John C. Maxwell Quotes

God chooses what we go through; we choose how we go through it.

I don't think every person is going to have the same twelve, but I think out of the twelve I have, nine of them every person will have. Three of them are a little bit of an option, but I say go get your own three, it's no problem.

People are never able to outperform their self-image.

Great visions are cast one on one.

Giving is the highest level of living.

Discontent with the status quo is a great catalyst for vision.

As a leader, you will never get ahead until your people are behind you.

A highly credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.

When it comes to money, you can't win. If you focus on making it, you're materialistic. If you try to but don't make any, you're a loser. If you make a lot and keep it, you're a miser. If you make it and spend it, you're a spendthrift. If you don't care about making it, you're unambitious. If you make a lot and still have it when you die, you're a fool-for trying to take it with you. The only way to really win with money is to hold it loosely-and be generous with it to accomplish things of value.

Only those who see their dream are able to seize their dream.

Every journey toward a dream is personal, and as a result, so is the price that must be paid for it.

A successful person finds the right place for himself. But a successful leader finds the right place for others. By John Maxwell

If you want to improve your world, then focus your attention on helping others.

An idea is worthless unless you use it.

A trustworthy leader goes the extra mile to remedy strained relationships, even when it doesn't appear to be required.

It's said that a wise person learns from his mistakes. A wiser one learns from others' mistakes. But the wisest person of all learns from others's successes.

We feel unhappy and confused with our life when we don't do the focus or calling that God has on our life.

The ability to understand people is one of the greatest assets anyone can ever have.

Every major difficulty you face in life is a fork in the road. You choose which track you will head down, toward breakdown or breakthrough.

Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.

Persuasive communication involves enthusiasm, animation, audience participation, authenticity and spontaneity.

Being one step ahead makes you a leader Being fifty steps ahead could make you a martyr.

Making matters worse is people's natural inclination to be easy on themselves, judging themselves according to their good intentions-while holding others to a higher standard and judging them by their worst actions.

Self fulfillment thinks of how something serves me. Self development thinks of how something helps me to serve others. With self fulfillment, feeling good is the product. With self development, feeling good is the by-product.

Growth today is an investment for tomorrow.

If you can become the leader you ought to be on the inside, you will be able to become the person you want on the outside. People will want to follow you. And when that happens, you'll be able to tackle anything in this world.

Nobody wanders his or her way to a dream, and nobody achieves a dream by accident. Don't shortcut the process and risk cheating yourself out of your dream!

You invest yourself in what you believe can succeed.

No matter your title, people will not follow you if they don’t trust you. Whether you are just taking over a team or working to implement large-scale change within one, you are guaranteed to run into resistance if you haven’t taken time to establish a foundation with the people you oversee before turning their worlds upside down.

we need to make a few critical decisions in major areas of life and then manage those decisions day to day.

Passion gives you an advantage over others, because one person with passion is greater than ninety-nine who have only an interest!

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

In my leadership conferences, pastors ask, "Do you have a vision for my church?" Many times they want me to give them a picture of where they should go and what their church should look like. When these pastors do this, I always feel bad.

There are a lot of pastors who have a vision and have not yet seen it become a reality.

Leaders attract potential leaders.

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.

Find your vision, and let it guide you in all that you do. If you lack vision, look inside yourself. Draw on your natural gifts and desires.

People do not give from the top of their purses but from the bottom of their hearts. If you desire to become a more generous person do not change your income. Change your heart.

It was in the mid-70's, '74 or '75 I started doing leadership conferences for pastors and in '79 I wrote my first book "Think On These Things".

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

When you realize that people treat you according to how they see themselves rather than how you really are, you are less likely to be affected by their behavior.

God gives us the vision, then He expects us to walk in obedience. As we do, the resources we need come to us.

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

Because in life, the question is not if you will have problems, but how you are going to deal with them. Stop failing backward and start failing forward!

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.

Doing the right thing daily, compounds over time.

Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.

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.