John C. Maxwell Quotes

Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.

No one stands taller in the climb to success than when he bends over to help up someone else.

Goals not only help you develop initial motivation by making your dreams obtainable, but they also help you continue to be motivated and that creates momentum.

The person with a plan, a picture, will go after thoughts that add value to their thinking.

Passion creates energy and magnetically pulls co-workers and customers into a shared vision, and it is exceptionally strong when linked with a leader's values.

Efficiency is the foundation for survival. Effectiveness is the foundation for success.

Leaders who practice the Law of Victory believe that anything less than success is unacceptable. And they have no Plan B.

You see, when our attitudes outdistance our abilities, even the impossible becomes possible.

I tried to write the book [Today Matters] with integrity and say, health is one of my daily dozen, and I work on it, but I don't have this right.

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. Whatever you will accomplish is restricted by your ability to lead others.

It is truly one day at a time.

The moment you place a label on someone, you begin to treat him or her accordingly.

It's lonely at the top, so you better know why you are there.

Every time I have had a breakthrough in my life, it has been because of Prayer

To be a leader you must be able to create positive change.

By far the hardest decision I've had to manage [was about my health]. Because I had 51 years of doing it wrong.

When a person starts to talk about their dreams, it's as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words.

It's good to be out of your comfort zone. Just don't step out of your gift zone.

Once our minds are 'tattooed' with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish.

To help [people] understand that what you shortcut today, cannot be made up tomorrow. So it's like, I'm not going to do anything today, and I'm going to do the wrong thing today and somehow tomorrow it will get a lot better."

Rotten Attitudes ruin a team.

Deciding what to be is more important than deciding what to do.

Sometimes the best way to learn is to return to the fundamentals.

Confidence equals contentment with self; contentment is knowing you have all you need for the present circumstances.

The person who forgets the ultimate is a slave to the immediate.

Change the leader, change the organization.

People rise and fall to meet your level of expectations for them. If you express skepticism and doubt in others, they will return your lack of confidence with mediocrity. But if you believe in them and expect them to do well, they will go the extra mile trying to do their best.

One is too small a number to achieve greatness. No accomplishment of real value has ever been achieved by a human being working alone.

I can't raise the bar of others if I haven't raised the bar for myself.

The ability to understand people is a choice.

It's one thing to communicate to people because you believe you have something of value to say. It's another to communicate with people because you believe they have value.

Vision without passion is a picture without possibilities.

It is easier to move from failure to success in from excuses to success.

Trust must be built day by day. It calls for consistency.

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

As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behavior. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to become. Take action on your behavior. Too many people want to feel, then take action. This never works.

Everything you now do is something you have chosen to do. Some people don't want to believe that. But if you're over age twenty-one, your life is what you're making of it. To change your life, you need to change your priorities

Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing.

Anytime a church squabbles over minor things you can be certain they do not have a clear picture of what they need to be.

While personal maturity may mean being able to see beyond yourself, leadership maturity means considering others before yourself.

Success doesn't come instantly. Neither does the ability to lead.

When you find your spiritual gift, God will give you an opportunity to use it.

Reaching the top is a monumental achievement, but remaining there may be the most spectacular feat of all.

People can open doors for you, but you ... must walk through.

Intentional living is the bridge to significance. At the end of every year, I take time out to reflect and evaluate the events of the previous year - what went well and what needed improvement. From that inventory, I lay out my next year - how I intend to live, make the best use of time and maximize adding value to others. Success asks, 'How can I add value to myself?' Significance asks, 'How can I add value to others?' It is your intention that lends itself to significance.

You can't be a smart cookie if you have a crummy attitude.

Successful people don't make a daily decision to grow. The decision has already been made and just needs to be fed. To feed success you must ... know your purpose in life, grow daily to reach your maximum potential, and sow seeds that benefit others. Remember, success is not a destination; it's a daily thing.

There was a very cautious man Who never laughed or played He never risked, he never tried, He never sang or prayed. And when he on day passed away, His insurance was denied, For since he never really lived, They claimed he never really died. (Anonymous poem)