“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
“Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Failure isn't so bad if it doesn't attack the heart. Success is all right if it doesn't go to the head.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Years ago, I used to tell new leaders I hired that every person in our organization walked around with two buckets. One bucket contained water, and the other gasoline. As leaders, they would continually come across small fires, and they could pour water or gasoline on a fire. It was their choice.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“NO NOTES. This was truly an oral event. Storytellers didn’t read their stories; they told them, which allowed for eye contact.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Believe in the value of others. Carlisle said, “A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats the little man.” The value you place on people determines whether you are a motivator or a manipulator of men.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“First, when we are busy, we naturally believe that we are achieving. But busyness does not equal productivity. Activity is not necessarily accomplishment. Second, prioritizing requires leaders to continually think ahead, to know what's important, to know what's next, to see how everything relates to the overall vision. That's hard work. Third, prioritizing causes us to do things that are at the least uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Disappointment comes when reality falls short of our expectations. But nothing falls short of God’s expectations because He knows everything.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Connecting has a lot to do with letting who you are influence everything you do.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“How to prepare someone for leadership:
I do it.
I do it and you watch.
You do it and I watch.
You do it.
You do it and someone else watches.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Some people want to put restrictions on themselves according to their talent, intelligence, or experience. Others worry about their age. But with God, one person can always make a difference, regardless of circumstances or situation. And age means nothing to Him. When Jesus fed the five thousand, a boy provided the loaves and fishes (John 6:1-13). And in the case of Noah, when it began to rain and he entered the ark, he was six hundred years old! You’re never too old—or too young—to make a difference for God.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“The way I like to measure greatness is . . . How many people can you make want to be better?” —WILL SMITH”
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John C. Maxwell
“You cannot separate your identity from your perspective. All that you are and every experience you’ve had color how you see things. It is your lens.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“I got to the top the hard way—fighting my own laziness and ignorance every step of the way.”
―
John C. Maxwell
