“Don’t worry about making friends; don’t worry about making enemies. Worry about winning, because if you win, your enemies can’t hurt you, and if you lose, your friends can’t stand you.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“LEADERS Initiate Lead; pick up phone and make contact Spend time planning anticipate problems Invest time with people Fill the calendar by priorities FOLLOWERS React Listen; wait for phone to ring Spend time living day-to-day; react to problems Spend time with people Fill the calendar by requests”
―
John C. Maxwell
“You must have a long-range vision to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities he does not possess.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Good leaders motivate others by their listening skills. We are to: avoid prejudicial first impressions; become less self-centered; withhold initial criticism; stay calm; listen with empathy; be active listeners; clarify what we hear; and recognize the healing power of listening. Then we are to act on what we hear”
―
John C. Maxwell
“If you pair excellence with humility, people not only won’t run over you, they will respect you.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“You can lead your horse to water, but you can’t manage him to drink.
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John C. Maxwell
“If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his personal goals to the good of the team.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“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.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Needless to say, you can love people without leading them, but you cannot lead people without loving them.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“there are five nonnegotiable characteristics that every effective leader must have: a sense of calling, an ability to communicate, creativity in problem solving, generosity, and consistency.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“The way President Abraham Lincoln is said to have handled a person who had a know-it-all attitude. Lincoln asked, “How many legs will a sheep have if you call a tail a leg?”
“Five,” the man answered.
“No,” replied Lincoln, “he’ll still have four, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it one.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“In my first leadership position, I mistakenly thought that being named the leader meant that I was the leader. Back then I defined leading as a noun—as the position I was appointed to—not a verb—as what I was doing. Though I had been hired as the senior pastor, I quickly discovered the real leader of the church was a down-to-earth farmer named Claude, who had been earning his leadership influence through many positive actions over many years. He later explained it to me, saying, “John, all the letters”
―
John C. Maxwell
