--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Leadership is not about being in charge…" description: "\"Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.\" — Simon Sinek" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/simon-sinek-349_care_leadership-is-not-about-being-in-charge_619301.png" --- # Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is… ![“Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.” quote by Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/simon-sinek-349_care_leadership-is-not-about-being-in-charge_619301.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/simon-sinek-349_care_leadership-is-not-about-being-in-charge_619301.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/simon-sinek-349_care_leadership-is-not-about-being-in-charge_619301.png) > “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.” [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) ## 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 serving the people you lead, not exercising power over them. **In simple terms:** Leadership is service, not authority. Key Takeaway Put people first. Themes service leadership responsibility Mood empathetic inspirational Type advice leadership When to use this quote - team management - nonprofit - military units - customer service Key Concepts servant leadership empowerment trust Questions to Reflect On - How can you empower your team daily? - What does caring look like in your role? A Different Perspective Leaders may lack resources to meet all needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Caring for others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring-for-others/) [Charge Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charge-leadership-5013707/) [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 Charge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-charge-5013708/) [Leadership Taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-taking-1277287/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Taking Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-care/) ## Related quotes > [One important element of leadership is taking care of the troops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-important-element-of-leadership-is-taking-care-of-the-troops/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [“If all you do is look out for yourself, then... you're not really looking out for yourself. Taking care of those that love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/if-all-you-do-is-look-out-for-yourself-then-you-re-not-really-looking/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [I'm often times so busy caring for others & taking care of others I forget about myself. I gotta take care of me sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-often-times-so-busy-caring-for-others-taking-care-of-others-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We must all try to empathize before we criticize. Ask someone what's wrong before telling them they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/we-must-all-try-to-empathize-before-we-criticize-ask-someone-what-s/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [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/) > [“The process is about leadership and about taking people to places that they cannot get to on their own, while they are still feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-moore/the-process-is-about-leadership-and-about-taking-people-to-places/) [Michelle Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-moore/) > [Leadership is about taking charge and influencing others to follow your vision. It's about going against the odds and accepting responsibility for the outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-crow/leadership-is-about-taking-charge-and-influencing-others-to-follow/) [Robin Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-crow/) > [Leadership is all about taking people on a journey. The challenge is that most of the time, we are asking people to follow us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/leadership-is-all-about-taking-people-on-a-journey-the-challenge-is/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Leadership is taking responsibility while others are making excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/leadership-is-taking-responsibility-while-others-are-making-excuses/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Leadership - leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/leadership-leadership-is-about-taking-responsibility-not-making/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“Leadership is about taking steps while management is about drawing the map on the steps to take. Managers simply plan, leaders simply execute!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leadership-is-about-taking-steps-while-management-is-about-drawing/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I think as a leader, you just take accountability. That's what leadership is. Leadership is taking accountability yourself and holding others to the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kelce/i-think-as-a-leader-you-just-take-accountability-that-s-what/) [Jason Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kelce/) > [Leadership is taking responsibility for failures and giving credit for success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leadership-is-taking-responsibility-for-failures-and-giving-credit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Leadership was not only about taking charge, it was also about giving your team everything they needed to succeed, and then getting out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-thor/leadership-was-not-only-about-taking-charge-it-was-also-about-giving/) [Brad Thor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-thor/) > [“Leadership is about taking people from a good place to a better place where they would not regret to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leadership-is-about-taking-people-from-a-good-place-to-a-better-place/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) ## More by Simon Sinek > [Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. Patton was the epitome of what a leader should be like - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/notoriously-outspoken-his-sentences-always-punctuated-with/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“When you are with Marines gathering to eat, you will notice that the most junior are served first and the most senior are served…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/when-you-are-with-marines-gathering-to-eat-you-will-notice-that-the/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [A parent does not do everything for their kid. A parent that does everything for their kid produces a kid with no self-confidence. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/a-parent-does-not-do-everything-for-their-kid-a-parent-that-does/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Don't wait for perfection before you start. Start somewhere so you can have something tangible you can work to perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/don-t-wait-for-perfection-before-you-start-start-somewhere-so-you-can/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Followers want to be taken care of. Leaders want to take care of others. We can all be leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/followers-want-to-be-taken-care-of-leaders-want-to-take-care-of/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“Goethe, the great nineteenth-century thinker, reportedly summed up, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/goethe-the-great-nineteenth-century-thinker-reportedly-summed-up-you/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Pursue the thing inside us and others will help us. Pursue the things outside us and others will compete with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/pursue-the-thing-inside-us-and-others-will-help-us-pursue-the-things/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“When a WHY goes fuzzy, it becomes much more difficult to maintain the growth, loyalty and inspiration that helped drive the original success. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/when-a-why-goes-fuzzy-it-becomes-much-more-difficult-to-maintain-the/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“Without the protection of our leaders, everyone outside the inner circle is forced to work alone or in small tribes to protect and advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/without-the-protection-of-our-leaders-everyone-outside-the-inner/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Any great and inspiring leader or organization that ever existed set out to do something completely unrealistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/any-great-and-inspiring-leader-or-organization-that-ever-existed-set/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I try to find, celebrate and teach leaders how to build platforms that will inspire others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-try-to-find-celebrate-and-teach-leaders-how-to-build-platforms-that/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Instead of showing up to let everyone know how great we are, show up to find out how great everyone else is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/instead-of-showing-up-to-let-everyone-know-how-great-we-are-show-up/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Knowledge is understanding based on what has been studied and learned. Wisdom is understanding based on what has been felt and experienced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/knowledge-is-understanding-based-on-what-has-been-studied-and-learned/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [There's only one of me. With you using the why in the center of your work helps me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/there-s-only-one-of-me-with-you-using-the-why-in-the-center-of-your/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [“they didn't examine the problem and accumulate data to figure out the best solution - they engineered the outcome they wanted from the beginning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/they-didn-t-examine-the-problem-and-accumulate-data-to-figure-out-the/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) [Explore all 654 Simon Sinek quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. 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Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. 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