69 Leadership Poems to Learn to Be a Leader
Leadership is a critical aspect of personal and professional development.
It involves the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others toward a common goal.
Numerous studies have shown that effective leadership is essential for the success of any organization or group.
Along with practical strategies and techniques, poetry can serve as a powerful tool for aspiring leaders to learn and develop their leadership skills.
From famous leadership poems to short ones, this article provides an overview of leadership poems across various categories.
So let’s check out these poems on leadership!
Famous Leadership Poems
Great leaders throughout history have inspired poets to pen their thoughts about leadership. These famous poems about leadership often provide insights into the qualities and characteristics of influential leaders.
1. The President Who Does It All
by Amos Russel Wells
The President Who Does It All,
A very egotistic elf,
Is blind to what the rest can do,
Is mucilaged upon himself.
Over the whole committee work
He manages somehow to sprawl,
And runs the whole society—
The President Who Does It All.
The President Who Does It All
Is very certain, in his pride,
The whole society would stop
If he, perchance, were laid aside.
He meddles with the least details,
He dictates all things, great and small;
He’s It, he’d have you understand—
The President Who Does It All.
The President Who Does It All
Will get mad and resign some day,
And find, to his intense surprise,
The other members glad and gay.
He’ll see the brisk society
Spring up as if released from thrall,
And go rejoicing on, without
The President Who Does It All.
2. The Path
by Ruby Archer
A path goes wrinkling up the hill;
A little path, with many a falter,
As if a faint or fickle will
Had let the purpose alter.
The fault we lay to him alone
Who first the upward journey made;
Whom here a bush and there a stone
From his intent betrayed.
How many will their footsteps bring
Where waits for them a trodden hollow,
For men, like sheep unquestioning,
Are ever fain to follow.
If you are first, put back the stone,
Subdue the bush your way impeding.
Diverge not, though in toil you groan,—
Remember—you are leading.
3. Keep Going
by Edward Guest
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must—but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
4. Leaders Tomorrow
by Hõrlãrmïdæ Wêïrd
When they say, youth today
Are leaders of tomorrow
I look at the future
I said yes, they are
Readers are leaders
chance is unsteady like breeze because
chance to read brings the lead
street boy ending as a leader is by chance
Planning is the cure for chance
He who plans will hardly fail
when a good plan marries chance
the outcome will give birth to a miracle
Tomorrow comes
where readers are becoming leaders and
losers who read are planning to become leaders
leaders tomorrow leads the future
5. Successful Life
by Eugene Grinman
Death is an inevitable fate.
Someday we have to go.
You hope you did
your best in life,
but how are you to know?
It’s not the model of your car
or brand of clothes you wear.
It’s not some fancy, famous name,
sewn in your underwear.
It’s not the square footage of your house
or what you keep inside.
There’s no material you possess
that proves success in life.
It’s everything you sacrificed
and choices you made.
It’s all the problems that you solved,
your lessons from mistakes.
It’s bad times you’ve persevered.
It’s all the fun you’ve had.
It’s any time you’ve ever laughed
and every tear you’ve shed.
It’s any time that you’ve been proud
of others or yourself.
It’s every song you turned up loud,
and every friend you helped.
It’s every wish you ever had.
It’s all your dreams and hopes.
It’s all the books you ever read,
the movies that you’ve seen.
It’s all the stories you told,
The places you’ve been.
It’s every sunset that you caught
and every cent you spent.
It’s anyone you’ve ever loved
who mourns you in the end.
It’s all these things
and so much more,
so don’t stress.
If you lived your life
Wild-n-free,
Then it’s been a success.
6. A Kind Headed Statue
by Anonymous
The quiet little Transvaal,
On peaceful profit bent,
Was ruled by wise Paul Kruger
Its farmer president.
So stoutly had he carried
The burdens on him laid,
The grateful Boers decided
To have his statue made.
Their plans were quite completed,—
A statue big and tall,
So set that all the city
Might see the great “Oom Paul.”
But first,—as was a proper
And gracious thing to do,—
They called on Mrs Kruger,
To get her notions, too.
Then spoke that royal woman,
With simple, kind intent:
“Be sure to put a hat, sirs,
Upon the president;
And hollow out the top, please,
That rain may fill it up,
“And all the birds may find it
A useful drinking-cup!”
So spoke dear Mrs Kruger.
And gratefully, I think,
The birds will sing her praises
Whene’er they take a drink.
Ah, happy is the nation
Whose ruler cares for men;
And if his wife takes thought for birds,
Why, it is blest again!
7. The Leader
by Anonymous
A pack of jackasses led by a lion,
A curious phrase that sparks the mind,
At first glance, it seems absurd,
But look closer, and truth is inferred.
For what good is a pack of kings,
If led by one who lacks the wings,
To guide them through the trials ahead,
And ensure their success is bred?
The leader must possess the might,
To steer the ship and win the fight,
To rally the troops with skill and wit,
And lead them to glory bit by bit.
A lion, fierce and bold,
A symbol of power, so we’re told,
With strength to rule the animal kingdom,
And make the jackasses feel they belong.
But what of the pack of lions, led by a jackass?
A recipe for disaster, surely, we must pass,
For though the beasts may be fierce,
Without guidance, their power will pierce.
So let us remember, in all our dealings,
The importance of leadership, in all its dealings,
For a pack of jackasses, led by a lion,
Is far superior to the reverse, no denying.
8. Lion Can Be Leader but Can not Be a Jackal
by Brundaban Panda
Lion is the king of animals very justified call,
Leadership quality of king highly essential.
Lion’s tail is more powerful than jackal-head,
Leader must posses might so foes be afraid.
Lion’s daring leadership secures all animals,
Lion’s legal command shakes enemies souls.
Leader if weak state- backbone breaks quick,
Leader’s moral strength all citizen always like.
Leader should not be corrupted, self-centered,
Leader favors for leading a state to be forward.
Leaders as freedom fighters get independence,
Leadership of Gandhi with truth and nonviolence
Learning lesson for world leaders none can deny,
Leader needs lion like personality with status high
Luck bad when head of nation is weak not strong,
Leaders selection vital without committing wrong
9. Two Classes of Leaders
by Muzahidul Reza
Morning shows the day
Leader shows the way,
Good leaders show good ways
Bad leaders show bad,
So leadership is a fact
To be and select leader always
To be complete serious
Otherwise, you will lose
Yourselves with nations and alls
And the recovery hardly returns.
Inspirational Leadership Poems
Inspirational leadership poems aim to motivate and inspire individuals to become better leaders. These inspirational poems about leadership often focus on themes such as courage, perseverance, and resilience.
1. The Leader
by Anonymous
Patient and steady with all he must bear,
Ready to meet every challenge with care,
Easy in manner, yet solid as stell,
Strong in his faith, refreshingly real,
Isn’t afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn’t conform to the usual mold,
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won’t do,
Never backs down when he sees what is true,
Tells it all straight, and means it all too.
Going forward and knowing he’s right,
Even when doubted for why he would fight,
Over ad over he makes his case clear
Reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear.
Growing in strength, he won’t be unnerves,
Ever assuring he’ll stand by his word.
Wanting the world to join his firm stand,
Bracing for war, but praying for peace,
Using his power so evil will cease:
So much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must.
2. Write it on Your Heart…
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day,
and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely,
with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays
3. Will Power
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate
Can circumvent, or hinder, or control
The firm resolve of a determined soul.
Gift counts for little; Will alone is great
All things give way before it, soon or late.
What obstacle can stay the mighty force
Of the sea-seeking river in its course,
Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait?
Each well-born soul must win what it deserves,
Let the fool prate of Luck! The fortunate
Is he whose earnest purpose never swerves,
Whose slightest action or inaction serves
The one great aim.
Why, even death stands still
And waits, an hour, sometimes, for such a Will!
4. Great Leaders
by Meiji Stewart
Awaken minds.
Bring people together.
Communicate effectively.
Dare to take calculated risks.
Enlighten and empower.
Foster collaboration.
Give you tools to succeed.
Help you do for yourself.
Invite and encourage questions.
Joyfully embrace diversity.
Keep an open mind.
Lead by example.
Motivate with respect.
Never give up on you.
Open doors to new worlds.
Put first things first.
Quest to make learning fun.
Recognize problems early.
Share roles and responsibilities.
Take time to explain things.
Unwrap talents and abilities.
Value everyone’s input.
Welcome mistakes as part of learning.
Exceed expectations.
Yearn to connect, not correct.
Zest to make a difference.
5. See It Through
by Edward Guest
When you’re up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it’s vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!
Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don’t let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you’re beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don’t give up, whate’er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!
6. The Man Who Does
by Anonymous
There are two kinds of persons in the world:
Those who think first of difficulties,
And
Those who think first of the importance of accomplishment in spite of difficulties.
If a thing ought to be done the presence of severe obstacles to its doing
Is only a further reason for bringing it to pass.
The trait of instantly showing why a thing cannot be done is
Keeping down more young men, and older men too,
Than any other factor in their lives.
Anybody can point out difficulties; it calls for brains and courage
To look beyond difficulties to the end.
If you want to stay just where you are in the procession,
Or fall steadily behind, give obstacles a first place in your life.
If you want to count for something more than the “average,”
Let every obstacle be a fresh incentive to action.
7. Failures You Have None?
by Catherine Pulsifer
If failures you have none
If mistakes you have not one
Then living you are not
You’re living in the same spot.
You see to get ahead
You must live not play dead
Some risks you may have to take
You have to live life awake.
Failures you will see
Some may not be pretty
But learn from them and then go on
Success is not stumbled upon.
We all make mistakes
But let that give your head a shake
Start again with new knowledge
It will put you above the average.
So let your failures teach you
The one thing that was the issue
With determination and persistence too
You will find success in what you do!
8. An Amazing Thing Happens
by Anonymous
An amazing thing happens when
You get honest with yourself and
Start doing what you love,
What makes you happy.
You stop wishing for the weekend.
You stop merely looking forward to special events.
You begin to live
In each moment
And you start feeling
Like a human being.
You just ride the wave that is life,
With this feeling of contentment and joy.
You move fluidly, steadily, calm
And grateful.
A veil is lifted,
And a whole new perspective is born.
Funny Leadership Poems
Humor can be a great way to convey important messages, even when it comes to leadership. These interesting poems about leadership provide a lighthearted take on the challenges and opportunities of being a leader.
1. Cinnamon, Lavender and Stormy
by Anthony Biaanco
Cindy Cinnamon was a working gal
Lavender Lucy her very best pal
one night they tag teamed Mr. Ed
smoked a pound of panama red
Stormy Daniels did shots from a pail
2. When Politicians Make Speeches
by Caitlyn Kramel
I know exactly what to do.
I know all there is to know
About what I should do;
Yet,
I know I will not do
What I should do.
So,
I suppose,
I don’t know what to do;
I know not what I do,
Nor what I should do.
But what I do know, however,
Is that I do know
Exactly what I should do
And what I will do-
Tomorrow!
3. Tall Funny Hats
by Charlie Smith
A child from the start
knows love in his heart,
knows kindness and pain,
knows puddles and rain
loves puppies and cats
and tall funny hats,
is bashful and shy
but knows when to cry.
To grow and be true
in all that we do,
needs help from above
and mothers sweet love.
All things are earned
from lessons we’ve learned,
be mindful of that
when you don funny hats.
4. Disability Advocacy
by Humphrey Haji Luvumbi
It’s funny how one might look down upon disability
And not regard it as an integral part of the society
Only for then to realize that in us still lies the ability
To cast a vote, and take part in changing the society
Cause a vote once casted takes its own cause
And a vote doesn’t have a disability
So it counts and when it’s cast it sets out a course
In the many numbers that would want accountability
Many times for the sake of image in politics
Disabled might get the limelight
And show people how they care about us in their tricks
To get votes but still our plight won’t be given the light
We’ve seen how for just being differently abled
One is not seen as a worthy candidate
Instead told to wait it out, cause we labeled
Labeled as people who get in through nominations to date
Yet we can stand and chant out our slogans
And come up with better policies for us
But the same hierarchy of government organs
That claim to support our status, are still not working for us
And to date, we still facing discrimination
But we still keep voting for change
Voting in a better government for the good of the nation
So that one day, we as the persons with disability feel the change
5. Your Proof Went Poof
by Gershon Wolf
You always say that in America
anyone can grow up to be President
Then you chuckle and offer
the current President as proof
I say that your proof is no good ~
He wouldn’t grow up if he could
6. Historical Outlaws
by Ann Foster
What, are you talking about?
I am saying that we have a past.
It is full of guns, and law,
and law breakers.
It is full of heroes and villains
and homemakers.
We are America(s).
We stand up,
we do not sit down.
We kneel for God,
and rise to defeat
injustice.
The base of our life,
a collection of men,
full of ideas, for a better world.
One that would incorporate,
all people of the land,
America.
Freedom.
Your skin color
does not matter.
Your are not,
African,
Asian,
Indian,
Or Indian…
Irish or “white” (what ever that means)
The census calls.
Write down the truth.
Make it real, tell it to all.
You, yes you…
and you and you and you.
I am, we are, all of US…
The USA.
Citizens of a country,
That proclaims freedom
more important than death.
7. Triple Jump
by Chandra Prakash Sharma
Huddled in puddle
In congestion we puzzle
A futile struggle
Take a triple jump
If you find there are big bumps
Be the Donald Trump
Get victory kiss
Let target never be missed
In regret don’t hiss
8. Biden Won
by Regina McIntosh
There was a man named Donald Trump
Votes counted – he went into a slump
Election swore he’d lost
No matter what it cost
Afterall, Biden wasn’t such a chump
Short Leadership Poems
Short leadership poems offer quick but powerful insights into leadership. These short poetries about leadership often use concise language and vivid imagery to convey their message.
1. Good Leaders
by Rose Marie Juan-austin
Good Leaders never say
They are great
Their works will speak
Of the nature
Of their leadership.
2. Dreams
by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
3. Worth While
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
‘Tis easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows on like a song,
But the man worthwhile is the man with a smile
When everything else goes wrong.
4. Trust
by Sri Chinmoy
Trust not what you see,
But trust
What you feel.
5. The Sun Was in My Eyes
by Earl Musselman
The sun was shining in my eyes, and I could barely see
To do the necessary task that was allotted me.
Resentment of the vivid glow, I started to complain –
When all at once upon the air I heard the blind man’s cane.
6. A Little Boy and A Cherry Tree
by Annette Wynne
A little boy and a cherry tree,
A strong young man who proved to be
A worker with his brain and hand,
A soldier for his well-loved land,
A statesman answering the call
Of home and country, over all,
A glorious patriot, noble son,
A soldier—President—a man!
Was Washington!
7. Worry
by George Bain
The burdens that make us groan and sweat,
The troubles that make us fume and fret,
Are the things that haven’t happened yet.
8. Washington
by Annette Wynne
First of our great, we bring
New tributes to your name,
and sing Songs of remembrance on your day;
Years cannot ever wear away
Our thanks to you, nor render less
Our debt for your great worthiness.
Long Leadership Poems
Long poetries about leadership provide a more detailed exploration of leadership themes and ideas. They offer a deeper understanding of the qualities and challenges of leadership.
1. The Gift of Play
by Edgar Albert Guest
Some have the gift of song and some possess the gift of silver speech,
Some have the gift of leadership and some the ways of life can teach.
And fame and wealth reward their friends; in jewels are their splendors
told,
But in good time their favorites grow very faint and gray and old.
But there are men who laugh at time and hold the cruel years at bay;
They romp through life forever young because they have the gift of play.
They walk with children, hand in hand, through daisy fields and orchards
fair,
Nor all the dignity of age and power and pomp can follow there;
They’ve kept the magic charm of youth beneath the wrinkled robe of Time,
And there’s no friendly apple tree that they have grown too old to climb.
They have not let their boyhood die; they can be children for the day;
They have not bartered for success and all its praise, the gift of play.
They think and talk in terms of youth; with love of life their eyes are
bright;
No rheumatism of the soul has robbed them of the world’s delight;
They laugh and sing their way along and join in pleasures when they can,
And in their glad philosophy they hold that mirth becomes a man.
They spend no strength in growing old. What if their brows be crowned
with gray?
The spirits in their breasts are young. They still possess the gift of
play.
The richest men of life are not the ones who rise to wealth and fame–
Not the great sages, old and wise, and grave of face and bent of frame,
But the glad spirits, tall and straight, who ‘spite of time and all its
care,
Have kept the power to laugh and sing and in youth’s fellowship to share.
They that can walk with boys and be a boy among them, blithe and gay,
Defy the withering blasts of Age because they have the gift of play.
2. The Leader to Be
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
What shall the leader be in that great day
When we who sleep and dream that we are slaves
Shall wake and know that Liberty is ours?
Mark well that word – not yours, not mine, but ours.
For through the mingling of the separate streams
Of individual protest and desire,
In one united sea of purpose, lies
The course to Freedom.
When Progression takes
Her undisputed right of way, and sinks
The old traditions and conventions where
They may not rise, what shall the leader be?
No mighty warrior skilled in crafts of war,
Sowing earth’s fertile furrows with dead men
And staining crimson God’s cerulean sea,
To prove his prowess to a shuddering world.
Nor yet a monarch with a silly crown
Perched on an empty head, an in-bred heir
To senseless titles and anemic blood.
No ruler, purchased by the perjured votes
Of striving demagogues whose god is gold.
Not one of these shall lead to Liberty.
The weakness of the world cries out for strength.
The sorrow of the world cries out for hope.
Its suffering cries for kindness.
He who leads
Must then be strong and hopeful as the dawn
That rises unafraid and full of joy
Above the blackness of the darkest night.
He must be kind to every living thing;
Kind as the Krishna, Buddha and the Christ,
And full of love for all created life.
Oh, not in war shall his great prowess lie,
Nor shall he find his pleasure in the chase.
Too great for slaughter, friend of man and beast,
Touching the borders of the Unseen Realms
And bringing down to earth their mystic fires
To light our troubled pathways, wise and kind
And human to the core, so shall he be,
The coming leader of the coming time.
3. If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream — and not make dreams your master;
If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And which is more: you’ll be a Man, my son!
4. The Rose-Tree at The Birthplace of Washington
by Sarah J. Hale
Bright rose! what dost thou here, amid
These sad mementoes of the past?
The crumbling stones thy roots have hid,
The bramble’s shade is o’er thee cast,
Yet still thy glowing beauty seems
Fair as young childhood’s happy dreams.
The sunbeam on the heaving surf
Proclaims the tempest’s rage is o’er;
The violet, on the frozen turf,
Breathes of the smiling spring once more;
But, rose, thy mission to the heart,
In things that alter, hath no part.
The mossgrown ruins round are spread,
Scarce rescued from earth’s trodden mass,
And time-scathed trees, whose branches dead
Lie cumbering o’er the matted grass:
These tell the tale of life’s brief day,
Hope, toil, enjoyment, death, decay!
The common record this of man,
We read, regret, and pass it by,
And rear the towers that deck our span,
Above the grave where nations lie;
And heroes, who like meteors shone,
Are, like that meteor’s flashings, gone.
But, radiant rose, thy beauty breaks
Like eve’s first star upon the sight;
A holier hue the vision takes,
The ruins shine with heaven’s clear light;
His name, who placed thy root in earth,
Doth consecrate thy place of birth.
Yet ’tis not here his wreath we twine,
Nor here that Freedom’s chief we praise;
The stars at rising softer shine,
Than when o’er night’s dark vault they blaze
Not here, with Washington’s great name,
Blend his achievements or his fame.
But brighter, holier is the ray
Which rests on this devoted ground;
Here pass’d his childhood’s happy day,
Here glory’s bud meet culture found:
Maternal smiles, and tears, and prayer,
These were its light, its dew, its air.
Bright rose! for this thy flower hath sprung,
The mother’s steadfast love to show;
Thy odour on the gale is flung,
As pours that love its lavish flow:
The mother’s lot with hope to cheer,
Type of her heart, thou bloomest here.
5. The Lost Leader
by Robert Browning
Just for a handful of silver he left us,
Just for a riband to stick in his coat—
Found the one gift of which fortune bereft us,
Lost all the others she lets us devote;
They, with the gold to give, doled him out silver,
So much was theirs who so little allowed:
How all our copper had gone for his service!
Rags—were they purple, his heart had been proud!
We that had loved him so, followed him, honoured him,
Lived in his mild and magnificent eye,
Learned his great language, caught his clear accents,
Made him our pattern to live and to die!
Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us,
Burns, Shelley, were with us,—they watch from their graves!
He alone breaks from the van and the freemen,
—He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves!
We shall march prospering,—not thro’ his presence;
Songs may inspirit us,—not from his lyre;
Deeds will be done,—while he boasts his quiescence,
Still bidding crouch whom the rest bade aspire:
Blot out his name, then, record one lost soul more,
One task more declined, one more footpath untrod,
One more devils’-triumph and sorrow for angels,
One wrong more to man, one more insult to God!
Life’s night begins: let him never come back to us!
There would be doubt, hesitation and pain,
Forced praise on our part—the glimmer of twilight,
Never glad confident morning again!
Best fight on well, for we taught him—strike gallantly,
Menace our heart ere we master his own;
Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us,
Pardoned in heaven, the first by the throne!
6. The Jefferson Monument
by Edward A. Allen
The granite of his native hills,
Mother of monumental men,
Virginia gave, whose page her Plutarch fills
With undiminished deeds of sword and pen.
More fitting far than molten bronze,
Or polished marble carved by art,
This monument of him who broke the bonds
That bound in fetters every human heart.
The column rises in all lands,
When sinks the soldier to his rest;
This cenotaph of rustic plainness stands
To him who gave an empire to the West.
Not with the blood of thousands slain,
With children’s cries and mothers, tears;
The statesman’s wisdom won this vast domain
With gain of honest toil through peaceful years.
The highest honor of his State
And of his country came unsought;
It was not this, O men, that made him great,
Of this is nothing on the tablet wrought.
His pen declared his country free,
Equal and free his fellow-man:
Freedom in church and state, the right to be,
If Nature wills, the first American.
‘Tis well the shaft by him devised
Rests here in Learning’s classic shade;
To be her patron was by him more prized
Than all the honors that the nation paid.
Oh, may his spirit linger near,
As by old Monticello’s slope;
Inspire Missouri’s sons who gather here
With all the scholar’s love, the patriot’s hope.
And He who holds the nation’s fate
Within the hollow of His hand
Preserve the Union ever strong and great,
And guide the statesmen of our native land.
7. Investigating Flora
by A B Banjo Paterson
‘Twas in scientific circles
That the great Professor Brown
Had a world-wide reputation
As a writer of renown.
He had striven finer feelings
In our natures to implant
By his Treatise on the Morals
Of the Red-eyed Bulldog Ant.
He had hoisted an opponent
Who had trodden unawares
On his “Reasons for Bare Patches
On the Female Native Bears”.
So they gave him an appointment
As instructor to a band
Of the most attractive females
To be gathered in the land.
‘Twas a “Ladies’ Science Circle” —
Just the latest social fad
For the Nicest People only,
And to make their rivals mad.
They were fond of “science rambles”
To the country from the town —
A parade of female beauty
In the leadership of Brown.
They would pick a place for luncheon
And catch beetles on their rugs;
The Professor called ’em “optera” —
They calld ’em “nasty bugs”.
Well, the thing was bound to perish
For no lovely woman can
Feel the slightest interest
In a club without a Man —
The Professor hardly counted
He was crazy as a loon,
With a countenance suggestive
Of an elderly baboon.
But the breath of Fate blew on it
With a sharp and sudden blast,
And the “Ladies’ Science Circle”
Is a memory of the past.
There were two-and-twenty members,
Mostly young and mostly fair,
Who had made a great excursion
To a place called Dontknowwhere,
At the crossing of Lost River,
On the road to No Man’s Land.
There they met an old selector,
With a stockwhip in his hand,
And the sight of so much beauty
Sent him slightly “off his nut”;
So he asked them, smiling blandly,
“Would they come down to the hut?”
“I am come,” said the Professor,
In his thin and reedy voice,
“To investigate your flora,
Which I feel is very choice.”
The selector stared dumbfounded,
Till at last he found his tongue:
“To investigate my Flora!
Oh, you howlin’ Brigham Young!
Why, you’ve two-and-twenty wimmen —
Reg’lar slap-up wimmen, too!
And you’re after little Flora!
And a crawlin’ thing like you!
Oh, you Mormonite gorilla!
Well, I’ve heard it from the first
That you wizened little fellers
Is a hundred times the worst!
But a dried-up ape like you are,
To be marchin’ through the land
With a pack of lovely wimmen —
Well, I cannot understand!”
“You mistake,” said the Professor,
In a most indignant tone —
While the ladies shrieked and jabbered
In a fashion of their own —
“You mistake about these ladies,
I’m a lecturer of theirs;
I am Brown, who wrote the Treatise
On the Female Native Bears!
When I said we wanted flora,
What I meant was native flowers.”
“Well, you said you wanted Flora,
And I’ll swear you don’t get ours!
But here’s Flora’s self a-comin’,
And it’s time for you to skip,
Or I’ll write a treatise on you,
And I’ll write it with the whip!
Now I want no explanations;
Just you hook it out of sight,
Or you’ll charm the poor girl some’ow!”
The Professor looked in fright:
She was six feet high and freckled,
And her hair was turkey-red.
The Professor gave a whimper,
And threw down his bag and fled,
And the Ladies’ Science Circle,
With a simultaneous rush,
Travelled after its Professor,
And went screaming through the bush!
At the crossing of Lost River,
On the road to No Man’s Land,
Where the grim and ghostly gumtrees
Block the view on every hand,
There they weep and wail and wander,
Always seeking for the track,
For the hapless old Professor
Hasn’t sense to guide ’em back;
And they clutch at one another,
And they yell and scream in fright
As they see the gruesome creatures
Of the grim Australian night;
And they hear the mopoke’s hooting,
And the dingo’s howl so dread,
And the flying foxes jabber
From the gum trees overhead;
While the weird and wary wombats,
In their subterranean caves,
Are a-digging, always digging,
At those wretched people’s graves;
And the pike-horned Queensland bullock,
From his shelter in the scrub,
Has his eye on the proceedings
Of the Ladies’ Science Club.
Leadership Poems That Rhyme
Rhyming poetry can be an effective way to communicate complex ideas in a memorable and engaging way. Poems about leadership with rhyming words that rhyme use poetic devices like rhythm and rhyme to convey their message.
1. Don’t Quit
by M. Tarun Prasad
When times are hard, you might stop for a bit,
But it’s not over until the moment you quit.
On a river’s bridge, failures are the planks;
Take one step at a time until you reach its banks.
Don’t give up on your dreams; chase them instead;
You will find, one morning, as you wake up from bed,
That you are the person about whom you dreamed,
And you can reach great heights, impossible though it seemed.
When things go wrong and your back is to the wall,
Try to stand up; no more can you fall.
Life is full of ups and downs; take them in your stride.
You will discover your little star hidden inside.
2. Ambition
by Edgar Albert Guest
If you would rise above the throng
And seek the crown of fame,
You must do more than drift along
And merely play the game.
Whatever path your feet may tread,
Whatever be your quest,
The only way to get ahead
Is striving for the best.
‘Tis not enough to wish to do
A day’s toil fairly well;
If you would rise to glory, you
Must hunger to excel.
The boy who has the proper stuff
Goes into every test,
Not seeking to be “good enough,”
But eager to be “best.”
Aim high! And though you fail today
And may tomorrow fail,
Keep pounding steadily away,
Someday you’ll hit the nail.
At no half-way mark ever pause
n smug content to rest,
Who would win honor and applause
Must want to be the best.
The best must be your aim in life,
The best in sport or work,
Success in any form of strife
Falls never to the shirk.
The crowns of leadership are few,
The followers move in throngs,
If you would be a leader, you
Must shun the “drift alongs.”
3. Nobility
by Alice Cary
True worth is in being, not seeming,-
In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good, not in the dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.
For whatever men say in their blindness,
And spite of the fancies of youth,
There’s nothing so kingly as kindness,
And nothing so royal as truth.
4. The Louisiana Purchase
by Douglas Malloch
Like men who play at chess, great minds there are
That play with nations—by a move or chance
They make an epoch in the world’s advance,
They seal sweet peace or loosen bloody war.
Yet they who play at chess and play at strife
Know not the unrevealed, the ultimate.
How much of human life appears as fate;
How much of fate seems human-ordered life.
The little things men oft esteem the most,
And scorn the greater, vital things they do;
How great is Austerlitz till Waterloo;
How small are titles on an exile coast.
The one-time bauble of a foreign throne—
A throne unconscious of fore-doomed defeat—
Arises now, its destiny complete,
A greater empire than Napoleon’s own.
5. Jefferson
by Douglas Malloch
Thine not to lead to cannon mouth
The fair-haired North, the dark-cheeked South-
Thine but to win by peaceful ways
These hills of iron, these fields of maize.
6. Striving
by Henry Burton
To dare is better than to doubt,
For doubt is always grieving;
‘Tis faith that finds the riddles out;
The prize is for believing.
Leadership Poems for Children
Leadership poems for kids can be an excellent way to introduce young minds to the concepts of leadership. These poems often use simple language and engaging imagery to capture the attention of young readers.
1. Tomorrow’s Leader
by Nurudeen Olaniran
Children are leaders of tomorrow
Precious gift from God
First man, Adam was created from dust
Children were made between man and woman
Children are unique in nature
And beautiful in the sigh of their father
My mother didn’t know what I will become in future
My father insisted I received a good training
So that in the future I can become somebody
A substance worthy of emulation by others
I can’t think about my future
But I can see them in my mother’s eyes
I can’t think… but I can hear from my father’s voice
…these are what I learnt as I grow…
All men were created equal before God
And should be treated equal
No difference in race
We should be one by his grace
No difference in colour
As I see you and me as one by the corridor
Wealth evenly distributed
No jealousy or confectiousness exhibited
If I have a stick of sweet
You should have same too in the street
Love cannot be overlooked
Even though my brother is a crook
Be bothered about me
‘Cause tomorrow it might be your turn
This is the tomorrow we should see
even without going oversea
Yes, we are tomorrow’s leaders
We stand by our words.
2. Our Lives are Songs
by Gibbons
Our lives are songs
God writes the words
And we set them to music at leisure;
And the song is sad, or the song is glad,
As we choose to fashion the measure.
We must write the song
Whatever the words,
Whatever its rhyme or meter;
And if it is say, we must make it glad,
And if sweet, we must make it sweeter.
3. Thinking
by Walter D. Wintle
When you think you’re beaten, you are.
When you think you dare not, you don’t.
When you’d like to win, but think you can’t
It is a sure thing that you won’t.
When you think that you’ll lose, you’ve lost;
For out in the world you will find
Success begins with a man’s will –
It’s all in the state of mind.
When you think you’re outclassed, you are.
You have got to think BIG to rise;
You have to FEEL sure of yourself
Before you can win a great prize.
Life’s battle does not always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the one who THINKS he can.
4. A Leaf of Paper
by James Russell Lowell
Life is a leaf of paper white,
Whereon each one of us may write
His word or two, and then comes night.
Greatly begin! Though thou have time
But for a line, be that sublime, –
Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
5. Life Is What We Make It
by Boston Transcript
Let’s find the sunny side of men,
Or be believers in it;
A light there is in every soul
That takes the pains to win it.
Oh! There’s a slumbering good in all,
And we perchance may wake it;
Our hands contain the magic wand;
This life is what we make it.
Leadership Poems about a True Leader
Leadership poems about a true leader offer a tribute to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in their lives. These poems celebrate the qualities and characteristics that make these individuals great leaders.
1. A True Leader
by Jessica Hiscock
A true leader relies on respect,
Not fear gained through threat,
A true leader is a master of observation,
Not to submit to temptation,
A true leader has loyalty from followers,
Not plotting betrayers,
A true leader has lifelong morals by which he stands,
Not rants full of commands and demands,
A true leader is someone to who you can look up to,
Not someone who will simply just do,
A true leader is a guide,
One in which you should have pride,
And be able to confide.
2. True Leadership
by Colm
A true leader is a selfless soul,
One who thinks not for himself,
But for the others, for the many
For the halves and for the whole, of humanity
Regardless of age or importance to man,
It’s not in the memory of their great names,
In with which we stand.
But in the willingness to mold
One’s self into a servant,
To humbly hold the troubled hand,
And to become the kind of person who doesn’t abuse,
The right to demand
But instead, looks to enable others,
So that they might just begin, and begin again
Because all of the power in the world,
Can be abused, and removed if misused
For this, my dear leaders, I ask of you,
To not lose yourself in the arrogance
Of discovering that you are indeed you
Because true leadership is not about you
And leadership, will never be about you
So before you lead, would you let go of you
That way you might win in spite of you
3. A True Leader
by Mark Riordan
To be a leader you must
Lead from the heart
Have a commitment to your dream
And have conviction from the start
You must always inspire people
And be the strength in your team
If your journey is too stray
Always come back to your dream
You must never swet the small stuff
And stay focused on your task
Be true to all your answers
If questions are ever asked
Never speak a word of doubt
Always encourage with your words
Build up other characters
To make a better world
4. Trueleadership
by Francis Duggan
Some people’s idea of leadership is being in control
And they seem to know nothing of a mentoring role
Which in reality any true leader does need
But then true leaders they always have been a rare breed
Those who think leadership means being in control others fail to inspire
The people they think they lead them do not admire
With them it is i am your boss and do as i say
They demand respect from those they do lead but any respect to them does not pay
There are so many called leaders in the Human World of today
Who believe their every command those they lead must obey
They demand respect but respect does not show
The people who does lack in the inner glow
Their only idea of leadership is being in control
Though true leadership does come with a mentoring role.
5. True Leader
by Anonymous
True leader are not natural born
But molded over time
In response to life circumstances
Throughout their lifetime
Leadership qualities include
A high degree of integrity,
Unshakeable loyalty,
Total honesty, consistency
A vision, truthfulness
Compassion, empathy
And high standards
For self and others
True leadership reflects
What is in the soul
A sum of one’s parts
Are equal to the whole
True leadership inspires
And motivates others
To achieve their potential
As sisters and brothers!
6. The True Leadership Treasure
by Victor Antonio
I went on search to be a leader,
Searching high and low above the meter,
I spoke with authority that I remember,
All would follow, all but one member,
“Why should I trust you?’ the one did ask,
“What have you done to achieve the task?”
I thought long and hard of what I did wrong,
Then I rolled up my sleeves and worked right along,
Shoulder to shoulder we got things done,
We worked side by side, all were one,
A mate of mine stumbled, I stooped to assist,
My hand he did grab, a smile did persist,
One was lost, didn’t know what to do,
I showed him how, the ropes, something new
I praised them one and all for their work,
All were unique, but I encouraged each quirk,
When the task was done, one did shout
“You’re a great leader!” they all turned about,
“Without you there to support our plight,
Lost would we be with no end in sight”,
I learned that day that I lead best,
When I get off my butt and help the rest,
To lead by example is the true treasure,
The secret of leadership, in one simple measure.
7. The Leader
by Adravya
The world of past and the world of tomorrow
Turmoils amongst the men and the anguish beared within
The dreaded conflicts within and without
A man walks a mile
And another mile to reach into the dark
The dark which is unknown to this present
The tempt to find something
That we long for eternity
And eternity has passed since the dawn of the search
The silent vows made infront of the tapestries
The tapestry of love turned into the war
War waging with effervescent promises
The crowd of sheeps and the mistaken shepherd
Belonging to the crowd and uncertain of the oath
This land of desert needs a shepherd
But chosen by the sheeps
Where the emerging color of joy sparkles
And thus it grows into the rainbow
Where they graze in the luscious meadows
Which all the eyes can see in the distant land
The land with purpose
The land with a sense of togetherness
Where the trees sing into the flowers
And the nestlings are flapping their first fly
8. Fake and True Leader
by Bimal Kishore Shrivastwa
In a fake leader,
You can discern a kind of
Ingenuine effervescent fluidity-
Like that of a stream
that keeps on roaring, murmuring, flowing-
Making ostensible oaths for social services.
When in power, his fraudulent conduct, callousness,
His indulgence on capitalism, nepotism surfaces.
In a true leader,
You can note a calmness, a light-
Like that of a river
that nourishes flora and fauna-
He does not make false promises,
But performs and supervises.
Even in power, his actions are intended
to aid the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
9. True Leader
by Anonymous
I was waking up Shockley by hearing the alarm
I don’t even have good times to spend with my wife
Unable to enjoy children’s plays
I remember when I started eating breakfast
Screaming children starving in the streets
I went down to the society without finishing the breakfast
When traveling with a red beacon light on the official vehicle
I saw a long line of people who were suffering
I’ve had a similar queue in front of the bar in the past
Elders and the mother with a baby is also worried about the queue
The queue started in the early morning,
When the Gayatri mantra and mosques’ banks started
One kilometer ahead I saw a government office
Below the spinning fan, officers were laughing
Officials completing yesterday’s web series on mobile
Seeing me, the spinning of the fan and the episode in the web series stopped
A system of government that does not understand the pain of society
I’m the king of that system
I do not want ministers or soldiers,
Who does not look after the welfare of the people
I am not a king who rules by keeping the soldiers in front
I want to be a good leader
Who can lead from the front of the obstacles
Followership and Leadership Poems
Poems about leadership and followership explore the interdependent relationship between leaders and followers and offer insights into how both can work together towards a common goal.
1. Leaders and The Followers
by Julius Babarinsa
Why are there few leaders and so many followers?
It is a fact of life that we all cannot be leaders
The question now is – are leaders born or made?
How do you know who is a leader or a follower?
Leaders are known to be always in front of the action
while the followers walked behind them
The leaders cannot walk too far ahead
else they will lose contact with their followers
Leaders lead because they know the right way
The leaders lead because they have vision
They have the power to look ahead and speculate
This is the ability to see tomorrow – today
Leaders must possess integrity and credibility
There must be transparency and accountability
Successful leaders must feel what the followers
are feeling and imagine being in their shoes
Good leaders lead by examples and kind deeds
not by empty words of mouth and cruelty
To maintain and retain the trust of the followers
leaders must be charitable, principled and tactful
There are notable leaders in all spheres of life
There are national leaders and leaders of legislature
There are civil leaders and leaders of the armed forces
We have band leaders, leaders of political parties
leaders of learning institutions, business leaders and more
The quality of leadership often sprinkles on the followers
Good leaders are sources of inspiration to the followers
The goal of the leader should be the overall
development and progress of the followers
Only leaders with vision and decency will succeed
in leading the followers to a bright and successful future
2. Leaders and Followers are Partners of Humanity!
by Ramesh T A
Great, noble, charismatic, venerable and divine leaders
Whether they are poets or philosophers or politicians
Or scientists or litterateurs or novelists or anyone
Ever love all and govern all with love but not by force!
Only animals exert force to create fear to make all obey
To their commands and keep them all as slaves ever till
They are completely used and thrown out as nonentities
And look for other fools to do service as they like ever!
People who rich or poor or white or any colour or clever
Or dull or shrewd or stooges or beautiful or rough or
Whatever be the external or internal attire may be, are
All humans in the world human society forever and ever!
Both leaders and followers or disciples or fans or all
Are partners of one humanity or one human world family!
3. Leadership
by Smash
Being a leader can mean loneliness.
But being a follower could lead to having no life.
When you’re a follower, you have no story to tell.
On the other hand, being a leader you will meet someone along the way, you will no longer be lonely, and you will have experiences to share with the family you create.
Find your path and go on your way,
Because when that time comes, it will be a new day.
4. The Leader and The Led
by Niyi Osundare
The Lion stakes his claim
To the leadership of the pack
But the Antelopes remember
The ferocious pounce of his paws
The hyena says the crown is made for him
But the Impalas shudder at his lethal appetite
The Giraffe craves a place in the front
But his eyes are too far from the ground
When the Zebra says it’s his right to lead
The pack points to the duplicity of his stripes
The Elephant trudges into the power tussle
But its colleagues dread his trampling feet
The warthog is too ugly
The rhino too riotous
And the pack thrashes around
Like a snake without a head
“Our need calls for a hybrid of habits”,
Proclaims the Forest Sage,
“A little bit of a Lion
A little bit of a Lamb
Tough like a tiger, compassionate like a doe
Transparent like a river, mysterious like a lake
A leader who knows how to follow
Followers mindful of their right to lead”
5. Leaders and Followers
by Mackenzie Lunga
Centre of, “Y” , and you drift south
Head north you, opt left or right
Right or wrong, You take the lead
Wow! what a burden? You’re followed
Leaders, compromise by choice
Follow your leader, You chose to or not
Leaders are chosen, by a following
Why do you chose, to lead followers
Leaders serve, their peoples
Followers, serve their leaders
Leadership is about Fellowship
Critical choices, Burden the Leader.
Supporting the decision, empowers the leader
Lacking support, weakens the leadership
Without a leader, followers scatter
Without a following, there is no lead.
6. Be My Follower
by Lota Nwankwo
I am the first but not the last, be my follower
I am a true friend but not a borrower
I speak the truth when I say I don’t use people
It’s hard to know who you’re in common with, so just I choose people
I choose them because they chose me
They choose me because they like me
They like me because I’m something
It’s like it will be a waste of time comparing me to everything
There are different kinds me
Each part of me is a part of he or she
For I am one of all but not everyone
I don’t take advantage
But there is a disadvantage
A leader is all I ever wanted to be
7. A Leader Is not a Follower
by Hebert Logerie
A leader is, of course, not a blind follower
A leader is a true, real and patient analyzer
A leader usually leads the pack or the caucus
Follows common sense, the laws of nature
The consequences of having a failed procedure
The process of achieving positive results at the terminus
And after everything has been said and done, what is left?
A real leader has broad shoulders to withstand the storms
A brave man fears nothing, no man or woman on the left
Or on the right. A leader follows the principles, the norms
The logic of things. Few men or women are natural leaders
Even if they were haphazardly elected or selected as such
Real leaders are occasionally as calm as hunting tigers
A leader will fight for what is proper, not for the mulch
Which can be found in countless stores. A leader is strong
Bright, brave and humble. A leader admits when he is wrong
In our current environment, men and women can lead
Effectively. And the world has many mouths to feed.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, leadership poems can provide a unique and powerful way to learn about leadership and develop one’s leadership skills.
Whether it’s short and sweet or long and detailed, humorous or serious, these poems can inspire, motivate, and guide individuals toward becoming better leaders.
Furthermore, followership and leadership poems highlight the importance of a collaborative and interdependent relationship between leaders and followers.
Overall, poems about leadership can serve as a valuable tool for individuals seeking to enhance their leadership capabilities and make a positive impact in their personal and professional lives.
