It is not uncommon for there to be days when work is tough, and your team feels demotivated. These days, it can be especially difficult for people leaders to find the right words to say. I have found myself in situations where I wish I had known what to say to encourage my employees to keep going.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, try using these motivational quotes for work from some of the world’s brightest minds. Sometimes, all it takes is us giving our team members a little reminder they’re not alone to boost their confidence and determination.
Let’s face it, the daily grind is hard, and after time team leaders and employees can find themselves lacking the ambition they once had. So use these inspirational quotes for employees the next time they need a boost to keep going.
1.“Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success.” - Arianna Huffington
2. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” - R. Collier
3. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” - Nelson Mandela
4. “Don’t give up. One day you’ll look back and be glad you didn’t.” - Unknown
5.“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
6. “A little progress each day adds up to big results.” - Unknown
7. “The most effective way to do it is to do it.” - Amelia Earhart
8. “Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” - Unknown
When taking on a new project, learning new skills, or stepping into a new role, team members can start to self-doubt their abilities and need some encouragement that builds their confidence. So, steal these confidence quotes as they may be the nudge your employee needs.
9. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” - Theodore Roosevelt
10. “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford
11. “Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” - Zig Ziglar
Change can be challenging. We get comfortable with the predictability and stability of how we work and deliver on our responsibilities. However, when new processes, tools, teams, and structures are introduced, it can impact motivation and productivity. Share these quotes about change to shift perspectives.
12. “Stop being afraid of what could go wrong, and start being excited of what could go right.” - Tony Robbins
13. “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” - Robin Sharma
14. “Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat.” - Steve Jobs
The value of collaboration and teamwork cannot be dismissed. How individuals interact, plan, and work together to achieve a common goal can be the difference between success and failure. So if you’re looking to boost team dynamics, productivity, and performance, be sure to mention these motivational quotes for work at your next team meeting.
15. “Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.” - Phil Jackson
16. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller
17. "Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability." - Patrick Lencioni
18. “A goal without a plan is only a dream.” - Brian Tracy
19. "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." - Andrew Carnegie
Team leadership requires delivering constructive feedback when a team member needs to think about and change their behavior or attitude. Sometimes, using inspirational quotes for employees like the ones below can be the encouragement they need to make a change.
20. “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” - Winston Churchill
21. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett
22. “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” - Henry Ford
23. “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” - Dale Carnegie
Keeping a consistent and united effort of hard work as a team can be trying. There will be times when team members ask, "When will this hard work pay off?" Use these seven inspirational quotes about hard work to encourage goal achievement and team performance.
24. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard" - Tim Notke
25. "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Vidal Sassoon
26. "A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." - Colin Powell
27. "I'm a great believer in luck, and the harder I work, the more I have it." - Thomas Jefferson
28. "The secret to success is this: work harder. When you think you've worked your hardest, go even deeper." - Gary Vaynerchuck
29. "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is hard work." - Stephen King
30. "I learned the value of hard work by working hard." - Margaret Mead
Beginning the workweek with a positive attitude and a burst of inspiration can significantly impact the productivity and morale of your team.
To create a sense of motivation and purpose into your team's mindset, here are 8 inspirational quotes.
31. "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt
32. "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." - Sam Levenson
33. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
34. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
35. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
36. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney
37. "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis
38. "Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life." - Steve Jobs
When team members hear you use language of appreciation for their efforts, it reinforces their value to the organization and boosts their morale.
To help you express your gratitude and commend your team for a job well done, here are 5 "great job" quotes.
39. Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire
40. "Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people." - Steve Jobs
41. "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." - Phil Jackson
42. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle
43. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
Encouraging your team to always try their best is crucial for building a team culture that values excellence and continuous improvement.
Reminding employees of the importance of giving their all can inspire them to tackle challenges with confidence and strive for success. To support this mindset, here are seven "try your best" quotes for work.
44. "Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later." – Og Mandino
45. "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." – Maya Angelou
46. "Give the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you." – Madeline Bridges
47. "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." – Mother Teresa
48. "The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one." – Oscar Wilde
49. "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." – Robert Collier
50. "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today." – H. Jackson Brown Jr.
51. "You don't have to be the best. You just have to be the best you." – Tina Fey
Ending the workweek on a positive note is key to keeping motivation high and preparing for the upcoming challenges.
To assist you and your team in concluding the week with a sense of accomplishment and anticipation for the weekend, here are 8 funny positive Friday motivational quotes for work.
52. "Friday is my second favorite F word. Food is my first!" – Unknown
53. "Friday. The golden child of the weekdays. The superhero of the workweek. The welcome wagon to the weekend." – Unknown
54. "I am instantly 70% nicer after 3 p.m. on Fridays." – Unknown
55. "If my boss knew how unproductive I am on Fridays, he wouldn't want me here either." – James Johnson
56. "Friday sees more smiles than any other day of the workweek!" – Kate Summers
57. "Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
58. "Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world." – Roy T. Bennett
59. "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." – Pearl S. Buck
Maintaining high motivation on a Saturday can significantly impact your team's approach to weekend work or preparation for the upcoming week.
To assist you and your team in staying focused and energized, here are seven Saturday motivational quotes for work.
60. "Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless." - Bill Watterson
61. "My work is like my vacation, so in a way, every day is like Saturday." - Ludacris
62. "Saturday is a day for the soul to breathe." - Sharon L. Alder
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