“Recently I took my daughter Elizabeth out to a restaurant for lunch. The waitress, whose job it was to take care of people, made us feel that we were really inconveniencing her. She was grumpy, negative, and unhelpful. All of her customers were aware of the fact that she was having a bad day. Elizabeth looked up at me and said, “Dad, she’s a grump, isn’t she?” I could only agree with a look of disdain. Halfway through our experience I tried to change this woman’s negative attitude. Pulling out a $10 bill, I said, “Could you do me a favor? I’d like some change for this $10 bill because I want to give you a good tip today.” She looked at me, did a double take, and then ran to the cash register. After changing the money, she spent the next fifteen minutes hovering over us. I thanked her for her service, told her how important and helpful she was, and left a good tip. As we left, Elizabeth said, “Daddy, did you see how that lady changed?” Seizing this golden opportunity, I said, “Elizabeth, if you want people to act right toward you, you act right toward them. And many times you’ll change them.”
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John C. Maxwell
“analogy: It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
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John C. Maxwell
“If you are to become more sensitive, you must be willing to take a risk. Take the initiative to find a need and take action.”
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John C. Maxwell
“As Thomas Jefferson proclaimed, “In matters of fashion, swim with the current. In matters of conscience, stand like a rock.”
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John C. Maxwell
“The Pareto Principle 20 percent of your priorities will give you 80 percent of your production IF you spend your time, energy, money, and personnel on the top 20 percent of your priorities.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Real leadership is being the person others will gladly and confidently follow.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Four Unpardonable Sins of a Communicator”: being unprepared, uncommitted, uninteresting, or uncomfortable.”
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John C. Maxwell
“How Do You Write the Word “Attitude”? Directions: 1. Write the word attitude on the left line with your “writing” hand. 2. Write the word attitude on the right line with your other hand. The word attitude written with your writing hand. The word attitude written with your other hand. Application: When you look at the word attitude written by the hand you do not write with, you see a picture of the kind of attitude we usually have when we are trying to do something new. As one person said, “Nothing should ever be done for the first time.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Every person has a longing to be significant, to make a contribution, to be a part of something noble and purposeful.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Leadership is more than management. Leadership is: • People more than projects • Movement more than maintenance • Art more than science • Intuition more than formula • Vision more than procedure • Risk more than caution • Action more than reaction • Relationships more than rules • Who you are more than what you do If you want to influence others, then you must learn to lead.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods”
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John C. Maxwell
“The first key to greatness,” Socrates reminds us, “is to be in reality what we appear to be.”
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John C. Maxwell
“The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be. Whatever you will accomplish is restricted by your ability to lead others.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Improving your abilities in high-priority areas is always a good investment in yourself that will pay off in the long run.”
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John C. Maxwell
