“As a leader, you should not be trying to carry everything yourself. To be successful, you must share the load. But you must have highly capable people to hand things off to.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Don’t settle for poor performers. Keep in mind that one great person will always out-produce and out-perform two mediocre people.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” That can happen only when the leader is willing to hear and face the truth.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about themselves, and small people talk about others”
―
John C. Maxwell
“You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Management is the process of assuring that the program and objectives of the organization are implemented. Leadership, on the other hand, has to do with casting vision and motivating people.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Your thinking, more than anything else, shapes the way you live. It’s really true that if you change your thinking, you can change your life.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“As people gain more authority, they often develop a lack of patience in listening to those under them. A deaf ear is the first indication of a closed mind.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“be sure your communication goes beyond words. How can you do that? By connecting on four levels: visually, intellectually, emotionally, and verbally.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“My friend Olan Hendrix remarked, “Strategic thinking is like showering, you have to keep doing it.” If you expect to solve any major problem once, you’re in for disappointment. Little things can be won easily through systems and personal discipline. But major issues need major strategic thinking time. What Thane Yost said is really true: “The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.” If you want to be an effective strategic thinker, then you need to become a continuous strategic thinker.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Productive leaders communicate the superiority and the benefits of their ideas.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“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.”
―
John C. Maxwell