John C. Maxwell Quotes

Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be a genius. You don’t have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.

Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.

Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful.

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.

Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have.

Keeping score is for games, not friendships.

If you are a parent, you have probably already realized that your children are always watching what you do. And just as children watch their parents and emulate their behavior, so do employees who are watching their bosses.

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.

Self-centered leaders manipulate when they move people for personal benefit. Mature leaders motivate by moving people for mutual benefit.

Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years.

Time is more valuable than money, because time is irreplaceable.

The best way a mentor can prepare another leader is to expose him or her to other great people.

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.

Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That’s not a guess, it’s a guarantee. With pride, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ we will fall, but ‘when.’ There are no exceptions.

One of the roles of the Presidency is to lead a political party. Having a President in office is usually a huge advantage to a party because it gives the party a mouthpiece and an advocate at the highest level.

A minute of thought is greater than an hour of talk.

The experience of pain or loss can be a formidably motivating force.

Enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit.

I vividly remember a conversation I had many years ago in 1974, which marked a turning point in my leadership journey. I was sitting at a Holiday Inn with my friend, Kurt Campmeyer, when he asked me if I had a personal growth plan. I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t even know you were supposed to have one.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

A lack of realism in the vision today costs credibility tomorrow.

Have the humility to learn from those around you.

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.

Whenever a high-profile leader dies, people immediately attempt to summarize that person’s life in a sentence. Often, critics and commentators get caught up looking at the leader’s style, or which political or philosophical camp they represented.

As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.

There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.

Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don’t change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan.

Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.

Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.

Positional leaders ignore the fact that every person has hopes, dreams, desires, and goals of his own. And leaders must bring their vision and the aspirations of the people they lead together in a way that benefits everyone.

Talent grips us. We are overtaken by the beauty of Michelangelo’s sculpture, riveted by Mariah Carey’s angelic voice, doubled over in laughter by the comedy of Robin Williams, and captivated by the on screen performances of Denzel Washington.

We all have done something unethical.

Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team.

We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it’s a continuing choice.

How do leaders serve their people? They may pay good wages and treat employees with respect.

When your dream is bigger than you are, you only have two choices: give up or get help.

A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life. A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach her potential.

Ranking among the greatest Christmas movie classics, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ tells a beautiful story about the priceless value of relationships.

You will never fulfill your destiny doing work you despise.

Good executives never put off until tomorrow what they can get someone else to do today.

Self-centered leaders manipulate when they move people for personal benefit. Mature leaders motivate by moving people for mutual benefit.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

To add value to others, one must first value others.

Life can be boring unless you put some effort into it.

People who add value to others do so intentionally. I say that because to add value, leaders must give of themselves, and that rarely occurs by accident.

Every person has a longing to be significant; to make a contribution; to be a part of something noble and purposeful.

Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.

If you are a leader, you should never forget that everyone needs encouragement. And everyone who receives it – young or old, successful or less-than-successful, unknown or famous – is changed by it.

Live to learn, and you will really learn to live.

To remain a credible leader, I must always work first, hardest, and longest on changing myself. This is neither easy nor natural, but it is essential.

In the end, people are persuaded not by what we say, but by what they understand.

The dreams and passions stored within hearts are powerful keys which can unlock a wealth of potential.

Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.

All good leaders are connectors. They relate well and make people feel confident about themselves and their leader.

Success is due to our stretching to the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them.

As you get older, time speeds up but life slows down.

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.

Leadership is influence.

The best leaders are readers of people. They have the intuitive ability to understand others by discerning how they feel and recognizing what they sense.

All of the people in my life whom I consider to be close friends or colleagues are good thinkers.

People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.

Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn’t come alive until the leader models it.

We don’t mature momentarily, but over the long-term.

Leaders who are kind of insecure or egocentric, they basically sabotage themselves.

The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.

When you are full of pride on the inside, it makes you stiff, stubborn, and creates strife with others.