John C. Maxwell's Blog, page 23

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours

Merry Christmas from Margaret, me, and our entire team!Thank you for allowing us to serve you in 2015.We look forward to the opportunity to add value to you in the coming year!...}

HOW TO INTENTIONALLY ADD VALUE TO OTHERS THIS CHRISTMAS

I love Christmas because it’s a season for giving – so people tend to focus on others more at this time of year. Whether we’re shopping for gifts for loved ones, or looking for ways to give financially to people in need, many of us are seeking ways to add value to another person. This makes it a great season to practice intentionality, because intentional living is about having that mindset – of approaching each day with the goal of adding value to others to make a difference in their lives....

Connect This Season By Putting Your Focus on Others

Christmas is a time for people to get together. Between office parties, get-togethers with friends, and Christmas dinner itself, most of us spend a lot of time face-to-face with family, colleagues, and friends during this season. And all that “face time” has the potential to be filled with either connection or conflict. How do you do your part to increase connection?I believe connection and communication are closely linked. Here are five ways you can connect and communicate more lovingly and...

This Christmas, Will You Be Intentional Creating Memories?

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”I don’t know about you, but I love that Christmas song, and it’s fitting because I love the Christmas season. There’s nothing more wonderful to me than the lights, the decorations, the music, and, especially, the time spent with family. It was always fun and meaningful when our kids were growing up, and, now that they’re adults with families of their own, it’s even more special for Margaret and me to create memories with our children and grandchildre...

What does your “gratitude list” look like?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States, and I know I’m looking forward to a wonderful day of food and family. I hope your plans for the holiday will be meaningful and fun.I don’t know about you, but the Thanksgiving holiday always gets me thinking about gratitude. Here is something I wrote in my newest book, Intentional Living, about creating a “gratitude list.” Read on to discover what that can look like, and how it can benefit you and the people you care about:Recently I spoke at a c...

Looking back on Exchange 2015 in San Francisco

Every fall, I have the distinct privilege of participating in two world-class events. EQUIP’s Leadership Open, which I talked about last week, and the John Maxwell Company’s Exchange. This year, both were in California.Exchange just took place November 5-7, in San Francisco, the “City by the Bay.” Like every Exchange, the intimate gathering was filled with both exclusive experiences and excellent leadership teaching.We were inspired and challenged by great speakers, including Alan Mulally, Li...

Celebrating the past and future for EQUIP at the Leadership Open

What do you do after training leaders in every nation? This was the question that needed to be answered by my nonprofit organization, EQUIP, this year. That’s because in June 2015, we introduced our leadership training into our Final Nation, Kiribati.What a wonderful thing to celebrate! Which is what we did, at this year’s Leadership Open, held October 20-23 in Pebble Beach, California. More than 150 donors and associate trainers joined us for the annual golf tournament and fundraiser.Every e...

Moving from Survival Mode to Significance

What drives you when you get up in the morning?Most people settle into one of three areas: survival, success, or significance. If you’re like many people, you may be struggling just to keep your head above water. You’re in survival mode. Whether because of circumstances, setbacks, or poor choices, you have to put a tremendous amount of effort into just making it day to day.If you’re working hard to make life better for yourself and your family, then I applaud you. Keep working.But once you’ve...

What do you do when your dream is bigger than you?

Last week I talked to you about rewriting your story into one of significance. You may have been thinking more about how you can make a difference in the lives of others. Today I want to encourage you to think big:How can you partner with like-valued people to make a bigger difference than you could on your own?Many years ago, when I was a pastor in Lancaster, Ohio, I caught a vision for our church to reach out to our community and make a difference. I realized very quickly that this was not...

Your Life Can Be a Great Story

What’s your story?When I meet people for the first time, as soon as the introductions are out of the way, I ask them to share their stories—to tell me who they are and where they’re from, where they’ve been and where they’re going. I want to understand what matters to them. Maybe you do the same. The telling of our stories becomes an emotional connecting point for us. It bridges the gap between us and other people.Why is that?Everyone loves a good story—we always have. Stories tell us who we...