John C. Maxwell's Blog, page 13

What Does it Feel Like to See a Dream Come True?

Now, that’s not a question for everyone because not everyone has a dream. That’s not intended to be a slight or a negative statement; but it is a reality that I learned the hard way. You see, about 10 years ago I wrote a book called, Put Your Dream to the Test, and after it was released, I encountered person after person saying the same thing.

“But I don’t have a dream.”

Not exactly what you want to hear when you’ve just published a book about dreams. Still, it was a valuable lesson for my l...

Mark Cole: Let The Best Idea Win

I was reminded of a valuable lesson in a team meeting recently.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an event our team will host this year. After setting aside an entire afternoon to prepare ideas, I felt very confident about what I was bringing to the meeting. But soon after the meeting began, it became very clear we were headed in a different direction than I anticipated.

One after another, ideas were put out on the table—most of which were clearly different from mine. Everyone in th...

The Power of a Winning Attitude

One of the four key areas I’m constantly trying to grow in myself is my attitude. I know from first-hand experience that a good attitude is essential for success, because so much of how we view the world is rooted in the attitude we choose.

Normally I use a blog post to offer you teaching or principles to help you improve your leadership. While today is no exception, I’m choosing to offer you something a little bit different: the power of other people’s winning attitudes.

I’ve been on the ro...

Mark Cole: Perseverance is Absolutely Necessary

No matter how talented people are, there is no success without perseverance.

Perseverance is not an issue of talent. It’s not an issue of time. It’s about finishing. Talent provides hope for accomplishment, but perseverance guarantees it.

Today, I want to give you four statements about perseverance that I’ve found to be true and ask you four questions that test your capacity for perseverance. I hope you’ll find each one helpful.

1. Perseverance means succeeding because you are determined to,...

Don Yaeger: 4 Characteristics of a Great Mentor

Coverage of the John Maxwell Co.’s Live2Lead event, held at 12Stone Church in Duluth, Ga., on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. Photo by Kevin D. Liles/kevindliles.com

Don Yaeger is a dear friend of mine. He’s joined me onstage for Live2Lead, Executive Circle, and together we produced The Mentor’s Guide to Building a Championship Team. His knowledge of sports is legendary, but his insight into the leadership lessons sports contains is greater.

This week, I’ve asked Don to write a guest post for my blog b...

Mark Cole: The Power of Practice

There’s a myth about highly talented people—that they are simply born that way.

Here is what I know: you reach your potential when you are willing to practice. And not just practice often, but practice effectively.

That’s because you play to the level at which you practice. Consistently good practice leads to consistently good play. Successful leaders understand this, and they apply it.

If I were to sum up what lifts successful leaders above the crowd, I’d do it in four words: a little bit...

Rachel Hollis: You Need a Road Map

My friend Rachel Hollis released her new book, Girl, Stop Apologizing, last week, and it’s done amazingly well. Today, I want to share with you just a snippet from the book as an encouragement.

If you’d like to read all of Rachel’s book, you can visit http://www.girlstopapologizingbook.com to purchase your copy today!

Cover image courtesy of HarperCollins Leadership.

You Need a Road Map

By Rachel Hollis

The first step toward achieving your goal is to know where you’re headed. The problem is t...

Mark Cole: Transformational Leadership Applied

In his blog post this week, John Maxwell talked about transformational leadership. I love this topic. Helping others become transformational in their leadership lights a fire in me like nothing else does.

John is right in saying, “We need men and women who are committed to take action in order to make a difference in the world. We need transformational leaders.”

I wanted to respond to what John wrote because I believe this is one of the most important things we could be talking about as lead...

Your Leadership Can Transform the World

Recently, my team at the John Maxwell Company introduced a new offering for beginning leaders called Permission Granted. The purpose behind it was helping new or aspiring leaders understand that they have permission to lead—from themselves, the people around them, and the world at large.

We felt comfortable launching that product because we believe it is true: we are living in an age where we need new leaders. We also need more from established leaders.

This is a firm conviction of mine—we n...

Mark Cole: Preparation Positions Your Talent

What happens when you don’t prepare?

Take a minute to think about it—and be honest with yourself.

In my leadership, the results of being unprepared are predictable. Things I hoped wouldn’t happen do happen—and occur with greater frequency than the things I hoped would happen. The reason is simple: being unprepared puts me out of position.

Ask negotiators what happens at the bargaining table when they are out of position. Ask athletes what happens on the field or court when they are out of p...