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John C. Maxwell

John C. Maxwell Quotes

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Famous John C. Maxwell Quotes

“If you keep your mind active, regularly take on mental challenges, and continually think about the right things, you will develop the disciplined thinking that will help you with whatever you endeavor to do.”

IfsThinkingMindHelpingChallengesPositiveActiveRight ThingEndeavor
Book:The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player: Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants
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“If you lack initiative, recognize that the problem comes from the inside, not from others. Determine why you hesitate to take action. Does risk scare you? Are you discouraged by past failures? Do you not see the potential that opportunity offers? Find the source of your hesitation, and address it. You won't be able to move forward on the outside until you can move forward on the inside.”

IfsDoeProblemAbleActionPastMovingOpportunityRiskSourceOffersDetermineMoving ForwardAddressesScareInitiativeDiscouragedHesitationPast Failures
Book:The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow
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“You can change your tomorrow if you do something today. Few people understand how the way you live today impacts your tomorrow. Today is the only time we have within our grasp, yet many people let it slip through their fingers, recognizing neither its value nor potential. If we want to do something with our lives, then we must make today matter, because that's where tomorrow's success lies.”

PeopleIfsWayWantMatterTodayLyingValuesOur LivesTomorrowImpactFingersSlipsRecognizingOnly TimeLive For Today
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“If you're not doing something with your life, then it doesn’t matter how long you live. If you're doing something with your life, then it doesn't matter how short your life may be. A life is not measured by years lived, but by its usefulness. If you are giving, loving, serving, helping, encouraging, and adding value to others, then you're living a life that counts!”

IfsGivingYearsMayLongMatterHelpingLife IsValuesServingUsefulnessAdding Value
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“People who blame others for their failures never overcome them. They simply move from problem to problem. To reach your potential, you must continually improve yourself, and you can't do that if you don't take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes.”

PeopleIfsProblemActionMovingMistakeResponsibilityOvercomingBlameTaking ResponsibilityLearn From Your MistakesImproving YourselfTake Responsibility For Your Actions
Book:Leadership Promises for Your Week
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“I am convinced more than ever that good communication and leadership are all about connecting. If you can connect with others at every level -one-on-one, in groups, and with an audience-your relationships are stronger, your sense of community improves, your ability to create teamwork increases, your influence increases, and your productivity skyrockets.”

IfsCommunityAbilityLevelsAudienceGroupsInfluenceCommunicationIncreaseStrongerConvincedProductivityTeamworkOur RelationshipConnectingOne On OneGood Communication
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“As a leader, you have to take responsibility for your own failures as well as successes. That's the only way you'll learn. If you keep learning, you'll improve. If you improve, your leadership will get better. And in time, you will earn the right to lead on the level you deserve.”

IfsWayWellsLevelsResponsibilityLeaderDeserveGet BetterTaking ResponsibilityKeep Learning
Book:The Right to Lead: Learning Leadership Through Character and Courage
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“People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. Many people who approach the area of vision in leadership have it backwards. They believe that if the cause is good enough, people will automatically buy in and follow. But that's not how leadership works. People don't follow worthy causes; they follow worthy leaders with a cause they can believe in. They buy into the leader first.”

PeopleIfsFirstsBelieveEnoughCausesLeaderVisionApproachAreasWorthyGood EnoughBackwardsWorthy Causes
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“Nothing speaks like results. If you want to build the kind of credibility that connects with people, then deliver results before you deliver a message. Get out and do what you advise others to do. Communicate from experience.”

PeopleIfsWantKindSpeakLeadershipResultsMessagesCommunicateAdviseCredibility
Book:Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently
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“There is no quicker way to earn respect as a leader than being slow to speak. It is called listening and it plays a big role in what I call “The Law of Connection.” How will you know what is important to people unless you ask and listen to the answers? If you prove to be a leader who solicits feedback and pays attention to what’s being said, then you will earn your connection and your followers will respect the guidance you give.”

PeopleIfsKnowsWayGivingSaidImportantPlayBigsLawAsksSpeakAnswersPayAttentionLeaderRolesListeningProveConnectionsPay AttentionGuidanceFollowersFeedbackEarn Respect
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“A successful person finds the right place for himself. But a successful leader finds the right place for others. Few things in life are better than seeing people realize their potential. If you invest in people by helping individuals improve themselves, showing them the way to their “right place”, they will never be the same again. And neither will you. It is impossible to help others without helping yourself.”

PeopleIfsWayPersonsHelpingIndividualRealizingLeaderSuccessfulImpossibleSeeingHelping OthersThings In LifeRight PlaceHelp YourselfSuccessful PersonSuccessful Leaders
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Every time he chooses character, he becomes stronger, even if that choice brings negative consequences.”

IfsPersonsTwoCharacterChoicesPathConsequenceNegativeStrongerAdversityCompromiseCrossroadsNegative ConsequencesTwo Paths
Book:The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow
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“COMMUNICATION: If I had to pick a first rule of communication-the one practice above all others that opens the door to connecting with others-it would be to look for common ground. Too often people see communication as the process of transmitting massive amounts of information to other people. But that's the wrong picture. Communication is a journey. The more that people have in common, the better the chance that they can take that journey together.”

PeopleIfsFirstsLooksWould BeTogetherProcessChanceCommonPracticeDoorsJourneyInformationCommunicationAmountPicksMassiveConnectingCommon GroundJourney Together
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“Until I understand where I am, I can’t get to where I am going. This is the value of a compass when we are out walking or hiking and need to know we’re going in the right direction. But we also have an internal North Star. It’s that little nudge that tells us if we are on the right path to fulfilling our potential, or on the wrong path wasting energy traveling somewhere we don’t need to go. So my advice to you is, pull out that compass every once in a while and make sure you are navigating in the right direction on your journey.”

IfsKnowsNeedsLittlesI CanValuesEnergyStarsPathJourneyAdviceWalkingInternalsHikingFulfillingCompassRight DirectionRight PathNudgeWrong PathNorth Star
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“Followers are always watching what you do. And people do what people see! If you are a leader seeking to make your vision come alive, then there is no better way to accomplish this than by living it: Modeling your expectations, setting the example by your actions, and showing the way through leading. Your followers, who are watching, will see in you the living picture of the vision, and you will produce the energy, motivation and passion to keep it going.”

PeopleIfsWayActionMotivationPassionEnergyLeaderVisionAliveExampleProduceExpectationsSeekingAccomplishSettingSettingsFollowersModelingBetter Ways
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“If you want to reach your potential and become the person you were created to be, you must do much more than just experience life and hope that you learn what you need along the way. You must go out of your way to seize growth opportunities as if your future depended on it. Why? Because it does. Growth doesn't just happen--not for me, not for you, not for anybody. You HAVE TO go after it.”

IfsWayWantNeedsPersonsDoeHappensOpportunityGrowthOur FutureBe YouYour Future
Author:John C. Maxwell
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“Leaders should get out of their comfort zone but stay in their strength zone. When their work lies within their natural gifting and strengths, leaders experience the greatest return in productivity and contentment. Life is too short to live in the comfort zone, where growing and accomplishing and achieving your potential takes a back seat. I suggest you refocus if the comfort zone is your leadership priority.”

IfsShouldLife IsLyingNaturalLeaderGrowingAchieveReturnComfortProductivityPrioritiesSeatsContentmentZoneComfort ZoneToo ShortLife Is Too ShortGiftingRefocus
Author:John C. Maxwell
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