“I believe all of us can identify with the poet Carl Sandberg, who said, “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar and a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” The key to success is following the impulse to soar more than the desire to wallow. And that is a never-ending struggle—at least it has been for me. I believe any successful person would be honest in saying, “I got to the top the hard way—fighting my own laziness and ignorance every step of the way.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“A CHECKLIST FOR CHANGE Below are the questions you should review before attempting changes within an organization. When the questions can be answered with a yes, change tends to be easier. Questions that can only be answered with no (or maybe) usually indicate that change will be difficult. YES NO ____ ____ Will this change benefit the followers? ____ ____ Is this change compatible with the purpose of the organization? ____ ____ Is this change specific and clear? ____ ____ Are the top 20 percent (the influencers) in favor of this change? ____ ____ Is it possible to test this change before making a total commitment to it? ____ ____ Are physical, financial, and human resources available to make this change? ____ ____ Is this change reversible? ____ ____ Is this change the next obvious step? ____ ____ Does this change have both short- and long-range benefits? ____ ____ Is the leadership capable of bringing about this change? ____ ____ Is the timing right?”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
―
John C. Maxwell
“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment you first find yourself in.” —MARK CAINE”
―
John C. Maxwell
“The Constitution guarantees free speech, but it doesn’t guarantee listeners.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Starting a business is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. In mid air, the entrepreneur begins building a parachute and hopes it opens before hitting the ground.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Cuando su mentalidad es dar más de lo que toma, lo fuerza a pensar más en los demás que en usted mismo.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation.
Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or
whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what?
After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation
comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“When it comes to identifying a real leader, that task can be much easier. Don't listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader. Don't examine his credentials. Don't check his title. Check his influence. The proof of leadership is found in the followers.
―
John C. Maxwell
“This poster in a Nordstrom’s department store once caught my attention: “The only difference between stores is the way they treat their customers.” That’s a bold statement. Most stores would advertise the quality of their merchandise or their wide selection as what sets them apart from the rest. The difference between Nordstrom’s and other stores, according to an employee of the competition, is that other stores are organization-oriented; Nordstrom’s is people-oriented. Their employees are trained to respond quickly and kindly to customer complaints. As a result, according to writer Nancy Austin, “Nordstrom’s doesn’t have customers; it has fans.” A study by TARP, Technical Assistance”
―
John C. Maxwell
“when the real leader speaks, people listen. Leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“Image promises much but produces little. Integrity never disappoints.”
―
John C. Maxwell
“What we do on some great occasion will depend on what we are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.”
―
John C. Maxwell
