-start-doing-what-is-right/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [“He will give joy to those who suffer for doing what is right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-friesen/he-will-give-joy-to-those-who-suffer-for-doing-what-is-right/) [Garry Friesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-friesen/) > [Morality is doing what is right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/morality-is-doing-what-is-right-no-matter-what-you-are-told-religion/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Integrity is doing what is right and truthful, and doing as you say you would do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/integrity-is-doing-what-is-right-and-truthful-and-doing-as-you-say/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [“Because respect doesn’t always mean doing what is right”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/because-respect-doesn-t-always-mean-doing-what-is-right/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [To me, integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/to-me-integrity-means-always-doing-what-is-right-and-good-regardless/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [“The essence of freedom is the option of doing what is right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-nyarangi-akoya/the-essence-of-freedom-is-the-option-of-doing-what-is-right/) [JOEL NYARANGI AKOYA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-nyarangi-akoya/) > [“We don't have to feel like doing what is right in order to do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/we-don-t-have-to-feel-like-doing-what-is-right-in-order-to-do-it/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Knowing what is right is not the same as doing what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-caine/knowing-what-is-right-is-not-the-same-as-doing-what-is-right/) [Christine Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-caine/) > [“Because doing what is right is in your bones. Just follow where your bones take you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-x-stork/because-doing-what-is-right-is-in-your-bones-just-follow-where-your/) [Francisco X. Stork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-x-stork/) ## More by Laura Bush > [When we look around the world today, when we see in Afghanistan that 10 million people have registered to vote in their upcoming elections,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/when-we-look-around-the-world-today-when-we-see-in-afghanistan-that/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [ I've always liked walking; that's one of my favorite things to do, and I try to walk every day. \[In Washington, D.C.\] I can't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/i-ve-always-liked-walking-that-s-one-of-my-favorite-things-to-do-and/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [Educated people can make their own choices about their governments. And certainly for women, an education allows you to understand your rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/educated-people-can-make-their-own-choices-about-their-governments/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [When I was in my 20s, I was a bookworm - spent 12 hours of the day in the library. How I met George,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/when-i-was-in-my-20s-i-was-a-bookworm-spent-12-hours-of-the-day-in/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [If you take the burden of health care, of diseases off the backs of some other countries, it gives them a chance to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/if-you-take-the-burden-of-health-care-of-diseases-off-the-backs-of/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [It's not easy to have the job of president. It's not easy to run for it. And it's not a job for the feint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/it-s-not-easy-to-have-the-job-of-president-it-s-not-easy-to-run-for/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [Because women don't expect to have heart disease, a lot of times they don't seek help if they have the early symptoms of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/because-women-don-t-expect-to-have-heart-disease-a-lot-of-times-they/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [The power of a book lies in its power to turn a solitary act into a shared vision. As long as we have books,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/the-power-of-a-book-lies-in-its-power-to-turn-a-solitary-act-into-a/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [I mean, the part you don't like, I mean, that's the only part. That's the part no one likes, and that is the criticisms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/i-mean-the-part-you-don-t-like-i-mean-that-s-the-only-part-that-s-the/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [Time spent in nature decreases stress and anxiety and improves focus for adults as well as children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/time-spent-in-nature-decreases-stress-and-anxiety-and-improves-focus/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [Don't start smoking. It's much harder to stop than it is not to start at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/don-t-start-smoking-it-s-much-harder-to-stop-than-it-is-not-to-start/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [When I heard that heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined - when I heard that, I knew. The other thing that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/when-i-heard-that-heart-disease-kills-more-women-than-all-cancers/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [Children know that if they have a question about the world, the library is the place to find the answer. And someone will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/children-know-that-if-they-have-a-question-about-the-world-the/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [We know how unhealthy it is. I know what happens, though - young women start smoking because they don't think they're really going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/we-know-how-unhealthy-it-is-i-know-what-happens-though-young-women/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) > [Jenna's traveled with me; they've both traveled with their dad. This is the only time they've been old enough in all of their dad's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/jenna-s-traveled-with-me-they-ve-both-traveled-with-their-dad-this-is/) [Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) [Explore all 113 Laura Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) [Kitty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [You can't drain the swamp, as President Trump has touted doing, without getting rid of Mitch McConnell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/you-can-t-drain-the-swamp-as-president-trump-has-touted-doing-without/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) [Browse all 10,133 Doing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Leadership is not about popularity, it is about doing what is right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laura Bush" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is-about-doing-what-is-right/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is-about-doing-what-is-right/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/laura-bush-4252_funny_leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is_2044932.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/laura-bush-4252_funny_leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is_2044932.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/laura-bush-4252_funny_leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is_2044932.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Leadership is not about popularity, it is about doing what is right.” — Laura Bush", "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": "Laura Bush", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Leadership is not about popularity, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is-about-doing-what-is-right/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/leadership-is-not-about-popularity-it-is-about-doing-what-is-right/#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 } } ] } ```