John C. Maxwell Quotes

Failure is not fatal. Only failure to get back up is.

Inability to make decisions is one of the principal reasons executives fail. Deficiency in decision-making ranks much higher than lack of specific knowledge or technical know-how as an indicator of leadership failure.

The true test of relationships is not only how loyal someone is when we fail, but how thrilled they are when we succeed.

Maturity does not always come with age; sometimes age comes alone.

You're only as good as the people you have around you.

I have found progress, personal growth, and new and exciting opportunities in my failure. I've grown more comfortable with the fact that in certain circumstances, I'm the person in the room who knows the least about what's going on.

Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.

Usually the person who rises within an organization has a good attitude. The promotions did not give that individual an outstanding attitude, but an outstanding attitude resulted in promotions.

When you are influential and highly respected, people tend to tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. They are seeking your approval, or they flatter you. Unfortunately, this creates a gap between what you hear and reality. If you find yourself in that situation, you will need to work extra hard to get the people close to you to speak honestly into your life. And you will have to become highly intentional in observing and listening.

The greatest mistake a person can make is doing nothing.

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

Once a decision is made, you should stop worrying and start working. It’s not always what we know that makes it a good decision. It is what we do to implement and execute it that makes it a good decision.

There is definitely a connection between finding your passion and reaching your potential. People ask me all the time, 'John, how do I know what I am meant to do in life?' The answer is really simple: Energy and Excellence. When you experience unbounded energy in what you are doing, when you are driven to excellence in your work and love what you do - then you can rest assured that you have found your passion and are definitely in pursuit of your full potential.

When I had something I thought God was talking to me about, the first thing I did, before I ever talked to the congregation, was to sit down with the major influencers of the church and share with them what I thought God was speaking to me. I gave them time for input or questions. Many times they would ask questions and I would reply, "I need to spend more time on this. I'm not sure I'm thinking clearly there." Other times they added value and helped make this vision better or more accessible to the people.

A great idea is simply the combination of many good ideas.

When I was 17, I made the decision to have a good attitude. I was a junior in high school; the coach said I was going to be the captain of my basketball team. I thought – that surprised me because I wasn’t the best player. John Thomas was better than me, and I was probably second or third best player. And I kept thinking, “Why am I going to be the captain?” I think everybody else was thinking that too. And the coach then answered, “The reason John is going to be the captain is he has the best attitude on the team. He encourages others, he believes we can win, he never gives up.”

Integrity is not a given factor in everyone's life. It is a result of self-discipline, inner trust, and a decision to be relentlessly honest in all situations in our lives.

Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success.

If I'm halfway to the dream, at best, half of my resources are there. Your resources to fulfill the dream will come during the last step of the dream.

Those closest to me will determine the level of my success.

Sometimes I think it's a lack of knowing the areas. Obviously, everybody knows that health is important so that's - but why was I not doing the right thing? Because I was deceived.

People say, "John, what's your personal growth?" And ask "How do you grow?" And I tell them. I thought, "Why do I keep telling them, why don't I just write a book on what I call personal growth?" And that's what this [Today Matters] book is.

Be a river - not a reservoir.

Anyone can steer a ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course

There is a real hunger for spiritual things in today's culture; people are seeking something spiritual, something beyond themselves. That's the good news. The bad news is people are not getting it at church because the church is singing songs, preaching messages, doing programs, and taking offerings for itself.

The highway of life is filled with flat squirrels that couldn't make a decision.

For leaders to be effective, they need to connect with people.

I think success has a lot to do with my own personal growth.

Leadership involves the heavy burden of responsibility, and the fear of getting it wrong can paralyze a leader.

It seems the older you get, the more life comes into focus.

A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences.

Acquiring and keeping good people is a leader's most important task.

If you embrace possibility thinking, your dreams will go from molehill to mountain size, and because you believe in possibilities, you put yourself in position to achieve them.

There is something to be said about a pastor and a church that develop a missions statement and the people take ownership of it. They get their identity, purpose, and energy from the unique place their church is to be in that community.

If you are too attached to your own thinking and how everything is done now, then nothing will change for the better.

To be successful, you can't just run on the fast track; run on your track.

People of poor character tend to blame their choices on circumstances. Ethical people make good choices regardless of circumstances. If they make enough good choices, they begin to create better conditions for themselves.

Tomorrow really will take care of itself if I do the right thing today.

Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.

Manipulation is moving together for my advantage. Motivation is moving together for mutual advantage.

Positive thinking must be followed by positive doing.

The leader finds the dream and then the people. The people find the leader and then the dream.

True success is obeying God.

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

Momentum solves 80% of your problems.

A leader is a reader.

Any leader who asks the right questions of the right people has the potential to discover and develop great ideas.

I always try to remember that I am a work in progress. It is life's journey that matters and the turns I take will determine how much progress I make. You see, I am unique in my gifts and the purpose I was created for. When I get to heaven at the end of my journey, I will not be asked what gifts He gave me, but what I did with them. Each one of us is a work in progress, with a mission and purpose to fulfill that is uniquely ours. Keep that in mind as you journey, won't you?