50 Pat Summitt Leadership Quotes That Define Great Leadership

My 12th definite dozen principle is “handle success like you handle failure.”

— Pat Summitt

My 1st definite dozen principle is “respect yourself and others.” 

— Pat Summitt

My 3rd definite dozen principle is “develop and demonstrate loyalty.”

— Pat Summitt

My 4th definite dozen principle is “learn to be a great communicator.”

— Pat Summitt

My 9th definite dozen principle is “make winning an attitude.”

— Pat Summitt

No one ever got anywhere by being negative.

— Pat Summitt

No one feels strong when she examines her own weakness. But I’m facing weakness, you learn how much there is in you, and you find real strength.

— Pat Summitt

Not everyone can lead.

— Pat Summitt

Offense sells tickets, defense wins games, rebounding wins championships. Prioritize! 

— Pat Summitt

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

— Pat Summitt

People may not always remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel.

— Pat Summitt

Praise before you criticize.

— Pat Summitt

Push yourself to places you have not been before.

— Pat Summitt

Respect is essential to building group cohesion.

— Pat Summitt

There is always someone better than you. Whatever it is that you do for a living, chances are, you will run into a situation in which you are not as talented as the person next to you. That’s when being a competitor can make the difference.

— Pat Summitt

There is no such thing as self respect without respect for others.

— Pat Summitt

There is nothing wrong with having competitive instincts. They are survival instincts.

— Pat Summitt

We don’t have lazy people in our organization. They either leave or I run them off.

— Pat Summitt

Whatever it is that you desire to do in life, have the courage and commitment to do it, and do it at your absolute best.

— Pat Summitt

When a player makes mistakes, you always want to put them back in the game quickly … you don’t just berate them and sit them down on the bench with no chance of redemption. 

— Pat Summitt

When you ask yourself, “do I deserve to succeed?”… make sure the answer is yes.

— Pat Summitt

When you choose to be a competitor, you choose to be a survivor. 

— Pat Summitt

When you choose to compete, you make the conscious decision to find out what your real limits are, not just what you think they are.

— Pat Summitt

When you treat others the way you want to be treated by being kind, sincere, and genuine, you demonstrate how much you really care.

— Pat Summitt

When you understand yourself and those around you, you are better able to minimize weaknesses and maximize strengths.

— Pat Summitt

Why is communication important? Because you can’t do anything without it.

— Pat Summitt

You are in control of your attitude every day.

— Pat Summitt

You can have the brightest, most creative people in the world, but if they can’t communicate, you won’t fully comprehend what they are capable of.

— Pat Summitt

You can learn more from failure than success. Failure forces you to reevaluate.

— Pat Summitt

You can’t always be the most talented person in the room, but you can be the most competitive.

— Pat Summitt

You cannot always control what happens, but you can control how you handle it.

— Pat Summitt

You CHOOSE to give your time, talents, and treasures.

— Pat Summitt

You have to be a positive thinker. Always see the glass half full.

— Pat Summitt

You have to LISTEN in order to develop effective and meaningful relationships with people.

— Pat Summitt

You learn more from losing than winning.

— Pat Summitt

You meet the same people on the way down that you met on the way up.

— Pat Summitt

You must know your strengths, weaknesses, and needs.

— Pat Summitt

Do not compromise your principles.

— Pat Summitt

Another simple matter of respect is being on time. Lateness sends a message that you’re either too careless or too special to be on time.

— Pat Summitt

My 11th definite dozen principle is “change is a must.”

— Pat Summitt