John C. Maxwell
People who add value to others do so intentionally. I say that because to add value, leaders must give of themselves, and that rarely occurs by accident.
Every person has a longing to be significant; to make a contribution; to be a part of something noble and purposeful.
Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.
A lack of realism in the vision today costs credibility tomorrow.
Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.
The first time you say something, it's heard. The second time, it's recognized, and the third time it's learned.
Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.
We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it's a continuing choice.
Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn't come alive until the leader models it.
When you are full of pride on the inside, it makes you stiff, stubborn, and creates strife with others.
Children astound me with their inquisitive minds. The world is wide and mysterious to them, and as they piece together the puzzle of life, they ask 'Why?' ceaselessly.
All good leaders are connectors. They relate well and make people feel confident about themselves and their leader.
When your dream is bigger than you are, you only have two choices: give up or get help.
If you're lying, you're lying.
All of the people in my life whom I consider to be close friends or colleagues are good thinkers.
To remain a credible leader, I must always work first, hardest, and longest on changing myself. This is neither easy nor natural, but it is essential.
You will never fulfill your destiny doing work you despise.
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.
Good thinkers always prime the pump of ideas. They always look for things to get the thinking process started, because what you put in always impacts what comes out.
Leaders who are kind of insecure or egocentric, they basically sabotage themselves.
Life can be boring unless you put some effort into it.
Exceptionally hard decisions can deplete your energy to the point at which you finally cave in. If you mentally crumble and degenerate into negative thinking, you'll magnify the problem to the point where it can haunt you.
Whenever a high-profile leader dies, people immediately attempt to summarize that person's life in a sentence. Often, critics and commentators get caught up looking at the leader's style, or which political or philosophical camp they represented.
The experience of pain or loss can be a formidably motivating force.
We don't mature momentarily, but over the long-term.
If you want to reach the top, don't run over others. Likely, the only way you'll reach the top is to be carried there by others.
Good executives never put off until tomorrow what they can get someone else to do today.
Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That's not a guess, it's a guarantee. With pride, it's not a matter of 'if' we will fall, but 'when.' There are no exceptions.
We all have done something unethical.
The most talented do not always end up as celebrities, and those with less talent often do. Upsets are written into our history and occur around us every day.
Keeping score is for games, not friendships.
Dividers seek to make themselves look or feel better by making others feel worse. They damage relationships, fracture teams and organizations, and create havoc in people's lives.
Pride deafens us to the advice or warnings of those around us.
Talent grips us. We are overtaken by the beauty of Michelangelo's sculpture, riveted by Mariah Carey's angelic voice, doubled over in laughter by the comedy of Robin Williams, and captivated by the on screen performances of Denzel Washington.
It seems the older you get, the more life comes into focus.
How do leaders serve their people? They may pay good wages and treat employees with respect.
The only one you should compare yourself to is you. Your mission is to become better today than you were yesterday.Collection: Yesterday
If you focus on goals, you may hit goals - but that doesn't guarantee growth. If you focus on growth, you will grow and always hit goals.Collection: Goal
We cannot choose how many years we will live, but we can choose how much life those years will have. We cannot control the beauty of our face, but we can control the expression on it. We cannot control life's difficult moments but we can choose to make life less difficult. We cannot control the negative atmosphere of the world, but we can control the atmosphere of our minds. Too often we try to choose and control things we cannot. Too seldom we choose to control what we can ... our attitude.Collection: Attitude
Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.Collection: Leadership
You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.Collection: Inspirational
Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing.Collection: Motivation
Your life today is a result of your thinking yesterday. Your life tomorrow will be determined by what you think today.Collection: Positive
The more you do, the more you fail. The more you fail, the more you learn. The more you learn, the better you get.Collection: Failing
When you make a commitment, you create hope. When you keep a commitment you create trust!Collection: Commitment
We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.Collection: Inspirational
Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.Collection: Motivational
You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.Collection: Inspirational
It is our decisions not our conditions that determine our quality of life.Collection: Decision