John C. Maxwell Quotes

To gain credibility, you must consistently demonstrate three things: Initiative: You have to get up to go up. Sacrifice: You have to give up to go up. Maturity: You have to grow up to go up. If you show the way, people will want to follow you. The higher you go, the greater the number of people who will be willing to travel with you.

We are to get wisdom and understanding, yet we are not to lean on it apart from the Lord.

A nightmare is a big dream....with a bad team.

I think once a person realizes that they are every day either sowing into their life either potential success, or sowing into their life potential failure, they would all of a sudden go okay, I've got to figure out what I'm going to do.

A leader who develops people adds; a leader who develops leaders multiplies.

There are pockets of the church that will "give up," and reap a bountiful harvest. They are going to have huge success, like the church has never experienced since the Book of Acts.

Your attitude determines your actions, and your actions determine your accomplishment.

You will become on the outside, what you believe on the inside.

If you believe in others and give them a positive reputation to uphold, you can help them to become better than they think they are.

I thought that because I wasn't a sickly person - I never have been - I thought I was healthy. So I assumed health. I didn't have it.

The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement.

Always turn to God in the midst of your struggle and view people who offended you as an instruments of divine sovereignty.

Everyone who got where he is started where he was.

You will never be able to bet on yourself unless you believe in yourself.

Every new level of growth we hope to experience as leaders calls for a new level of change. You cannot have one without the other. If you want to be a better leader, get ready to make some trades.

The effectiveness of your work will never rise above your ability to lead and influence others.

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

In my experience, followers always ask leaders 3 questions: 1) Do you care 4 me? 2) Can you help me? 3) Can I trust you?

You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. Success doesn't just suddenly occur one day in someone's life. Neither does failure. Each is a process. Every day of your life is merely preparation for the next. What you become is the result of what you do today.

By choosing to embrace and practice good values every day, you choose the higher course in life. And your life goes in a direction that you will always feel good about. You may not always get what you desire, but you will always be the person you desire to be.

We tend to think of great thinkers and innovators as soloists, but the truth is that the greatest innovative thinking doesn't occur in a vacuum.

The bottom line in managing your emotions is that you should put others – not yourself – first in how you handle and process them. Whether you delay or display your emotions should not be for your own gratification. You should ask yourself, What does the team need? Not, What will make me feel better?

Every time you make a mistake, don’t bring up everything that’s wrong with yourself; tell yourself that you’re paying the price for growth and that you will learn to do better next time. Every positive thing you can say to yourself will help.

The highest reward for our toil is not what we get for it but what we become by it. ... Mistakes are not failures. They are proof that we are making an effort. When we understand that, we can more easily move out of our comfort zone, try something new, and improve. ... Improvement demands a commitment to grow long after the mood in which it was made has passed.

Out of what I had received in my development, I was also able to give. The confidence I gained from personal growth gave me credibility and made me believe I could start developing others. And in that, I found life's greatest joy and reward.

Knowing how to do a job is the accomplishment of labor - showing others is the accomplishment of the teacher - making sure the work is done by others is the accomplishment of the manager - inspiring others to do better work is the accomplishment of the leader.

Your attitude is like the minds paintbrush. It can paint everything in bright, vibrant colors-creating a masterspiece.

Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. Leaders who are good navigators are capable of taking their people just about anywhere.

Mentally strong people are comfortable in their own skin.

If you want to make a positive impact, no matter how far-reaching, start at home. Treat your family members like treasures.

If churches would take ownership of a vision, the next pastor who is thinking about coming to that church can see what their vision is and then determine if their vision fits with his or her ministry. If it doesn't, then it would be wrong for that pastor to come to that church.

Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That's the Law of Consistency. It doesn't matter how talented you are. It doesn't matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key.

Sometimes we hold on to our possessions because we fear we might run out - life seems scarce. But when we believe that giving is the way to live, we will produce more in the future - life seems abundant.

The church will not stay the same. It will either blossom because someone understands the season the church is in, or it will wither very quickly.

We teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are.

Ninety percent of those who fail are not actually defeated; they simply quit. ... As you face bad experiences, it's important for you to remember that you can rarely see the benefits while you're in the midst of them. You usually gain perspective on the other side of it.

The only way a church is going to be relevant is to get out of its comfort zone and connect with unchurched people.

You can't light another's path without casting light on your own.

Success is... knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.

You can't build a relationship with everybody in the room when you don't care about anybody in the room.

Every relationship in your organization will affect you one way or another. Those who do not increase you will inevitably decrease you.

The secret of our success is found in our daily agenda.

Have to sow excellent seeds to have an excellent life. Must start with sowing excellent thoughts.

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.

Dreams require down payments. Dreams are free, but the journey isn't. There is a price to pay. When you find your why you'll find your way. When you develop your will you will embark on your way. Many people start; few people finish. Many people have a dream; few people achieve their dreams.

Talk to people, not above them.

I keep telling people that the secret of their success is discovered in their daily agenda. What they do daily is going to determine their success.

Thinking is hard; that's why so few do it.