100+ team motivational quotes that inspire collaboration

When it comes to teamwork, there’s nothing more powerful than collaboration. After all, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” And while there are many different ways you can go about motivating your team, there’s something so simple yet powerful when it comes to inspirational quotes for teams. That’s why we put together these team motivational quotes to encourage collaboration and teamwork, no matter what industry you’re in. Plus, you’ll also learn additional ways to inspire teamwork using project management software and work management tools.

Whether your team needs a plan for collaboration or inspiring team-building ideas, these quotes about working together are sure to motivate everyone to do their very best work.

Teamwork quotes that inspire collaboration

There’s no doubt that it takes a group of people to make a difference and see impactful results. But getting your team members on the same page isn’t always an easy task—especially with everyone working in different locations. So how do you make sure everyone on the team feels included and heard? No two teams are exactly the same, so it may take some trial and error. A great way to start is to encourage people to do their most impactful work through team collaboration.

Working together can encourage new ideas to sprout and innovative projects to evolve. But in order to promote collaboration in the workplace, you first need to inspire the idea of relying on one another for the greater good of the group. You can do this with team building games or by sharing an encouraging teamwork quote. Here's a roundup of team motivational quotes on collaboration and cooperation to bring some positive energy and inspiration to the (virtual) office.

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“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” — Henry Ford, American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company.

“Let us all be the leaders we wish we had.” — Simon Sinek, Author and inspirational speaker.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” — Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese author.

“The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side.” — Margaret Carty, American author and executive director of MLA.

“Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal.” — Patrick Lencioni, American author.

“One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American former professional basketball player.

“Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” — Vince Lombardi, American football coach and executive in the National Football League.

“Our love is so big. It has room for everybody.” — Cari Tuna, President of the Open Philanthropy Project and Good Ventures.

“Good teams incorporate teamwork into their culture, creating the building blocks for success.” — Ted Sundquist, American football player.

“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.” — Virginia Burden, American phycologist and author

Team motivational quotes that inspire hard work 

Hard work doesn’t always come easily. In fact, it takes a dedicated leader to boost team motivation, especially during challenging times. It could come in the form of a team huddle, an industry speaker, or an encouraging quote. However you choose to motivate your team, it’s important you do so using constructive feedback and positive praise. Focus on the strengths of each individual by pointing out wins—both big and small. When in doubt, share a motivational quote for teamwork. 

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

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” — Michael Jordan, American businessman and former professional basketball player.

“True heroes are made of hard work and integrity.” — Hope Solo, American former soccer goalkeeper.

“It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” — Shonda Rhimes, American television producer. 

“Brands must empower their community to be change agents in their own right.” — Simon Mainwaring, Global keynote speaker, CEO of We First, and best-selling author.

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” — Abraham Lincoln, American politician and 16th president of the United States.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, American political figure and former First Lady.

“Elevate true productivity over the appearance of hard work.” — Scott Belsky, American entrepreneur and author.

“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” — Steve Jobs, American business magnate.

“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” — Ken Blanchard, American author and motivational speaker.

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt, American politician and 32nd president of the United States.

“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” — Elon Musk, Founder and CEO of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, Inc.

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." — Sir Isaac Newton, English mathematician.

“People doing good work feel good and people doing exceptional work feel exceptional. Accomplishments contribute greatly to satisfaction.” — Mark Sanborn, Author and professional speaker.

“Success is very much the intersection of luck and hard work.” — Dustin Moskovitz, Co-founder and CEO of Asana.

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." — Phil Jackson, American former professional basketball player and coach.

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that changes really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” — Mark Zuckerberg, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of Facebook.

“An entrepreneur is someone who will jump off a cliff and assemble an airplane on the way down.” — Reid Hoffman, American Internet entrepreneur.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” — Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary.

“Be brutally honest about the short term and optimistic and confident about the long term.”— Reed Hastings, American businessman and co-chief executive officer of Netflix. 

“Being successful is a choice and, therefore, being defeated is a decision.” — Jim Stovall, American writer.

“It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.” — Brian Tracy, Canadian-American motivational speaker and self-development author.

“Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.” — Arianna Huffington, Greek-American author and businesswoman.

“The only way round is through.” — Robert Frost, American poet. 

“Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” — Sara Blakely, American businesswoman and entrepreneur.

“You have no choices about how you lose, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again.” — Pat Riley, American professional basketball executive.

“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” — Audre Lorde, American writer and feminist.

“I want little girls to grow up knowing they can do anything, even play football.” — Jen Welter, American football coach. 

“No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set your sights on a higher one.” — Jessica Savitch, American television news presenter.

“Positive thinking is a valuable tool that can help you overcome obstacles, deal with pain, and reach new goals.” — Amy Morin, Psychotherapist and mental strength trainer.

“The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.” — Rob Kalin, American entrepreneur. 

Inspiring team building quotes

Team building is one of the most important factors of growth. It can be helpful to unite new members of the team as well as build office morale. Whether it’s in the form of virtual activities or side huddles, team building can be the difference between great collaboration and communication that hinders productivity. Motivate your team to lean on one another—from brainstorming sessions to something as small as connecting over lunch—by sharing these inspirational team building quotes.

“Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” — Mattie Stepanek, American poet.

“Motivation comes from working on things we care about. It also comes from working with people we care about.” —Sheryl Sandberg, American business executive. 

“It all starts with a great idea and teamwork.” — Garrett Camp, Canadian entrepreneur.

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller, American author, activist, and educator.

“A company is only as good as the people it keeps.” — Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics.

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” — Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist.

“The art of effective listening is essential to clear communication, and clear communication is necessary to management success.” — James Cash Penney, American businessman and entrepreneur.

“We cannot win in team situations or in relationships by ourselves.” — Terry Orlick, Canadian professor.

“Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.” — Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha, Educator and bestselling author. 

“With an enthusiastic team, you can achieve almost anything.” — Tahir Shah, British author, journalist, and documentary maker. 

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb.

"It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." — Charles Darwin, British naturalist and geologist.

"Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability." — Patrick Lencioni, American author.

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." — Michael Jordan, American businessman and former professional basketball player.

Team motivational quotes for success

Success doesn’t always mean revenue. In fact, in most cases, it means something completely different. The small wins, like improving your team’s productivity and getting together for a team bonding activity, are just as important to celebrate as the big wins. Embracing these moments with team motivational quotes and a short motivational message for the team encourages everyone to appreciate the small things, which can boost morale and set your team up for success. Use these business quotes about teamwork and success to motivate your team to look at all improvements as success.

“Be passionate and move forward with gusto every single hour of every single day until you reach your goal.” — Ava DuVernay, American filmmaker.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessman.

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”— Harry S Truman, 33rd president of the United States.

“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” — Charles F. Kettering, American inventor and engineer.

“Success can cause people to unlearn the habits that made them successful in the first place.” — Satya Nadella, Indian-American business executive.

“You never lose a dream. It just incubates as a hobby.”— Larry Page, American computer scientist.

“You don’t achieve success, you attract success.” — Farshad Asl, Entrepreneur.

“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” — Stephen Covey, American educator and author. 

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” — Booker T. Washington, American educator and author.

“Great leaders don't succeed because they are great. They succeed because they bring out the greatness in others.” — Jon Gordon, American author and speaker.

“It's the building of things that makes you happy. You have to enjoy the process whether you succeed or fail.” — Caterina Fake, American entrepreneur and businesswoman.

“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.” — Ray Goforth, American mensa. 

“You’re either remarkable or invisible. Make a choice.” — Seth Godin, American author and business executive.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” — Albert Einstein, German-born theoretical physicist. 

"A group becomes teammates when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of the others.” — Norman Shidle, American business theorist.

“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.” — Brené Brown, American researcher and storyteller. 

“Some people see innovation as change, but we have never really seen it like that. It’s making things better.”— Tim Cook, American business executive and CEO of Apple Inc.

"Be clear. Be authentic. Have boundaries. Check your vision. Do what matters to you. And know what you value.” — Iyanla Vanzant, American inspirational speaker and lawyer.

“There’s always an opportunity to make a difference.” — Michael Dell, American businessman and philanthropist.

“It will never be done. It’s a continuous exercise.”— Dara Khosrowshahi, Iranian-American businessman and CEO of Uber. 

“Women speaking up for themselves and for those around them is the strongest force we have to change the world.” — Melinda Gates, American philanthropist and former general manager at Microsoft.

“Ask your colleagues for help—early and often.”— Jill Konrath, Sales strategist and speaker.

“People with goals succeed because they know where they're going.” — Earl Nightingale, American radio speaker and author.

Team motivational quotes on failure 

There are few leaders that talk candidly about failure, but it’s an inevitable part of growth. Take Thomas Edison: he had many failed inventions, yet he embraced his failures rather than quitting because of them. The same is true for you and your team. Failure is merely part of the process, and encouraging your team to try new and innovative things can motivate them to do and be their very best. Not only does growth benefit the company, but it also benefits each individual by allowing them to think outside of the box. Talk openly about failure by sharing motivational quotes and providing a short motivational message for team members.

Leading through change: Creating clarity and building trust

In this webinar, Asana experts outline concrete tips to guide your team through uncertainty. Learn how to help employees focus on what matters.

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“If you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes backbone to lead the life you want.” — Richard Yates, American fiction writer. 

“Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.” — Jack Canfield, American author and motivational speaker.

“Failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result. It’s vulnerability that breeds with self-doubt and then is escalated, often deliberately, by fear.” — Michelle Obama, American attorney, author, and former First Lady of the United States.

“All failure is failure to adapt, all success is successful adaptation.” — Max McKeown, American author.

“You’ve got to let go of who you were, to become who you will be.” — Janet Fitch, Author of the Oprah's Book Club novel White Oleander.

“Giving up is the only sure way to fail.” — Gena Showalter, American author. 

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” — Babe Ruth, American professional baseball player.

“Every single failure has an equally great upside if you are willing to stay in the game.” — Barbara Corcoran, American businesswoman. 

“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” — Denis Waitley, American motivational speaker.

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” — John Wooden, American basketball player and coach.

“I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship.” — Louisa May Alcott, American novelist.

“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.” — Oprah Winfrey, American talk show host. 

“Anyone can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart, now that is true strength.” — Chris Bradford, English author. 

“Anything is possible if you wish hard enough.” — J.M. Barrie, Scottish novelist, playwright, and creator of Peter Pan. 

“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.” — Paulo Coelho, Brazilian author and novelist.

“Expect the unexpected. And whenever possible, be the unexpected.” — Lynda Barry, American cartoonist, author, and teacher.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you have failed. You only have to be right once.” — Mark Cuban, American entrepreneur and television personality. 

“Between being able to and actually doing something lies an ocean, and on its bottom rests all too often the wreck of willpower.” — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Austrian writer.

“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” — Amelia Earhart, American aviation pioneer and author.

Funny team motivational quotes

Who said motivation can’t be humorous? Depending on your group dynamics, a funny team motivational quote might be more fitting than something as serious as acknowledging failure. And let’s be honest, we could all use a few laughs now and then. Plus, humor and laughter have been shown to boost happiness. So not only is humor a great way to bond with your team, but it’s also a great way to end, or even start the week, on a positive note. Take a look at these funny team motivational quotes and share a few with your team.

“If you can dance and be free and not embarrassed you can rule the world.” — Amy Poehler, American actress and comedian.

“You don't have to be great at something to start, but you have to start to be great at something.” — Zig Ziglar, American author and motivational speaker. 

“Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.”— Whoopi Goldberg, American actress and comedian. 

“Doing nothing is very hard to do... you never know when you're finished.” — Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor and comedian. 

“Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.” — Josh Billings, 19th-century American comedian. 

“Change is not a four letter word… but often your reaction to it is!” — Jeffrey Gitomer, American author, professional speaker, and business trainer. 

“The road to success is always under construction.” — Lily Tomlin, American actress and comedian. 

“The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.” — Joe Girard, American salesman and motivational speaker. 

“To err is human—and to blame it on a computer is even more so.” — Robert Orben, American professional comedy writer.

Additional ways to inspire teamwork

Still not sure what to say to inspire your team? Inspiration isn’t always as easy as sharing team motivational quotes. In fact, it should consist of many different methods. One particularly effective way of motivating your team is by providing them with the tools and practices they need in order to succeed—and Asana can help with that. Here are three additional ways you can inspire teamwork. 

Host virtual team-building exercises

Team-building exercises are not only a great way to grow connections and trust as a team, but they can also be a fun break for employees to help boost morale. But how exactly do you host team-building events virtually with remote work software? A study performed by MIT found that the more people who participated in a meeting, the less effective communication was. This means that while it may be helpful to get the entire company together on occasion for high-level announcements, team-building exercises will be most effective when held in small groups. 

Team building doesn’t have to be complicated. An exercise could be as simple as sharing a few icebreaker questions with the team. Or, you can get creative by hosting trivia events and lunch and learns with small groups of four to five team members. 

Collaborate in a project management platform

Staying connected has never been more important—whether you have teams across the globe or right in the office. Using project management software can help keep everyone on the same page, no matter their timezone. With so many different tools to choose from, it’s hard to know what the most effective path to productivity is. 

According to Asana’s Anatomy of Work Index, 60% of a person’s time at work is spent on work about work. Tasks like searching through documents and toggling between apps account for a ton of wasted time every day. That makes choosing tools that offer a variety of capabilities so important for productivity.

You can even incorporate team motivational quotes within your project management tools notifications and messages, which can serve as a team motivation boost that reminds everyone of the collective goals and the value of staying connected and efficient.

Visualize your work in a team calendar

Keep everyone on schedule by creating a team calendar to track due dates and stay in the know with upcoming projects and deadlines. Not only will a calendar help your team plan and manage projects in a shared space, but it’s also great for people who comprehend tasks better with visuals rather than a traditional list. If you do prefer the traditional method, check out ways to create a better to-do list.  

When comparing calendar software, keep app integrations in mind. It’s helpful to have compatibility with the tools you already use. That way you can enhance productivity without slowing down any current processes. 

Using calendar software not only streamlines project management but also serves as an opportunity to embed a short motivational message for team members directly into their workflow and further fostering team motivation and unity.

Use team motivational quotes to hit your quota

In short, quotes about leadership styles and teamwork are a great way to encourage your team to not only work together through collaboration but to share your appreciation for their efforts and impact. And, hopefully, they can help motivate you and your team to accomplish your goals. 

Remember that encouraging collaboration is so much more than just sharing these team motivational quotes. It’s about figuring out ways to connect your team using tools and relationship-building techniques. It’s true that there is greater strength in numbers, so continue inspiring team motivation and success will follow.

Leading through change: Creating clarity and building trust

In this webinar, Asana experts outline concrete tips to guide your team through uncertainty. Learn how to help employees focus on what matters.

Get the insights