Are you a budding leader or manager looking to improve your communication skills? Take a look at our management and leadership idioms and see what you think. These idioms describe many situations related to management and leadership and will be incredibly useful in helping you to express yourself in those situations.
| Idiom | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Call the shots | To make the decisions or be in charge. | “As the CEO, he’s the one who calls the shots in our company.” |
| Lead by example | To set a good example for others to follow. | “The manager always leads by example, arriving early and working hard every day.” |
| Steer the ship | To guide or control a situation or organization. | “The experienced captain knows how to steer the ship through rough waters.” |
| Keep the ship afloat | To maintain the stability or survival of an organization. | “During tough times, it’s crucial to keep the ship afloat and avoid sinking.” |
| Run a tight ship | To manage something in an organized and efficient manner. | “Under his leadership, the department runs a tight ship, with everything well-organized.” |
| In the driver’s seat | To be in control or in a position of authority. | “As the project manager, she’s in the driver’s seat and responsible for its success.” |
| Take the bull by the horns | To confront a difficult situation directly and assertively. | “Instead of avoiding the problem, she decided to take the bull by the horns and address it head-on.” |
| Have many balls in the air | To have multiple tasks or responsibilities simultaneously. | “As the CEO, she always has many balls in the air, managing various projects and initiatives.” |
| Give someone the axe | To terminate someone’s employment; to fire them. | “Due to budget cuts, the company had to give some employees the axe.” |
| Show someone the door | To dismiss or ask someone to leave, especially from a job or position. | “After repeated warnings, the manager had to show the underperforming employee the door.” |
| Let someone go | To dismiss or release someone from their job or position. | “The company had to let go of several employees due to restructuring.” |
| Hands are tied | To be unable to act or make a decision due to circumstances beyond one’s control. | “I’d love to help, but the company rules don’t allow it.” |
| Crack the whip | To assert control or demand strict adherence to rules or standards. | “The new manager cracked the whip to improve productivity in the team.” |
| Rule with an iron fist | To govern or manage with strictness and severity. | “The dictator ruled the country with an iron fist, suppressing any dissent.” |
| Pass the buck | To shift responsibility or blame to someone else. | “Instead of taking responsibility, our manager always tries to pass the buck onto others.” |
| Sweep something under the rug | To conceal or ignore problems or issues rather than addressing them. | “The manager’s tendency to sweep things under the rug only led to bigger problems later on.” |
| Throw someone under the bus | To betray or sacrifice someone for one’s own benefit. | “In order to save himself, he threw his colleague under the bus during the investigation.” |
| Pass the torch | To transfer authority, responsibility, or leadership to someone else. | “After 20 years as CEO, she decided it was time to pass the torch to her successor.” |
| Hand over the reins | To transfer control or authority to someone else. | “As the founder retired, she handed over the reins of the company to her son.” |
Hope you enjoyed our Management & Leadership Idioms. Please leave a comment if there are any improvements we can make. Thanks.
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