Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we cannot improve.

1. “I never lose. I either win or learn.” — Nelson Mandela (January 24, 2025)
2. “You have to be interested. If you’re not interested, you can’t be interesting.” — Iris Apfel (September 26, 2025)
3. “I think that my leadership style is to get people to fear staying in place, to fear not changing.” — Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. (May 23, 2025)
4. “The supreme quality of leadership is integrity.” — Dwight Eisenhower (March 21, 2025
5. “There is a story behind every person, a reason why they are the way they are. Don’t be quick to judge. Be kind and assume the best.” — Nicky Gumbel (December 5, 2025

Honorable Mentions

• “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” — Robert Louis Stevenson (June 20, 2025)
• “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Neale Donald Walsch (January 17, 2025)
• “It’s okay to admit what you don’t know. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s more than okay to listen to the people you lead–in fact, it’s essential.” — Mary Barra (April 4, 2025)
• “…employees are offering a very important part of their life to us. If we don’t use their time effectively, we are wasting their lives.” — Eiji Toyoda, Former President and Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation (August 7, 2025)

These are the top quotes on A Lean Journey website in 2025.