John C. Maxwell's Blog, page 14

The 25-50-25 Principle of Change

Last year, I wrote about the difference between tension and conflict, and why it was necessary for leaders to know the difference. In short, tension is a healthy and temporary disagreement within a team that produces a positive outcome when addressed well. Conflict is unhealthy and potentially permanent disagreement that produces negative outcomes and must be removed.

Leading through tension isn’t fun because getting our teams through those moments requires us to challenge people. We have to...

Mark Cole: All Great Leaders Have One Thing In Common

All great leaders read.

And I’m not talking about skimming through the newspaper each morning over coffee. I’m talking about devouring knowledge!

Did you know that the average American only reads one book a year? Compare that with the fact that the average CEO reads four to five books a month.

Some of the most successful leaders throughout history were known to read one book every single day. Teddy Roosevelt was rumored to actually read two books a day. Abraham Lincoln only had one year of...

Connect with Your Ears

Are you a good listener?

If you’re going to lead, you need to be. A 2018 article from Harvard Business Review states “managers who listen well are perceived as people leaders, generate more trust, instill higher job satisfaction, and increase their team’s creativity.”

If you want to lead, you’ve got to use your ears.

I’ve learned that truth several times over the course of my leadership career. In fact, as a young leader, my highest priority was expressing my ideas and convincing others to b...

Mark Cole: Do You Have Personal Leadership Questions?

Asking personal leadership questions is one of the most powerful and effective things you can do to improve your life, your leadership, and your organization.

Great self-accountability questions often stem from a difficult situation in our lives. As people, our natural tendency when dealing with a challenge of some kind is to become frustrated. That moment of frustration presents us with a tremendous opportunity to ask self-leadership questions that help us leverage challenging situations.

J...

Are You a “Go First” Leader?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve blogged about material from my new book, Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace. We’re nearing the end of that process, so I want to talk about one of the more challenging shifts some leaders face.

It’s the Cost Shift—moving from the perks of leadership to the price of leadership.

Because I’ve invested my life into teaching about leadership, people frequently come up to me and talk about their desire to lead. I usually ask them why that’s th...

Mark Cole: 11 Reasons Why You Will Be a Better Leader This Year

There’s a hunger for leadership in the world today like never before.

People have looked to Hollywood, sports figures and politics, all in hopes that leadership will show itself. We’ve all been disappointed in places of business, or faith, or Wall Street. And this has generated confusion about what leadership really means.

This hunger produces a vacuum that creates opportunities for you and me to show what real leadership looks like.

I’m going to give you 11 statements that will ensure you’...

Become a Leader Others Want to Follow

Today, my newest book, Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace, finally hits shelves in stores. Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered a copy of the book or helped get the word out through social media. We’re expecting a great launch, and it’s made possible by your help and excitement.

I’m also excited for this book! Not just because it’s new, but because so much has changed since I first began teaching about leadership. Once upon a time, leadership wasn’t the buzzword it...

Mark Cole: The Huddle – A Leadership Lesson From Football

I’m a huge football fan and the Super Bowl is in my town this Sunday. To say that I am excited would be an understatement!

Organizations have been pouring in from all over the world all week for this one event. This week alone will bring in over $1 billion for the city of Atlanta. Football isn’t just a game; football is an enterprise.

But it got me thinking—what else sets football apart from other major team sports?

I believe that there is one transformative activity that sets football apart...

Developing Credibility as a Leader

Photo by Simon Connellan on Unsplash

I recently spent an afternoon with Carly Fiorina discussing how leadership values and tools can make a difference in communities around the world. Carly and I are two sides of the leadership coin—I’m an encouraging leader who helps people discover (or rediscover) values of leadership, while Carly is an empowering leader who provides practical tools and problem-solving skills that help people get things done.

Both of us have been around the block a few time...

Mark Cole: Recruiting the Most Important Member of the Team

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Dear Leader:

You can’t make it on your own. That’s not a putdown—it’s a reality. The bigger your goals, the more help you’re going to need in reaching them. John Maxwell says, “The definition of a nightmare is a big dream and a bad team.”

That’s why I believe the most important member of any leader’s team is a phenomenal Executive Assistant.

A phenomenal EA is like an air-traffic controller for your life. Not just your business—your whole life. They help manage t...