"I never dreamed about success. I worked for it." - Estée Lauder
"Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you're proud to live." - Anne Sweeney
"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." - Mother Teresa
"I was smart enough to go through any door that opened." - Joan Rivers
"The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves." - Barbara Corcoran
"You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe." - Leymah Gbowee
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any." - Alice Walker
"One of the secrets to staying young is to always do things you don't know how to do, to keep learning." - Ruth Reichl
"The challenge is not to be perfect—it's to be whole." - Jane Fonda
"If you don’t get out of the box you’ve been raised in, you won’t understand how much bigger the world is." - Angelina Jolie
"Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives." - Michelle Obama
"Power’s not given to you. You have to take it." - Beyoncé
"I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life." - Louise Hay
"Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for." - Jennifer Lopez
"The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me." - Ayn Rand
"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." - Nora Ephron
"You get in life what you have the courage to ask for." - Oprah Winfrey
"I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done." - Lucille Ball
"Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement." - Golda Meir
"We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead." - Beyoncé
"You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are." - Melissa Etheridge
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from." - Jodie Foster
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - Maya Angelou
"A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts." - NancyRathburn
"I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back." - Malala Yousafzai
"Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use." - Ruth Gordo
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." - Amelia Earhart
"Everyone shines, given the right lighting." - Susan Cain
"For me, life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer." - Arnold Schwarzenegger (Although not a woman, this quote resonates widely for its universal appeal and inspiration, often cited by leaders across genders.)
"A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform." - Diane Mariechild
"The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." - Ayn Rand
"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 (While attributed to a man, this sentiment is echoed by numerous successful women who prioritize passion and fulfillment in their paths to success.)
"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got." - Janis Joplin
"There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women." - Kofi Annan (Widely respected for his advocacy for gender equality, Annan's words are embraced by women leaders as a call to action for empowerment and change.)
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs (His perspective on passion and dedication is often cited by women in leadership, emphasizing the importance of love for one's work in achieving greatness.)
"I'm not about caring less, I'm about caring smarter." - Rachel Zane (Suits TV character played by Meghan Markle)
One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go." - Sheila Murray Bethel
"We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back." - Malala Yousafzai
"I want every little girl who's told she's bossy to be told instead she has leadership skills." - Sheryl Sandberg
"You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back." - Barbara De Angelis
"The most effective way to do it is to do it." - Amelia Earhart
"My best successes came on the heels of failures." - Barbara Corcoran
"You can't be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute." - Tina Fey
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt (Though spoken by a man, this quote is often cited by women leaders for its universal resonance, especially in overcoming doubt and fear.)
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." - Dolly Parton
"I learned a long time ago that there is something worse than missing the goal, and that’s not pulling the trigger." - Mia Hamm
"You can't give up! If you give up, you're like everybody else." - Chris Evert
"I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself." - Mikhail Baryshnikov (Admired across genders for his dedication to self-improvement and mastery, Baryshnikov's words resonate with anyone striving for personal excellence.)
"Done is better than perfect." - Sheryl Sandberg
"I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be." - Diane Von Furstenberg
"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud." - Coco Chanel
"Beware of monotony; it's the mother of all the deadly sins." - Edith Wharton
"A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman." - Melinda Gates
"The difference between a broken community and a thriving one is the presence of women who are valued." - Michelle Obama
"You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to." - C.S. Lewis (While Lewis himself was not a businesswoman, his words on the necessity of trial and effort speak volumes to anyone stepping into the arena of ambition, regardless of gender.)
"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time." - Anna Freud
"We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored." - Sheryl Sandberg
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement." - Helen Keller
"Making the decision to not follow a system, or someone else’s rules has freed me up to find the best in myself." - Serena Williams
"There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise." - W.E.B. Du Bois (Though these words come from Du Bois, they encapsulate the essence of female empowerment and resilience, echoing the sentiments of countless women who have risen against odds.)
"Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument." - Donna Paulsen (Suits character played by Sarah Rafferty)
Let's wrap this up with a touch of encouragement and sincerity. These words from some truly inspiring women are more than just quotes; they're a toolkit for when the road gets rocky and the stakes are high. Let them serve as your guide, your gentle push on the days when doubt creeps in. Remember, every person who's made their mark started with a dream and the courage to chase it. So, as you navigate your way through the business world, take these insights along for the ride. May they light your path to success and remind you that with determination and heart, there's nothing you can't achieve. Here's to your journey, may it be bold, brilliant, and uniquely yours.
