50 Inspiring Andy Stanley Leadership Quotes

Leadership is less about titles and more about influence, vision, and the courage to serve others.

When it comes to timeless wisdom on leadership, few voices are as clear and impactful as Andy Stanley.

His words cut through the noise and invite leaders to think differently—not only about how they lead others, but also about how they lead themselves.

This collection of Andy Stanley leadership quotes offers practical guidance and life-changing insight for anyone striving to become a leader worth following.

Who is Andy Stanley?

Andy Stanley is a respected pastor, communicator, author, and leadership expert. He is the founder of North Point Ministries, one of the largest Christian organizations in the United States.

Known for his practical wisdom and straightforward communication style, Andy has written numerous bestselling books on leadership, vision, and personal growth.

His teachings have influenced leaders across business, ministry, and education, offering clear principles for self-leadership, organizational health, and servant leadership.

You can get all Andy Stanley books from here.

50 Andy Stanley Leadership Quotes

“The easiest person for me to deceive is the person in the mirror. You are a sucker for you.”
“You can’t lead yourself well as long as you’re lying to yourself. You can’t lead a liar. Fire the liar.”
“I have participated in every bad decision I’ve ever made.”
“You have participated in every bad decision you have ever made.”
“You were the mastermind behind your greatest regret.”
“We face our greatest challenge every day when we look in the mirror.”
“You will not be a leader worth following if you don’t lead yourself well.”
“Leaders who are worth following are people who have mastered self-leadership.”
“Exceptional self-leadership is the key to sustained influence.”
“None of us open ourselves to leaders we don’t respect.”
“Great leaders last because they lead themselves first.”
“I will not lie to myself even when the truth makes me feel bad about myself.”
“What’s worse than feeling bad about yourself is not doing something about what’s bad about yourself.”
“I will prioritize what I value most over what I want now.”
“Exceptional self-leaders lead themselves to what they value most, not what they want now.”
“I will not attempt to lead myself by myself.”
“Your greatest regrets were with friends. You were with people who supported your decisions.”
“Our friends determine the direction and quality of our life.”
“You need friends who share common values. Self-leadership is value-driven.”
“The values a person embraces determines the direction of their life.”
“Opt for ultimate over immediate.”
“You may need to disconnect from a friend or two. Ultimate can be threatening to people who opt for immediate.”
“Direction, not intention, determines destination.”
“There is only one person who can determine where you end up on purpose – the person in the mirror.”
“The person in the mirror is counting on you. There are also smaller faces in smaller mirrors counting on you.”
“Do you really want to put the generation coming behind of you ahead of you?”
“Becoming a hero-maker will cost you.”
“When you decide to shine the spotlight on other people you lose control.”
“If you were better than the lead pastor they just called you rebellious.”
“If you live for yourself, lead for yourself, in the end, you will have nothing to show for yourself but yourself.”
“The value of a life is always measured by how much of it was given away.”
“It is not intuitive away to give your life, your leadership, and your opportunities away.”
“If you don’t, your impact will be no bigger than you.”
“When you think about the strange pastors, … they are not multipliers. If you are not multiplying, you are like a blockage in your bowel system.”
“All strange people hang around together. That’s why they don’t know they’re strange.”
“If you’re not a hero-maker, you may not pay professionally. You may pay personally… Your children … will know you are strange.”
“When you think of great leaders, you don’t think about what they accomplished. You think about what they accomplished for you.”
“If you replace yourself you will always have a place.”
“I’m here to facilitate your success regardless of where our names appear on an org chart.”
“The person with the most resources has the most opportunities to do things for the most people.”
“If everybody’s essential, everybody’s essential.”
“Ask the people in your organization this question, ‘What can I do to help?’”
“There’s hardly anything uglier than a detached body part.”
“My Savior got very, very, very small when He got under my sin.”
“Next time you think you’re a big shot, just wash more feet.”
“Direction, not intention, determines your destination.”
“We don’t drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there.”
“Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.”
“The greatest leadership challenge you will ever face is leading yourself.”
“Your leadership is not measured by how many people follow you, but by how many people are better because they did.”

What These Quotes Teach Us

Looking at these Andy Stanley leadership quotes, several themes emerge:

Self-leadership is non-negotiable. Before influencing others, leaders must face themselves honestly, align with their values, and resist the temptation of short-term gains.
Leadership is service, not status. The best leaders lift others up, create opportunities, and shine the spotlight away from themselves.
True impact multiplies. A leader’s legacy is measured by the lives transformed, not titles earned.
Humility sustains influence. From “wash more feet” to “ask, what can I do to help?”, Andy reminds us that greatness is found in serving.

Conclusion

These Andy Stanley leadership quotes challenge us to look deeper—not just at what we achieve, but at how we achieve it and who we become in the process.