inspirational quotes for employee appreciation

17 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation

These inspirational quotes are going to be a bit different than what you would think.

It’s not going to be a bunch of RA-RA cheerleader stuff…hell no.

These quotes focus on building relationships that will raise performance and SHOW employees that you appreciate them. Not just some words that say it.

Let’s get right to it…

Top 3 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation

  1. The key to performance isn’t about trying push new conversations about strategy in, but rather clearing out the clutter.-Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
  2. If you aren’t in over your head, then how do you know how tall you are? -T. S. Eliot
  3. Notice the difference between asking ‘Can I do this?’ And, ‘How am I going to do this?’Keep reading for the full list of all 17 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation…

How To Use These Quotes

These quotes are INSPIRATIONAL in that the goal is to inspire the employees to think for themselves, solve problems, and exploit opportunities!

They are not about cheering people on…

I call that kind of feedback MOTIVATIONAL because you’re trying to motivate people to try harder.

To use these inspirational quotes, you need a few things to be set up already:

  • Strong business relationships
  • Team of motivated individuals
  • Respect from the team

Let’s take a quick look at each of these…

Why Do You Care In the First Place?

Why do you want inspired employees and why do you want to show them appreciation?

If the answer is…

  • Morale is low
  • They don’t seem motivated, or
  • There’s a rumor that you don’t appreciate your employees

…then we’ve got bigger issues to tackle my friend!

So, listen closely…

The Toughest Work a Leader Can Do

There is no number of inspirational quotes to fix a dysfunctional relationship with an employee.

And fixing a strained relationship is the toughest work that a leader will ever have to do!

Before venturing any further I suggest you read this post. It’s about how impactful a leader’s words can be, for the better and for the worse!

When your relationships with your employees are all healthy, they begin to resemble more of a partnership.

If that describes your connection with your team, then we’re on the right track!

Before we talk about the inspiration quotes for employee appreciation, some food for thought…

Leaders Don’t Motivate, They Inspire

If your employees aren’t motivated, you’re going to need more than some badass quotes.

Here’s why…

Motivation = The Desire to Try
Inspiration = Feeling or Seeing the Leader’s Vision

Maybe you do the hiring, maybe you don’t…but this BONUS QUOTE cuts to the bone:

“If you want motivated people you have to find them, not motivate them.”

Let’s break that down a tad…

So, Why Can’t I Motivate?

Face it, you just can’t motivate someone.

I know, that’s not a very popular take, but it’s true, and here’s why…

It’s the employee’s responsibility to bring the motivation to you. This would mean they are SELF-MOTIVATED.

From there you can inspire, by helping them pinpoint their dreams and goals, and then pushing them to achieve those goals by teaching, training, holding them accountable, and following up on progress.

I actually have another BONUS QUOTE that I like to use to make this point…

“I’d rather inspire my varsity team to championships than motivate my JV team to try”

If they don’t want to try, you’re going to waste your time!

That’s why I say that leaders don’t motivate, they inspire.

OK one last thing…

Before we get to the list of inspirational quotes for employee appreciation, I’ve got one last thing that I want to touch on, and that is R E S P E C T.
(high five if you spelled that out like the song)…

People Work for People

How Much Do Your Employees Respect You?

People work for people.

That means when someone quits, they didn’t quit the company, THEY QUIT YOU. This is true 80% of the time.

Tough to hear? Find yourself getting defensive?

Sure, there are employees that quit that weren’t a good fit and are better off leaving, but a majority of them quit the leader, not the organization

More food for thought: That’s STILL the leader’s fault for hiring the wrong person!

Check out THIS oldie but goodie (which is actually the 1st thing I ever published to the internet!) about garnering more respect from your team.

OK, OK…And now, without further adieu…

17 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation

The key to performance isn’t about trying push new conversations about strategy in, but rather clearing out the clutter. -Book: 3 Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
This is one of my favorite quotes because in business, we almost always look to ADD when we want to affect performance, yet most often we need to REMOVE so we can focus on what’s important.

 

There are no bad teams, only bad leaders. -Jocko Willink
This one is in here because it’s all about ownership. If you have employees that feel under appreciated, or uninspired, you need to own up to your mistakes before you can move on. This is in direct correlation with the 1st quote, as that “clutter” COULD be gossip about you!

 

Notice the difference between asking ‘Can I do this?’ And, ‘How am I going to do this?’ -Book: Will it Make the Boat Go Faster? By Ben Hunt-Davis and Harriet Beveridge.
In both questions there is an unsure nature of how to start, but one comes with confidence and the other communicates doubt and fear.

 

Many people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions. -Charles H. Brower
This quote is perfect for a time when a teammate is complaining about a process and not adding any value to the situation.

 

Tough times don’t last forever. Tough people do. – Robert H. Schuller
Great 
quote for showing appreciation when an employee as working super hard, or the work gets super hard. (Busy season, corporate visit, high pressure deadline, etc.)

 

If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing wrong. What holds us back is fear of failure. Just try…go…fail, and then adjust!! -Joe Calloway 
Joe wrote the book Be the Best at What Matters Most and it’s a book that I suggest. This quote means that if you’re going to screw up, do it with 100% conviction. I’d rather see an employee comitted to their dream and do it wrong, than do nothing at all.

 

Most people have a desire to look for the exception instead of a desire to be exceptional. -John Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
One of the most important leadership books ever written, and a quote that speaks volumes. Most people would rather find the excuse or reason they failed instead of working to be a success.

 

No matter how bad things are, you can always make them worse.
This is a funny one because it’s a positive statement said in a negative way. It’s a great reminder that things really aren’t that bad, even when they seem desperate. Stop worrying and go fix it!

 

If you aren’t in over your head, then how do you know how tall you are? –T. S. Eliot
The reason I LOVE this quote so much is because I’m a hustler. I like a lot on my plate and when I’m not working like a maniac, then I ask for more. You can’t grow unless you’re pushed!

 

Your abilities say win. What does your attitude say? -Nick Glassett (me!)
Smart, driven, and talented means nothing when the person is negative and toxic!

 

The essence of competitive advantage is doing different things, and doing things differently. -Book: 3 Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
This is a great reminder that when “they” zig, you’ve got to zag! And the second quote from this book (it’s that good of a read, I suggest it to all leaders!)

 

Short term easy means long term difficult and short term difficult means long term easy. -Book: Take The Stairs by Rory Vaden
This is a discipline quote. Do what’s easy now, and you’re going to have to kill yourself later to catch back up. Do what’s hard now, and you’ll be ahead of schedule.

 

Successful people do what others don’t want to do and they in turn get extraordinary results. -Book: Take The Stairs by Rory Vaden
Another one from Rory! I call this, The Winning Formula: Do the things that cause winning. Simple, but not easy. It’s the studying, the practice, the rehearsal, and the work that causes great things to happen.

 

Get good at being a trouble maker and saying sorry when you really screw up. –Book: 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
This may seem like an odd quote to tell your employees…after all, you don’t want trouble makers do you? I don’t just say yes, I say HELL YES. It’s an empowerment and a trust thing. Nothing communicates “I trust you” like this Tim Ferriss Quote.

 

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is taking action in the presence of fear. – David Cunningham, Landmark Forum Leader
I heard this when I did the incredibly powerful Landmark Forum, and I use it often. Anytime there is a situation that has one of my teammates nervous, this quotes causes action to take place (especially public sharing at a meeting).

 

Find the sense of who you are, then it will translate into an ease and confidence in how you come off to others. -Unsure of where I got this from
I firmly believe that when you help people be themselves, and not some “improved” or different version is when you truly get inspired action!

 

Change what you do so you can change how you feel. -Nick Glassett (me)
When people are failing, you would thing they would change what they are doing, but they don’t. Instead they double down and try harder instead of trying something else.

Put in the Time With the People

So there you have it, 17 of my favorite inspirational quotes for employee appreciation.

Many of them are different than your ordinary, optimistic, cheerleader stuff.

I hope you enjoyed it, and would love if you dropped a comment with your opinion and if you used any of these 🙂

Thanks,

-NG

 

Lao Tzu Quotes

27 Mind Expanding Quotes by Lao Tzu

Who was Lao Tzu?
You could also ask “Who was Laozi?”

Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, and has also has been referred to as Lao-Tze, and Laozi.

His given name was actually named Li Er. Laozi is a honorary title, which was romanized in many different ways leading to our name-confusion.

Either way, it’s all the same guy!

He is the author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism….However, in the mid-twentieth century, an argument was made by scholars that the person known as Laozi is doubtful to have actually existed and that that the Tao Te Ching was “a compilation of Taoist sayings by many hands”. 

Of course, many others argue the opposite, and there is actually no way to know for sure!

What we do know is, no matter what name he goes by, and whether or not he actually existed, there are some INCREDIBLE quotes that he’s credited for.

These quotes are all simple and elegant, but at the same time make you think about yourself and your own views in a very deep way.

Expand Your Mind with this Essential Collection of Lao Tzu Quotes 

When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’ -Lao Tzu

 

If you do not change direction, you may end up where your are heading. -Lao Tzu

 

Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. -Lao Tzu

 

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. -Lao Tzu

 

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough. -Lao Tzu

 

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. -Lao Tzu

 

Great acts are made up of small deeds. -Lao Tzu

 

Lao-tzu-quotes

He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty. -Lao Tzu

 

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself. -Lao Tzu

 

He who talks more is sooner exhausted. -Lao Tzu

 

Act without expectation. -Lao Tzu

 

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. -Lao Tzu

 

Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere. -Lao Tzu

 

More quotes from Jocko Willink, Navy SEAL and all around badass

 

If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence. -Lao Tzu

 

Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness. -Lao Tzu

 

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. -Lao Tzu

 

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. -Lao Tzu

 

Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. -Lao Tzu

 

To lead people, walk behind them. -Lao Tzu

 

Lao Tzu Quotes | New Beginnings are often disguised as painful endings

 

The further one goes, the less one knows. -Lao Tzu

 

He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know. -Lao Tzu

 

When you accept yourself, the whole world accepts you. -Lao Tzu

 

Remind yourself daily, there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. -Lao Tzu

 

He, who tries to shine, dims his own light. -Lao Tzu

 

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. -Lao Tzu

 

13 Bad Ass Connor McGregor Quotes

 

-NG

Leaders Don’t Motivate, They Inspire (and the difference between the 2)

A long time ago I had a conversation with a District Manager about motivating people. They had this big explanation as to why it was SO important.
At the end of the explanation, I aggressively disagreed…
I don’t motivate. I don’t teach others how to motivate. It’s not our job, and it’s not an effective form of leadership.
Let me explain…
I believe it is our job to FIND motivated people. Self-motivated. Driven. Ambitious.
See, motivation, to me, is an internal trait. You gotta bring it to me so I can help you do something with it.
When it’s missing, then we have to motivate people to do their job…in short, we have the wrong people.
I came up with an analogy to explain my argument:
I’d rather inspire my Varsity Team to win championships than motivate my JV Team to try harder.
 
Ahhhhhh, now inspiration…THAT’S the business we’re in!
We inspire Action. Change. Growth.
Our conversations should make people want to go do the things they struggle with.
      Maybe we add clarity…and then they see it.
      Maybe we add urgency…and they go do it.
      Maybe we show them we care, so they know we’re her to catch them if they fall.
      Maybe we teach them an easier way, so they can overcome it.
Let me explain the difference in these 2 real quick:
Motivating = Talking people into trying harder. They don’t WANT IT, and you try convince them they do. You want it for them more than they want it for themselves.
Inspiring = Challenging people to see more. They WANT IT, (bad!) and are on the right track, but on the wrong train. You help them find the right train.
If you want motivated people, you have to find them, not motivate them.
And you should check out my 7 Employee Motivation Quotes to Shake Things Up…they are NOT what you think!
Thanks 🙂
-NG

The Law of The Lid | John Maxwell | 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

The-Law-of-the-lid-john-maxwell-21-irrefutable-laws-of-leadership.png

The Law of the Lid:

Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness

The Law of the Lid helps others understand the value of leadership.

The lower an individuals ability to lead, the lower the lid on his potential.
The higher an individuals ability to lead, the higher the lid on his potential.

The McDonald Brothers

In 1930, Dick and Maurice McDonald move from New Hampshire to California in search of the American dream. Seven years later they end up opening a drive in restaurant in San Bernardino and see some serious success.

They see that times are changing, and in 1948 they streamlined the menu, and created an assembly line style kitchen they dubbed the Speedy Service System. By the mid-1950’s they are wealthy business owners.

They begin getting 300+ requests per month from other restauranteurs want to learn their systems. They decide to franchise the McDonald’s restaurant…and It was a dismal failure.

The brothers we’re great thinkers and managers, but they were not leaders.

“At the height of their success, Dick and Maurice found themselves smack-dab against the Law of the Lid.”

Partnering with a Leader

In 1954 the McDonald brothers partnered up a man named Ray Kroc, who ran his own company making milkshake machines.

Kroc strikes a deal with the McDonald brothers and forms McDonald’s Systems, Inc. (Later called McDonald’s Corporation).

Kroc bought the rights to McDonald’s and opened his own franchise. He used that restaurant to sell other franchises, and he began to recruit and hire the sharpest people that he could find the build McDonald’s into a nationwide entity.

In 1961, for the sum of $2.7 million, Kroc buys out the exclusive rights to McDonald’s from the brothers, and proceeded to grow it into a global entity.

In the years that the brothers attempted to franchise the restaurant, they sold the concept just fifteen times, and only ten of those buyers opened restaurants.

In four years after buying out the McDonald brothers, Ray Kroc had opened 100 restaurants. Four years after that, had opened a total of 500 McDonald’s.

Success Without Leadership

The-Law-of-the-Lid-ssuccess-without-leadership

On the left, you have a visual representation of someone that is dedicated to success, but not caring about, or thinking about leadership (potentially the McDonald brothers). Notice how low the level of effectiveness is!

In order to get to a 10, you would essentially have to kill yourself due to the lack of effectiveness.

Of the right, you have a visual representation of someone who is equally dedicated to success, but  is a seven on leadership ability. This alone makes them 600% more effective!

This is because leadership has a multiplying effect.

To Change the Direction of the Organization, Change the Leader

Leadership ability is always the lid on personal and organizational effectiveness. If a person’s leadership ability is high, then the organization’s lid is high. But if it’s not, then the organization is limited.

That’s why, in times of trouble, organizations look for new leadership.

Getting rid of the leader isn’t the only way to improve the organization. Just as there is a lid, there is also a way to raise it. That is the subject of another Law of Leadership however (The Law of Process).

Notable Law of the Lid Quotes:

“At the height of their success, Dick and Maurice McDonald found themselves smack-dab against the Law of the Lid.”

“The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership.”

“The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be.”

“Personal and organizational effectiveness is proportionate to the strength of leadership.”

Applying the Law of the Lid to Your Life

-List out your major goals, then determine which ones require the participation or cooperation from other people. For those goals, leadership ability will greatly impact your results

-Ask others around you to rate your leadership ability. Speak with your boss, your spouse, two peers at work, and three subordinates about your leadership ability. Ask them to rate you on a scale of 1-10 in each of the following areas:

  • People Skills
  • Planning and strategic thinking
  • Vision
  • Results

Average together your scores and find two important things

  1. Your area of strength – This will be your “Strength Zone” and the area that you get most of your effectiveness from. Live here!
  2. Area(s) of weakness – This will be an area that you naturally struggle and will need to grow in, and more importantly recruit the assistance of others in.

Next Up…The Law of Influence

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

19 Impactful Quotes from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

John Maxwell is the undoubted leadership expert.

His timeless book, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” has sold over 1 million copies!

The book’s well written stories guide you through the 21 laws and teach you how to apply each to your life. Along the way, there are many memorable quotes!

Here I have assembled…

19 Impactful 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership quotes.

“People don’t care what you know until they know what you care.”

“You can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion…. The heart comes before the head.”

“Leaders Who Attract Followers . . . Need to Be Needed.
Leaders Who Develop Leaders . . . Want to Be Succeeded”

“Attitude is one of the most contagious qualities a human being possesses.”

“Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.”

“Always touch a person’s heart before you ask him for a hand.”

“It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.”

“Leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less.”

“What is your personal plan for growth?”

“The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.”

“What you attract is not determined by what you want. It’s determined by who you are.”

Check out our Chapter Summary of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

“To add growth, lead followers – To multiple, lead leaders.”

“Someday people will summarize your life in a single sentence. My advice: pick it now!”

“Improvement is impossible without change.”

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Sitting here cozy by the 🔥 doing a book study with some of my team. Personal growth and development is so important in life! This industry has stretched me and taught me so much…. a self development course with a comp plan. #priceless it has taught me my strengths and highlighted my weaknesses. Always wanting to learn and improve. There's two important days in your life, 1st the day you were born and 2nd finding out why. I pray I can help lead my team and develop leaders to become who they were created to be. To accomplish all they were put on earth to do! #johnmaxwell #leadership #bookclub #book #fireplace #momsonamission #21irrefutablelawsofleadership #foundation #growuptogoup #somuchmore

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“There are no Lone Range leaders. Think about it: if you’re alone, you’re not leading anybody are you?”

“Only you reach your potential as a leader do your people have a chance to read their potential.”

“Enlarging others makes you larger.”

Check out the complete 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership List.

“To push people down you have to go down with them.”

“Leaders always find a way to make things happen.”

-NG

Brass Knuckles

There’s many times that we need to be patient

Then there is crucial times that we need to be AGGRESSIVE

Said differently…

“…that’s not to say there isn’t times that you just put on brass knuckles and deck life in the face.” -Tim Ferriss

My opinion has shifted on this subject recently…I used to be more the patient type to wait for people to grow, or to get the full picture, or to collec more data…

To hell with that!

Life is better when you keep those figurative brass knuckles in your pocket and you’re not afraid to use them.

And when you’re quick to use them!

-NG

 

5 Memorable Jocko Willink Quotes from Discipline Equals Freedom

31 Phenomenal Jocko Willink Quotes from Discipline Equals Freedom. Get [Infographic] #infographic

Here is an infographic featuring 5 Memorable Jocko Willink Quotes from Discipline Equals Freedom.

 

Jocko Willink is a former United States Navy SEAL commander, and author of six books:

  1. Discipline Equals Freedom – Field Manual
  2. Extreme Ownership – How Navy SEALS Lead and Win
  3. Way of the Warrior Kid
  4. Way of the Warrior Kid – Marc’s Mission
  5. The Dichotomy of Leadership
  6. Mikey and the Dragons

He focuses on teaching the leadership principles that he learned as the Commander of the SEAL Task Unit Bruiser, where he was stationed in Iraq fighting in the Battle of Ramadi. He is the co-owner of the leadership consulting company, Echelon Front where he, along with Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership Co-Author Leif Babin, provide practical solutions to create high performance success in professional teams.

Jocko’s Incredible book, Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual

In Discipline Equals Freedom, Jocko hones in more on his personal methods for life, and leadership.

The book is separated into 4 parts:

  • Thoughts – This is where Jocko covers his personal views on many things
  • Actions – This is where Jocko goes more pragmatic in how he attacks life
  • Fuel – Feeding the Machine – Jocko’s take on food
  • The Workouts – Here Jocko outlines his personal workouts, and breaks them into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced with 4 tiers of difficulty in each

Discipline Equals Freedom is a phenomenal read, and it’s also a bad ass design.

The book is all black, with no dust cover. The pages are all black with white type, and each page has a black and white backdrop behind it.

The writing style of Discipline Equals Freedom is like no book I’ve ever read…It’s almost written in poems.

The writing style is incredible, and as you read each passage, the whole book is practically narrated in Jocko’s distinct surly voice.

While Jocko is very well known for his aggressive style, rough exterior, and assertive attitude, he actually has a bachelors degree in English. This, combined with his extensive leadership experience, and take-action attitude, make him a phenomenal motivator and a role model for many.

Enjoy the Quotes. Enjoy the Book!

-NG

 

Employee Motivation Quotes

13 Badass Connor McGregor Quotes

Connor McGregor is know for his quick-wit, one-liners, and extremely cocky persona. He’s a trash talking UFC Champion that hails from Dublin, Ireland.

Carrer Highlights:
In 2015 Connor McGregor defeated José Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 194 via knockout thirteen seconds into the first round. This is fastest title fight in UFC history.
Connor defeated Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205, and McGregor became the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously.

Let’s look through some of Connor McGregor’s best quotes;

“There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. -Conor McGregor

Connor-McGregor-Quotes
Connor McGregor quote on talent

“I stay ready so I don’t have to get ready.” -Conor McGregor

“Winner focus on winning. Losers focus on winners.” -Conor McGregor

“I am cocky in prediction. I am confident in preparation. But I am always humble in victory or defeat.” -Conor McGregor

“Excellence is not a skill. Excellence is an attitude.” -Conor McGregor

“We’re not just here to take part. We’re here to take over.” -Conor McGregor

“Timing beats speed, and precision beats power.” -Conor McGregor

“There are two things I really like to do and that’s whoop ass and look good. I’m doing one of them right now and on Saturday night, I’m doing the other.” -Conor McGregor

“Me and Jesus are cool. I’m cool with all the gods. Gods recognize gods.” -Conor McGregor

“My success isn’t the result of arrogance, it’s the result of belief.” -Conor McGregor

“Nothing good ever comes from worrying or sitting there feeling sorry for yourself. Keep positive and keep pushing on and things will turn good.” -Conor McGregor

“Look out for those who look out for you. Loyalty is everything.” -Conor McGregor

“It’s a tough pill to swallow but we can either run from our adversity or run to our adversity, take it head on and conquer it.” -Conor McGregor

Here is a great highlight reel of some of McGregor’s best knockouts

 

Check out these 21 memorableJocko Willink quotes. He’s a former Navy SEAL Commander, and author of 3 books; Extreme Ownership, Way of the Warrior Kid, and Discipline Equals Freedom.

Jocko-Willink
Jocko Willink Quote about hair and winning

 

-NJ