These boss lady quotes will help you define your own worth.
You might have heard someone referred to as a “Boss Lady” or “Boss Babe” before.
What does the term mean, though?
Well, in its most literal sense, it is a female boss or supervisor.
However, mostly when someone earns the title of “Boss Lady” or “Boss Babe.” it is because they exhibit a fearless ability to create their life.
That life might look different, whether you are a successful professional, an innovative entrepreneur, or the mom who runs an entire household while making it look effortless!
These “Boss Lady” quotes come from some women who command a presence like Queen Bae herself, or the former first lady.
I think they would agree that being called a boss lady is a compliment, but they might just prefer you call them a straight-up boss!
Keep reading these “Boss Lady” quotes for some excellent advice on leadership, empowering women, and even “how to” be a “Boss Lady!”
Don’t forget to also check out these alpha female quotes for all the strong women out here
Badass boss lady quotes from successful women
1. “Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.” — Shonda Rhimes
2. “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder
3. “When they go low, we go high.” — Michelle Obama
4. “Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams.” — Lady Gaga
5. “Power is not given to you. You have to take it.” — Beyoncé
6. “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
7. “Women have always been the strong ones of the world.” — Coco Chanel
8. “If there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” — Beyoncé
9. “I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do.” — Salma Hayek
10. “Sometimes you gotta be a beauty and a beast.” — Nicki Minaj
11. “Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes.” — Margaret Wheatley
12. “Some leaders are born women.” — Geraldine Ferraro
Short Boss Lady Quotes
13. “I’m not bossy, I’m the boss.” — Beyoncé
14. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle
15. “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” — Steve Martin
16. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” ― Coco Chanel
17. “She overcame everything that was meant to destroy her.” ― Sylvester McNutt III
18. “I’m gracing you with my presence.” — Kourtney Kardashian
19. “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen
20. “It is within everyone’s grasp to be a CEO.” — Martha Stewart
21. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
22. “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” — Muhammad Ali
More boss woman quotes about leadership
23. “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” — Faye Wattleton
24. “Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing.” — Mary D. Poole
25. “Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.” — Dianne Feinstein
26. “You were born to create and contribute.” — Marie Forleo
27. “Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
28. “My best successes came on the heels of failure.” — Barbara Corcoran
Boss lady quotes that will inspire you
29. “You don’t get what you don’t ask for.” — Sophia Amoruso
30. “Rooting for other people’s failure does get in the way of your success.” — Amy Poehler
31. “You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” — The Wizard of Oz
32. “True leaders understand that leadership is not about them, but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.” — Sheri L. Dew
33. “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” — Rosalynn Carter
34. “A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self-promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity.” — Mollie Marti
35. “Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.” — Oprah Winfrey
36. “Little girls with dreams become women with vision.” — Unknown
37. “I stay true to myself and my style, and I am always pushing myself to be aware of that and be original.” — Aaliyah
38. “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everyone else.” — Unknown
Motivational girl boss quotes
39. “Don’t cut off your career branches too early. Don’t step away from your career based on what ‘might’ happen.” — Mary Barra
40. “As women, we must stand up for ourselves. We must stand up for each other. We must stand up for justice for all.” — Michelle Obama
41. “Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions… Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.” — Tina Fey
42. “The amount of good luck coming your way depends on your willingness to act.” — Barbara Sher
43. “Take criticism seriously, but not personally.” — Hillary Clinton
44. “Women have been trained to speak softly and carry a lipstick. Those days are over.” — Bella Abzug
More Boss Lady quotes and sayings
45. “We need to understand that there is no formula for how women should lead their lives. That is why we must respect the choices that each woman makes for herself and her family. Every woman deserves the chance to realize her God-given potential.” — Hillary Clinton
46. “I talk a lot about taking risks, and then I follow that up very quickly by saying, ‘Take prudent risks.’” — Irene Rosenfeld
47. “I don’t follow trends or try to compete with anyone. Everything I do stems from following my passion and my love for design.” — Guo Pei
48. “Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country.” — Margaret Thatcher
49. “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” — J. K. Rowling
50. “Instead of looking for all of the reasons it won’t work—start counting all the reasons it will.” — Reese Evans
Classy boss lady quotes about leadership
51. “Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.” — Indra Nooyi
52. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” — Sheryl Sandberg
53. “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.” — Marian Anderson
54. “People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer to fulfillment. Actually, a job is better for me.” — Princess Diana
55. “Women are leaders everywhere you look, from a CEO to a housewife that holds together a home. Our country was built by women who stand alone.” — Denise Clark
56. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” — Dolly Parton
57. “I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind leading.” — Amy Poehler
58. “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” — Madonna
59. “The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.” — Elaine Agather
60. “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
Boss Lady Quotes To Inspire Passion
61. “We need to get women to the point where they aren’t apologizing. It’s time to take ownership in our success.” – Tory Burch
62. “The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.” ― Sophia Amoruso
63. “Compete with yourself, not with others.” ― Sophia Amoruso
64. “She gets what she wants because she works for it.” ― Sophia Amoruso
65. “Keep your heels, head, and standards high.” ― Coco Chanel
66. “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint.” ― Oprah Winfrey
67. “I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay.” — Beyoncé
68. “I was the brave little girl who dared to believe I could change the world. And I am.” ― Christina J. Daniels
69. “If you are always trying to be normal, you’ll never know how amazing you can be.” ― Maya Angelou
70. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” ― Oprah Winfrey
Boss Lady Quotes That Will Make You Stay Focused
71. “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” — Michele Ruiz
72. “When you learn how much you’re worth, you’ll stop giving people discounts.” — Karen Salmansohn
73. “The thing women have yet to learn is that nobody gives you power. You just take it.” — Roseanne Barr
74. “Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility.” — Michelle Obama
75. “Smile and Slay. You have to slay it in life or life will slay you.” — Janna Cachola
76. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” — Maya Angelou
77. “Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams. The World needs that special gift that only you have.” — Marie Forleo
78. “Even if your dream seems unattainable, you can achieve it if you stay focused, driven, and diligent.” — Rebecca Minkoff
79. “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” — Brené Brown
80. “A woman with vision is unstoppable, a woman who is always increasing her skills multiplies. Along with passion, this woman is undeniable.” — Janna Cachola
Classy Boss Lady Quotes For Fempreneurs
81. “I wear a lot of pink cos’ seeing pink activates endorphins and energizes my creativity. It is a color of femininity and fierceness” ― Janna Cachola
82. “We weren’t born to create excuses, we were born to create excellence.” ― Janna Cachola
83. “I’m a boss! A diamond in the rough! A Queen of Queens and I do dare say this, a magical and mysterious mermicorn.” ― Helen Edwards
84. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” — Babe Ruth
85. “You must understand: they fear you. There is nothing scarier in their minds than a girl who knows the power of her flames.” ― Nikita Gill
86. “There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” ― Rihanna
87. “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
88. “Be the kind of woman that makes other women want to up their game.” — BossBabe
89. “The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens.” — Beyoncé
90. “And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” ― Mark Anthony
What did you learn from these boss lady quotes?
So what should you do, if you want to become a boss?
Start with some self-love and care.
Each of the women quoted here has healthy self-esteem; probably forged by kicking ass in heels!
Don’t let anyone else’s opinion of you hold you back.
You define your own worth!
Of course, it doesn’t come easy, and there will be struggles and failures along the way.
Dust yourself off, straighten that crown on your head and keep going! Find a tribe of women that will support your ‘crazy’ ideas, motivate you to keep going, and hand you a tissue when your mascara is running.
Do you have women in your life who are total “Boss Ladies?” (I think we all are Boss Ladies, by the way!)
It’s difficult to juggle all the things life throws at us women, and yet we stay strong.
Leave a shout-out to your favorite ‘Boss Lady’ in the comment section below.
Don’t forget to also mention any other favorite boss lady quotes and sayings.