“I believe all of us can identify with the poet Carl Sandberg, who said, “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar and a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” The key to success is following the impulse to soar more than the desire to wallow. And that is a never-ending struggle—at least it has been for me. I believe any successful person would be honest in saying, “I got to the top the hard way—fighting my own laziness and ignorance every step of the way.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Every time you speak to people, give them something to feel, something to remember, and something to do.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“One of the reasons that problem solving is so difficult is that we are often too close to the problems to truly understand them.”
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John C. Maxwell
“The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“In ancient China the people wanted security against the barbaric hordes to the north, so they built the great wall. It was so high they believed no one could climb over it and so thick nothing could break it down. They settled back to enjoy their security. During the first hundred years of the wall’s existence, China was invaded three times. Not once did the barbaric hordes break down the wall or climb over it. Each time they bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right through the gates. The Chinese were so busy relying on the walls of stone that they forgot to teach integrity to their children.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Eighty-nine percent of what people learn comes through visual stimulation, 10 percent through audible stimulation, and 1 percent through other senses. So”
―
John C. Maxwell
“When I want to really get to know someone, I ask three questions. People’s answers to these give me great insight into someone’s heart. The questions are: What do you dream about? What do you sing about? What do you cry about?”
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John C. Maxwell
“When it comes to identifying a real leader, that task can be much easier. Don't listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader. Don't examine his credentials. Don't check his title. Check his influence. The proof of leadership is found in the followers.
―
John C. Maxwell
“President Abraham Lincoln said, “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” —Saadi”
―
John C. Maxwell
“If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, no matter how much or how little natural leadership talent you possess, you need to become a serving leader.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“The measure of a leader is not the number of people who serve him but the number of people he serves.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“People need your influence, but it will not come through ‘lip syncing’ those you admire.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“I feel like one little fellow who knelt at the side of his bed, closed his eyes, and prayed, “God bless Mom. God bless Dad. God bless Grandma.” He said it the same way every time. But one night he added, “And please take care of yourself, God. ’Cause if anything happens to you, we’re all sunk!”
―
John C. Maxwell
“A sign of a great team leader is the proper placement of people.”
―
John C. Maxwell
