宁为鸡头，不为凤尾
nìng​wéi​jī​tóu​bù​wéi​fèng​wěi

better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond

宁为鸡头，不为凤尾 寧為雞頭，不為鳳尾 nìng​wéi​jī​tóu​bù​wéi​fèng​wěi
better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond
Literally "would rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail"; used to express a preference for being the leader of a small or unimportant group rather than a minor member of a prestigious one