19 Best Madeleine Albright Quotes About Leadership, Success, and Feminism

Albright was a trailblazer in American politics, breaking through gender barriers and paving the way for more women to take positions of power. Throughout her career, Albright was an inspiration for many—and while she died in 2022 at 84, she left many inspiring words of wisdom behind.

Let’s take a look at some of Madeleine Albright’s most memorable quotes:

1. “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” —Madeleine Albright

2. “There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women.” —Madeleine Albright

3. “There is plenty of room in the world for mediocre men, but there is no room for mediocre women.” —Madeleine Albright

4. “I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success, but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life.” —Madeleine Albright

5. “Everyone who can should write a memoir, whether for publication or just to deposit in a drawer or beam to the cloud. There is drama in every life. Fame is irrelevant to one’s worth and can sometimes be an obstacle to an appropriate appreciation of others. Further, the effort to reflect on our opportunities and choices is, for all of us, a challenge worth attempting.” —Madeleine Albright

6. “This generosity of spirit—this caring about others and about the proposition that we are all created equal—is the single most effective antidote to the self-centered moral numbness that allows Fascism to thrive. It is a capacity that can be found in most people, but it is not always nurtured and is sometimes, for a period, brutally crushed.” —Madeleine Albright

7. “But no matter how high the odds against you may sometimes seem and no matter how tough the opposition may be, I hope you will have the courage to go for it, never back down, and don't give in, because there's no greater satisfaction in life than using your gifts to help others and to contribute to your community and country.” —Madeleine Albright

8. “How can one be bored in a world where a billion examples of human ingenuity, peculiarity, pigheadedness, and compassion are on regular view?” —Madeleine Albright

9. “Until I am carried out, I will carry on.” —Madeleine Albright

10. “I do believe that in order to be a successful negotiator, you have to be able to put yourself into the other person's shoes. Unless you can understand what is motivating them, you are never going to be able to figure out how to solve a particular problem.” —Madeleine Albright

11. “I have very set and consistent principles, but I am flexible on tactics. I like to get the job done.” —Madeleine Albright

12. “The best book, like the best speech, will do it all—make us laugh, think, cry, and cheer—preferably in that order.” —Madeleine Albright: By the Book

13. “I think women want to take care of themselves, and I think having a voice in how that is done is very important.” — Madeleine Albright

14. “I think there has to be the sense that once you have climbed the ladder of success, that you don't push it away from the building—you are only strengthened if there are more women. But you have to work hard—there is no other way around it. There is no way of talking your way into or out of things, you just have to deliver.” —Madeleine Albright

15. “I do not believe that the world would be entirely different if there were more women leaders. Maybe if everybody in leadership was a woman, you might not get into the conflicts in the first place. But if you watch the women who have made it to the top, they haven't exactly been non-aggressive—including me.” —Madeleine Albright

16. “When we’re trying to solve difficult national issues its sometimes necessary to talk to adversaries as well as friends. Historians have a word for this: diplomacy.” —Madeleine Albright

17. “What people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.”  —Madeleine Albright

18. “When I was Secretary of State, I decided that women's issues had to be central to American foreign policy, not just because I'm a feminist, but because I believe that societies are better off when women are politically and economically empowered, that values are passed down, the health situation is better, education is better, there is greater economic prosperity. So I think that it behooves us—those of us that live in various countries where we do have economic and political voice—that we need to help other women.” —Madeleine Albright

19. “What distinguishes Americans from many people in the world is our kind of endemic optimism.” —Madeleine Albright