“Just remember that if you’re not working at your game to the utmost of your ability, there will be someone out there somewhere with equal ability. And one day you’ll play each other, and he’ll have the advantage.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“An infant is born with a clenched fist; a man dies with an open hand. Life has a way of prying free the things we think are so important.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Most of us think wonderful things about people, but they never know it. Too many of us tend to be tight-fisted with our praise. It’s of no value if all you do is think it; it becomes valuable when you impart it.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“People can be in the same place sharing the same experience at the same time, but they can walk away from it having seen very different things.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Major barriers to successful planning are fear of change, ignorance, uncertainty about the future, and lack of imagination.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Jim Sundberg says, “Discover your uniqueness; then discipline yourself to develop it.”
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John C. Maxwell
“communication comes from the Latin word communis, meaning “common.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“And you will have greater credibility with your leader if you admit your shortcomings and refrain from making excuses.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Asking and hearing people’s opinions has a greater effect on them than telling them, ‘Good job.’ ”
―
John C. Maxwell
“One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. Instead, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Real leaders have something to give, and they give it freely. Anthony DeMello saw a starving child shivering in the cold. Angrily he lifted his eyes to heaven and said, “God, how could you allow such suffering? Why don’t you do something?” There was a long silence and then DeMello was startled when he heard the voice of God answer him, “I certainly have done something—I made you.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Successful leaders are like icebergs. When you look at an iceberg, you see only about 10 percent of it, and the rest of it is hidden under the water. When you look at successful leaders, you see only a fraction of their lives. You see the part that looks really good, but there’s usually a lot that remains hidden that’s neither exciting nor glamorous.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Connection provides the bridge between ‘this is how’ and ‘begin now.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“A visionary company is like a great work of art. Think of Michelangelo’s scenes from Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or his statue of David. Think of a great and enduring novel like Huckleberry Finn or Crime and Punishment. Think of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony or Shakespeare’s Henry V. Think of a beautifully designed building, like the masterpieces of Frank Lloyd Wright or Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. You can’t point to any one single item that makes the whole thing work; it’s the entire work—all the pieces working together to create an overall effect—that leads to enduring greatness.”
―
John C. Maxwell
