“A young concert violinist was asked the secret of her success. She replied, “Planned neglect.” Then she explained, “When I was in school, there were many things that demanded my time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, straightened the room, dusted the floor, and did whatever else came to my attention. Then I hurried to my violin practice. I found I wasn’t progressing as I thought I should, so I reversed things. Until my practice period was completed, I deliberately neglected everything else. That program of planned neglect, I believe, accounts for my success.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Don’t settle for poor performers. Keep in mind that one great person will always out-produce and out-perform two mediocre people.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Example is not the main thing in influencing others . . . it is the only thing.”
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John C. Maxwell
“If you don’t know how to add to others, then you probably subtract by default.”
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John C. Maxwell
“How do you identify someone who needs encouragement? That person is breathing.
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John C. Maxwell
“Vision isn’t enough—it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Believe in the value of others. Carlisle said, “A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats the little man.” The value you place on people determines whether you are a motivator or a manipulator of men.”
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John C. Maxwell
“A visionary company is like a great work of art. Think of Michelangelo’s scenes from Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or his statue of David. Think of a great and enduring novel like Huckleberry Finn or Crime and Punishment. Think of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony or Shakespeare’s Henry V. Think of a beautifully designed building, like the masterpieces of Frank Lloyd Wright or Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. You can’t point to any one single item that makes the whole thing work; it’s the entire work—all the pieces working together to create an overall effect—that leads to enduring greatness.”
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John C. Maxwell
“As people gain more authority, they often develop a lack of patience in listening to those under them. A deaf ear is the first indication of a closed mind.”
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John C. Maxwell
“You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
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John C. Maxwell
“The longest distance between two points is a shortcut.” That’s really true. For everything of value in life, you pay a price.”
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John C. Maxwell
“Isn’t it strange how we must surrender being right in order to find what’s right, how humility enables us to be authentic, vulnerable, trustworthy, and intimate with others? People are open to those who are open to them.”
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John C. Maxwell
“When we’re more interested in telling people what to do than in listening to what they are presently doing, we are off balance.”
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John C. Maxwell
