In this collection of hard work and success quotes, we delve into the timeless wisdom of leaders, thinkers, and achievers.
Whether you are looking for a boost in taking on a new challenge, find yourself stuck in a rut, or simply in need of a reminder of what’s possible with hard work and perseverance, these quotes are powerful tools to realign your focus and determination.
10 Most Inspiring Quotes on Hard Work & Success from Achievers
If you are looking for the best of the best, here are the 10 top hard work quotes you should start with.
1. “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, revolutionized personal computing
- Lesson: Always stay humble and open to learning, regardless of past successes, to avoid complacency.
2. “The key to success is failure… Success is made of 99 percent failure.” – James Dyson, inventor of the Dyson vacuum cleaner.
- Lesson: Embrace failure as a necessary step to innovation and improvement, instead of fearing it.
3. “I think ordinary people can choose to be extraordinary.” – Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, Inc.
- Lesson: Extraordinary achievements are the result of choices and actions, not just innate talent or luck.
4. “Hard work should be rewarded by good food.” – Ken Follett, bestselling author of historical novels.
- Lesson: Recognize and reward your team’s hard work. Appreciation will boost morale and productivity.
5. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth, baseball legend and home run king.
- Lesson: Persistence and resilience in the face of challenges are key traits of successful individuals and teams.
6. “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.” – Estée Lauder, founder of Estée Lauder Companies.
- Lesson: Success is the result of hard work and dedication, not just wishing or hoping for it.
7. “Success doesn’t come to you, you’ve got to go to it.” – Marva Collins, educational reformer and inspirational teacher.
- Lesson: Be proactive and take initiative; success is achieved with action, not waiting.
8. “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” – Coco Chanel, pioneering French fashion designer.
- Lesson: A fearless approach to challenges, unburdened by the fear of failure, often leads to success.
9. “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffett, legendary investor and philanthropist.
- Lesson: Focus is crucial; prioritize and say no to distractions to achieve greater success.
10. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” – Colin R. Davis, internationally acclaimed British conductor.
- Lesson: Success and failure are part of the same journey; navigating through failure with determination will lead you to success.
Quotes on Hard Work from Successful Entrepreneurs
11. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vidal Sassoon, Hairstylist and Businessman
12. “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” – Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder
13. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.
14. “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.” – Ann Landers, Advice Columnist
15. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth, Professional Baseball Player
16. “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.
17. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier, Author
18. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell, Former U.S. Secretary of State
19. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau, Author
20. “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
21. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer, Theologian, Organist, Writer, Humanitarian, Philosopher, and Physician
22. “Work like there is someone working twenty-four hours a day to take it all away from you.” – Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur and Owner of the Dallas Mavericks
23. “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” – Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States
24. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller, American Industrialist
25. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” – Estée Lauder, Co-founder of Estée Lauder Companies
Quotes on Hard Work from Successful Tech Leaders
26. “I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.” – Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla
27. “Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up.” – Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla
28. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.
29. “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.
30. “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft
31. “Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world…if you do so, you are insulting yourself.” – Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft
32. “I’m not a tech guy. I’m looking at the technology with the eyes of my customers, normal people’s eyes.” – Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba Group
33. “Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.” – Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Former Executive at IBM
34. “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” – Laird Hamilton, Surfer and Co-founder of a technology company
35. “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.
36. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.
37. “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay, Computer Scientist
38. “The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook
39. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney, Founder of Disney
40. “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft
Quotes on Hard Work from Successful Finance Leaders
41. “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.” – Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
42. “The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” – Philip Fisher, Renowned Investor and Author
43. “It’s not whether you’re right or wrong that’s important, but how much money you make when you’re right and how much you lose when you’re wrong.” – George Soros, Investor and Philanthropist
44. “The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect. You need a temperament that neither derives great pleasure from being with the crowd or against the crowd.” – Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
45. “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
46. “In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable.” – Robert Arnott, Founder & Chairman of the Board of Research Affiliates, LLC
47. “The four most dangerous words in investing are: ‘this time it’s different.'” – Sir John Templeton, Investor and Fund Manager
48. “Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack!” – John Bogle, Founder of Vanguard Group
49. “I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.” – Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
50. “Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.” – Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father and Polymath
51. “The goal of a successful trader is to make the best trades. Money is secondary.” – Alexander Elder, Professional Trader and Author
52. “The individual investor should act consistently as an investor and not as a speculator.” – Ben Graham, Economist and Professional Investor
53. “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” – Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
54. “The biggest risk of all is not taking one.” – Mellody Hobson, President and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments
55. “Invest for the long haul. Don’t get too greedy and don’t get too scared.” – Shelby M.C. Davis, Investor and Philanthropist
Quotes on Hard Work from Successful Athletes
56. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Tim Notke, High School Basketball Coach
57. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky, Former Professional Ice Hockey Player
58. “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan, Former Professional Basketball Player
59. “The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.” – Ernie Banks, Former Professional Baseball Player
60. “It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” – Evander Holyfield, Former Professional Boxer
61. “I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count.” – Muhammad Ali, Former Professional Boxer
62. “The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer.” – John Madden, Former NFL Coach and Broadcaster
63. “Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” – Mike Singletary, Former NFL Player and Coach
64. “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” – Michael Phelps, Former Competitive Swimmer
65. “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” – Matt Biondi, Former Competitive Swimmer
66. “To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” – Picabo Street, Former World Cup Alpine Ski Racer
67. “I’ve learned that something constructive comes from every defeat.” – Tom Landry, Former NFL Player and Coach
68. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan, Former Professional Basketball Player
69. “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.” – Les Brown, Former Politician and Professional Football Player
70. “Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible.” – Frank L. Gaines, Former College Football Player
Quotes on Hard Work from Successful Science & Medicine Innovators
71. “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
72. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” – Isaac Newton, Mathematician and Physicist
73. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
74. “Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.” – Louis Pasteur, Microbiologist and Chemist
75. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
76. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
77. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
78. “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist
79. “It is the essence of genius to make use of the simplest ideas.” – Charles Darwin, Naturalist, Geologist, and Biologist
80. “Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing.” – Wernher von Braun, Aerospace Engineer
81. “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” – William James, Philosopher and Psychologist
82. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie, Physicist and Chemist
83. “The more you know, the more you realize you know nothing.” – Socrates, Classical Greek Philosopher
84. “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” – Thomas Edison, Inventor and Businessman
85. “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company
Quotes on Hard Work from Successful Educators & Thought Leaders
86. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa and Anti-Apartheid Revolutionary
87. “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Leader
88. “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” – William Butler Yeats, Poet and Educator
89. “Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.” – Jacques Barzun, Historian and Educator
90. “The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” – Alexandra K. Trenfor, Educator
91. “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey, Author and Educator
92. “If you think education is expensive, try estimating the cost of ignorance.” – Howard Gardner, Psychologist and Educator
93. “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch, Ancient Greek Biographer and Essayist
94. “What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” – Alfred Mercier, Physician and Writer
95. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey, Philosopher, Psychologist, and Educational Reformer
96. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” – Henry Ford, Industrialist
97. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Lawyer, Anti-Colonial Nationalist, and Political Ethicist
98. “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” – Sydney J. Harris, Journalist and Author
99. “It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted.” – Linda Conway, Educator
100. “Teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults.” – Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
Conclusion
We are confident you found the perfect hard work and success quote for you and your team. Success doesn’t come overnight, so 1 quote a day won’t hurt.
If you are looking for hardworking talent to power up your team. Genius is here to help. We connect you with the go-getters and problem-solvers your business needs to thrive. With our robust selection process, we ensure you get individuals who are not just skilled but also passionate about making a difference. Reach out to us today.
FAQs
1. How can I stay motivated when facing business challenges?
To stay motivated during tough times, surround yourself with positive influences and revisit quotes on hard work and success from leaders who’ve overcome obstacles.
2. What’s the best way to inspire my team to work harder?
To inspire your team, share stories and quotes from successful individuals that resonate with them, and emphasize the value of persistence and dedication.
3. How can I use quotes on hard work and success effectively in my business?
To use it effectively, incorporate quotes into daily meetings or internal communications to provide a constant source of inspiration and motivation for your team.
4. Where can I find more quotes on hard work and success for different occasions?
Find more quotes from books on leadership, success, and motivation, or visit reputable websites dedicated to compiling quotes from various fields like here at Genius.
