161 inspirational quotes about project management (2023)

Life as a project manager can be tough; If anyone needs inspiration to continue our projects and teams, it's us. When you (or your project) keep hitting brick wall after brick wall, it can be difficult to stay positive and focused. We all need project manager inspiration, and what better way than inspirational, true, and funny project management quotes.

Given themany books written about project management, it is not surprising that our discipline has its fair share of quotable wisdom. We have put some togetherbest quotes for project managementwhich I hope you will find profound, fun and motivating. And you (almost) always sound smart when you can quote others who, in a few simple, concise words, can say exactly what you mean.

Not only do we bring you famous project management quotes, we take it a step further by including quotes about project management that are so apt that the author could very well be talking about project management. And of course we've included some perennial favorites – classic project management quotes from Peter Drucker.

Enjoy this compilation of 100+ of the funniest and most inspirational Project Management Quotes covering Project Management, Leadership, Planning, Communication, Failure, Teamwork, Vision and Goals, Management, Deadlines, Rewards and Recognition and finally Quotable Advice for Project Managers.

The best project management quotes to inspire and motivate project leaders

• project management
• guide
• planning
• Communication
• Fail
• cooperation
• vision and goals
• Management
• The deadline
• rewards and recognition
• Advice for the project manager

project management

First, some quotes from project management about the discipline itself:

1. "Operation keeps the lights on, strategy provides light at the end of the tunnel, but project management is the locomotive that drives the organization forward."~Joy Gumz See more

2. “Project management is like juggling three balls – time, cost and quality. Running the program is like a troupe of circus performers standing in a circle, each juggling three balls and exchanging them from time to time.”~ G. Reiss See more

3. "Project management can be defined as a way of developing the structure of a complex project in which the independent variables of time, cost, resources and human behavior come together."~Rory Burke See more

4. "Being a project manager is like being an artist, you have combined different colorful process streams in one work of art"~ Greg Cimmarrusti See more

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guide

guiderefers to the ability to initiate vision and direction, to empower and motivate people to succeed, and to unite others around a common goal. It is a crucial component of project management and has been the source of great project management quotes.

5. "Any idiot can point out a problem... A leader is willing to do something about it!"Leaders solve problems!”~ Tony Robbins

6. “A leader's first responsibility is to define reality. The last one is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.”~Max dePree

7. “One of the true tests of leadership is abilityrecognize a problembefore it becomes an emergency.”~Arnold Glasow See more

8. “Management does things right; Leadership does the right things.“~ Peter F. Drucker

9. "Leadership offers the opportunity to transform someone's life, no matter the project."~Bill Owens See more

10. "The only real leadership training is leadership."~Antonio Jay See more

11. "The key to effective leadership today is influence, not authority."~Kenneth Blanchard See more

12. “The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.”~Warren Bennis See more

13. "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."~John Quincy Adams

14. "Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want, because they want it."~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

15. "People are easier to lead than direct."~David Harold Fink

16. "Stocks can be managed, but people need to be managed."~ Ross Perot See more

17. "The best example of leadership is leadership by example."~Jerry McClain

18. “As professors at Harvard Business School were taught, the art of asking good questions is often the most important element of leadership..“~ Parte Bose See more

19. "Great achievements always come in the context of high expectations."~Charles Kettering See more

20. "There are three essential elements of leadership: humility, clarity, and courage."

21. "It's better to lead from behind and bring others forward, especially when celebrating victories when good things are happening. They go to the forefront when danger is imminent. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” 🇧🇷Nelson Mandela

22. "To command is to serve, no more, no less." 🇧🇷Andre Malraux

23. “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make difficult decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not aspire to be a leader, but becomes one through the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intention.” 🇧🇷Douglas MacArthur

24. "Leadership is the ability to turn vision into reality." 🇧🇷Warren Bennis

25. "Lead me, follow me, or stay out of my way." 🇧🇷General George Patton

26. “Become the kind of leader that people would like to follow; even if you had no title or position.” 🇧🇷Brian Tracy

27. “Inspire your employees to think like entrepreneurs and treat them like adults in everything you do. The toughest constraint of all is a person's own conscience, so the more responsibility you give people, the better they will work for you.” 🇧🇷Richard Branson

28. "The most difficult person to deal with is you. "Self-leadership" isn't a term that most of us think of often. However, leadership is as much about how we lead ourselves as it is about how we lead others. Some of the biggest obstacles we face on the way to realizing our ideas are within ourselves.” 🇧🇷Scott Belsky

29. “You don't lead by pointing at people and telling them where to go. You lead by going to this place and making a case.” 🇧🇷Ken Kesey

30. "The best manager is the one who is sensible in selecting good men to do what he wants done and has enough self-control not to interfere with them while they are doing it." 🇧🇷Theodore Roosevelt

31. “True leadership leads others to success. To make sure everyone is doing their best, doing the work they're committed to, and doing it well." 🇧🇷Bill Owens

32. “Management organizes and counts. Leading means nurturing and improving.” 🇧🇷Tom Peters

33. "A leader is a merchant of hope." 🇧🇷Napoleon Bonaparte

34. "Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck makes the flock fly and follow." 🇧🇷Chinese proverb

35. "...the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." 🇧🇷Ralf Nader

36. “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; Leadership is defined by results, not attributes.” 🇧🇷Peter Drucker

37. “The challenge of leadership is to be strong but not rude; be gentle but not weak; be bold but not aggressive; be attentive but not lazy; be humble but not shy; be proud but not arrogant; Have humor, but without madness." 🇧🇷Jim Rohn

38. “The essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It must be a vision that you articulate clearly and forcefully at all times. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet." 🇧🇷Reverendo Theodore Hesburgh

39. “Management is a position that is granted; Leadership is a status that is earned.” 🇧🇷K. Scott Derrick

40. “The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It's very easy to say yes.” 🇧🇷Tony Blair

41. “What randomly gathers, it scatters easily. A great person attracts great people and knows how to keep them together.” 🇧🇷Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Here are some relatedcareer quotesif you are looking for more in the same vein.

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planning

Planning is key tooproject management,how not to be afraid of heights is fundamental to being a pilot. a... haveplan how to do thingsIt is the basis for the successful implementation of any project.

42. "A goal without a plan is just a wish."~Larry Elder

43. "A project without a critical path is like a ship without a rudder."~ D. Meyer See more

44. “When you don't know where you're going. How do you plan to get there?”~ Basil S. Walsh See more

45. "Plans are only good resolutions if they don't immediately turn into hard work."~ Peter Drucker See more

46. ​​​​​​"Those who plan are better than those who don't, although they rarely stick to their plans."~ Winston Churchill See more

47. "Let our anticipatory concern become anticipatory thinking and planning."~ Winston Churchill See more

48. "Adventures are just bad planning."~Roald Amundsen See more

49. "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part"~ proverb

50. "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow"~ proverb

51. “First, have a clear and definite practical ideal; a goal, a goal. Second, you must have the means necessary to achieve your goals. wisdom, money, materials and methods. Third, focus all your resources on it.”~Aristotle See more

52. "Our plans fail because they make no sense."~ Lucius Seneca

53. "It's a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be manipulated at a time.”~ Winston Churchill See more

54. "Without commitment, there are only promises and hopes, but no plans."~Peter F. Drucker See more

55. "Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised."~Denis Waitley See more

56. "Happy people plan actions, not results."~Dennis Wholey See more

57. “To achieve great things, we must not only act but also dream; not just planning, but also believing.”~ Anatole France

58. "It's a bad plan that doesn't allow for change."~ Publilius Syrus Mehr sehen

59. "Long-term planning works best in the short-term."~ Euripides

60. "After all, dreaming is a way of planning."~ Gloria Steinem See more

61. “Don't make small plans; They have no magic to get men's blood pumping - they make big plans, dream big with hope, and work.~Daniel H Burnham See more

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Communication

That has been saidCommunicationit is the lifeblood of any organization, but nowhere is this more true than in project management.

Communication connects the various stakeholders - customer, project manager, project team, management and the entire organization. If our project management experience has taught us anything, it's that communication is much easier said than done, a fact illustrated by these project management quotes:

62. "The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it happened."~ George Bernard Shaw See more

63. "The most important thing in communication is to hear what has not been said."~ Peter Drucker See more

64. "Briefness is the soul of wit."~William Shakespeare See more

65. "What isn't on the paper wasn't said."~ Anonymous

66. “Communication is a skill that can be learned. It's like riding a bike or typing. If you are willing to work at it, you can quickly improve the quality of all areas of your life.”~Brian Tracy See more

67. “In order to communicate effectively, we must recognize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use that understanding as a guide for our communication with others.”~ Tony Robbins

68. "Make sure your documentation is short and sweet and makes much more use of human-to-human communication."~ Bentley und Borman

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Fail

It's an unfortunate fact of life, but it's still true - everyone fails at some point. Projects also fail. Which maybe explains where there are so many great onesProject management quotes about failure!

69. "When an IT project works for the first time, it was in your night dreams. Time to wake up and get to work.”~ Cornélio Fitchner See more

70. "No major project is installed on time and on budget with the same team that started it."~Edwards, Butler, Hill and Russel

71. "The biggest obstacle to success is the fear of failure."~ Sven Göran Eriksson See more

72. "Failure is nature's plan to prepare you for great responsibility."~ Napoleon Hill See more

73. "Failure is simply an opportunity to start over, smarter this time."~ Henry Ford See more

74. “Remember the two perks of failure. First, when you fail, learn what doesn't work; and second, failure gives you an opportunity to try a new approach.”~Roger von Oech See more

75. "Just because something doesn't do what you planned it doesn't mean it's useless."~Thomas Edison See more

76. “On poorly executed projects, problems can go unnoticed until the project fails. It's like the dripping... dripping... dripping from a leaking underground pipe. Money is lost, but you don't see it until there's an explosion."~Joy Gumz See more

77. "There are no mistakes, only experiences and your reactions to them."~Tom Krause See more

78. "A man may fall many times, but he is not a failure until he says someone pushed him."~Elmer Letterman See more

79. "Success builds character, failure reveals it"~ Dave Checkett

80. “At NASA, we never punish mistakes. We only punish the concealment of mistakes.”~Al Siepert See more

81. “I think the most important requirement for success is learning to overcome failure. You have to learn to tolerate it, but never accept it.”~Reggie Jackson See more

82. "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to please everyone."~Bill Cosby

83. “One must remember that the tragedy of life is not not achieving the goal. The tragedy of life is not reaching a goal.”~ Benjamin Mays See more

84. "If you always blame others for your mistakes, you'll never get better."~Joy Gumz See more

85. “I've seen executives continue to waste money on doomed projects because no one was willing to admit they had failed, take the blame, and change course. Smaller teams are more willing to admit mistakes and discard bad ideas.”~ Lucas Johnson See more

86. "If an IT project works the first time, it was a very small and simple project."~ Cornélio Fitchner See more

87. “Know when to cut your losses, if necessary. Don't let your desire for success become the enemy of common sense. If Napoleon had left Moscow immediately, he might have returned with a recoverable army.”~Jerry Manas See more

88. "If you never recommended itcancel a project, you were not an effective project manager.”~Woody Williams

89. "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." 🇧🇷Winston Churchill

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cooperation

cooperationinspired some great project management quotes. No wonder, as it is perhaps the single most important factor in the success of any project. Gather a great team and do your teamwork right and 80% of your problem will be solved.

90. “Get the right people. No matter what you do wrong after that, people will save you. That's what management is about.”~Tom DeMarco See more

91. "There is strength in unity...when there is teamwork and cooperation, wonderful things can be accomplished."~ Mattie Stepanek See more

92. "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."~Michael Jordan See more

93. “All your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than yours. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend time with them, and it will change your life.”~Amy Poehler See more

94. "...Learning to work together is part of preparing for effectiveness, problem-solving, innovation and lifelong learning in an ever-changing connected economy."~ Don Tapscott See more

95. “Collaboration is the best way to work. It's really the only way to work. Everyone is there because they have cross-industry skills.”~Antonio Starr See more

96. “Most success depends on colleagues, on the team. People at the top have big egos, but you should never say "I": it's always "we".“~Frank Lampl See more

97. “When everyone thinks the same, someone doesn't think the same..“~ General George Patton jr.

98. “We cannot lead people; we must direct its development. Teach and lead.”~Woody Williams

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vision and goals

Set visions and goalsstrategic direction of a project🇧🇷 While the vision allows you to wisely or imaginatively plan ahead for this project, since the goals are measurable, they tell you whether you have achieved your vision. Here are some insightful quotes on both points:

99. “All things are created twice; first mentally; so physically. The key to creativity is to keep the end in mind, with a vision and a blueprint for the desired outcome.”~ Stephen Covey

100. “People are more attracted when their leader has aattractive view🇧🇷 Great leaders help people get in touch with their own aspirations and then help them transform those aspirations into a personal vision.”~John Kotter See more

101. "Goals are dreams with deadlines."~Diana Sharp See more

102. "Those who choose a goal in life that can be fully attained have already defined their own limits."~ Cavett Robert See more

103. "When it is obvious that the goals cannot be achieved, do not adjust the goals, but adjust the action steps."~ Confucius

104. "Effective leaders help others understand the need for change and accept a shared vision of the desired outcome."~John Kotter See more

105. "Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world."~ Arthur Schopenhauer See more

106. “Vision without action is a dream. Acting without a vision is simply a waste of time. Action with Vision makes a positive difference.”~Joel Barker See more

107. “First comes the thought; then organization of that thought into ideas and plans; then turning those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will see, is in your imagination.”~ Napoleon Hill See more

108. "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and tirelessly drive it to completion."~ Jack Welch See more

109. “I think there is something more important than belief: action! The world is full of dreamers, there is not enough to move forward and take concrete steps towards realizing your vision.”~ W. Clement Stone See more

110. "Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship."~Omar Bradley See more

111. "Imagination is more important than knowledge."~ Albert Einstein See more

112. "Easy to see, hard to predict."~ Benjamin Franklin See more

113. "Keep your dreams alive. Understanding to achieve something requires trust and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember that all things are possible to those who believe.”~Gail Devers See more

114. "People buy the leader before they buy the vision."~ John C Maxwell See more

115. "Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others."~Jonathan Swift

116. "If I dare to be powerful - to put my strength in the service of my vision, then when I'm afraid it becomes less and less important."~ Senhor Audre See more

117. “With vision there is no place for fear. There's no reason to be intimidated. It's time to march forward! Let's be confident and positive!”~Charles R. Swindoll See more

118. "By overcoming all obstacles and distractions, one can infallibly attain his chosen goal or goal."~ Christopher Columbus

119. “The main reason for setting a goal is what will make you want to achieve it. What makes you thereby will always be of far greater value than what you get.”~Jim Rohn

120. "Where there is no vision, men perish." 🇧🇷Proverbs 29:18

121. "Do the right thing. This will please some people and surprise others." ~Mark Twain

122. “The cause of great organizations is the desire to make sense. This desire doesn't guarantee you'll be successful, but it does mean that if you fail, at least you've missed out on something worthwhile.” 🇧🇷Guy Kawasaki

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Management

Leading teams in a matrix organization can be difficult. As project managers, we are often not the line manager of our team, which means we need to be more creative in how we lead our teams. Here are some inspirations such as:

123. "A sense of humor makes it much easier to lead people."~Steve Wilson See more

124. "Most of what we call management makes it hard for people to get their jobs done."~ Peter Drucker See more

125. "Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of bosses."~John D. Rockefeller See more

126. "The secret of successful management is keeping the five guys who hate you away from the four guys who haven't made up their minds yet."~ Casey Stengel See more

127. "Management is above all a practice where art, science and craft meet."~Henry Mintzberg

128. "Organized charts and fancy titles are worth next to nothing."~ Colin Powell

129. "Managing senior programmers is like herding cats."~ Dave Platt See more

130. "The conventional definition of management is to get work done by people, but real management develops people through work."~ Agha Hasan Abedi See more

131. "Never allow a person to say no to you who does not have the power to say yes."~Eleanor Roosevelt See more

132. "When I give a minister an order, I let him find the means of carrying it out." 🇧🇷Napoleon Bonaparte

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The deadline

Deadlines – the dreaded D-word of project management. Any project manager who hasn't had a sleepless night and/or a missing project nightmare hasn't handled a real project. And of course there are project estimates, project schedules, and other time-related nightmares. These project management offerings address many of the challenges we face:

133. "You can convince a person to agree to an unreasonable amount of time, but you cannot force them to comply."~ Edwards, Butler, Hill and Russel

134. “Projects progress rapidly until they are 90% complete; then stay 90% full forever.”~Edwards, Butler, Hill and Russel

135. "Time is the scarcest resource and if it is not managed, nothing else can be managed."~ Peter Drucker See more

136. "You may be late, but the time is not."~ Benjamin Franklin See more

137. "Most people spend more time and energy trying to sidestep problems than trying to solve them."~ Henry Ford See more

138. “Much can be done in those little fragments and chunks of time that each day produces and that most people throw away.”~ Charles Caleb Colton

139. "Beware the time-based project with an artificial deadline."~ M. Dobson See more

140. "There's no point in wishing for more time when you're already wasting what little you have."~James Allen

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rewards and recognition

Recognizing the good work of our teams is important to get the most out of it. Rewards and recognition not onlymotivates the team, also strengthens the leadership qualities of the project manager. Here are some great project management quotes to inspire you:

141. “Good leaders don't do all the work themselves; They also don't take all the credit.~Woody Williams

142. "If your team doesn't encourage, value, and appreciate the contribution of everyone, then why do we call it a team?"~Woody Williams

143. "True motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction, and recognition."~Friedrich Herzberg See more

144. "Give credit to everyone who has helped you a little."~Tom Peters See more

145. “Reward and motivation is an oil change for project engines. Do this regularly and often.”~Woody Williams

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Consulting for project managers

And finally some great onesAdvice for the project manager🇧🇷 Everyone has their own philosophy and leadership style, of course, but I think we can all learn a thing or two from these project management quotes:

146. "Don't fit into stereotypes. Don't chase after the latest management fads. The situation determines which approach best fulfills the team's mission.”~ Colin Powell

147. "Be honest with everyone."~ Jack Welch See more

148. "Mix a little silliness with your serious plans: it's good to be silly at the right time."~Horace

149. "My personal philosophy is not to undertake a project unless it is obviously important and next to impossible."~Edwin Land See more

150. "The price of inaction is far greater than the price of making a mistake."~ Mestre Eckhart See more

151. "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than everyone else.”~ Albert Einstein See more

152. “In this business, when you realize you're in trouble, it's too late to save yourself. If you weren't scared all along, you're gone.~Bill Gates See more

153. "If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete."~ Jack Welch See more

154. "Damn, there are no rules here - we're trying to achieve something."~Thomas A Edison See more

155. "Meetings are essential when you don't want to do anything."~ John Galbrait See more

156. "Sooner or later, those who think they can win."~Paul Tournier

157. "The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas." 🇧🇷Dr. Linus Pauling

158. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence with every experience where you really stop to face the fear. You have to do what you think you can't do." 🇧🇷Eleanor Roosevelt

159. “Take responsibility for the results and the process and people you work with. How you get results will shape the kind of person you become.” 🇧🇷C.K. Prahalad

160. "Progress doesn't come from early birds - progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to get things done." 🇧🇷Robert Heinlein

161. "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." 🇧🇷Peter Hendrick Scharf

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