John C. Maxwell's Blog, page 27

AMA’s Top 30 Leaders in Business for 2014

Here at The John Maxwell Company, we believe in our founder’s passion to influence leaders worldwide. So we’re very excited to see that he’s been recognized by the American Management Association as #1 among the Top 30 Leaders in Business for 2014. John feels very honored and grateful, and he can’t wait to add value to more people as a result of this recognition.Here’s an excerpt from the AMA’s blog regarding their list:The results are in. Over the past two months, AMA asked for your help in...

Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn for Teens

When I decided to adapt my 2013 book Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn for a teen audience, I was excited about adding ideas and illustrations that teens would relate to. And it was a fun and insightful process. In the book, which releases this week, you can find stories about people like championship surfer Bethany Hamilton, tech guru Steve Jobs, and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousavzai. I believe each of them can teach teens – and adults – something important about turning a loss into a...

Why Losses Hurt So Much

When I adapted Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn for Teens (February 24), I wanted to make it conversational in a way that would appeal to a teen or preteen. And I decided to make it more interactive, with sections for journaling and even Q and A with me.Here is another excerpt from the book. I hope you will share it with a young person in your life, and that it encourages them to view losses differently:As a kid, I played basketball and was very competitive. I liked to win, and I hated...

How to Turn a Loss into a Win

What an exciting project I got to do last year! For the first time ever, I got to adapt and rewrite one of my books for a new audience: Teens.The book is Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn for Teens, and it comes out this month – on February 24. Created just for teen readers, this book is designed to inspire and challenge them to see setbacks as opportunities – to grow, learn, and improve. Featuring new stories about teens and adults who overcame adversity and mistakes, like teenage Nobel...

Why you should do more than expected

Have you ever seen the “You had one job!” joke? It’s usually a picture like the one of the sign above, with a crazy error like “Please slow drively.” Or like spelling “STOP” S-O-T-P, or hanging a stair railing upside-down. Google it and you’ll see thousands of examples, because apparently there are a lot of people who can’t seem to do the one thing asked of them.And that’s the first thing I’d encourage you to do if you want to to be successful in your career. Do what’s asked of you. Meet expe...

What Should Be the Legacy of a Successful Leader?

Legacies that matter are connected with people. A hundred years from now all that will matter is the people that you connected with in such a way that you added value and meaning to their lives. Political commentator Walter Lippmann said, “The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind in others the conviction and will to carry on.” Ultimately, if your people can’t do it without you, you haven’t been successful in raising up other leaders.We have all heard that “when the student is ready...

Great words on goal-setting

As we approach the end of January, a time when you might begin to feel discouraged about lack of progress toward your New Year's Resolutions, I'd like to share some of my favorite quotes on goals and planning. If we want to succeed with our resolutions, we need to make them measurable and attainable. Breaking them down into specific goals allows us to do that.If you haven't already broken your big dreams down into small goals, take some time to do that this week. Create manageable steps. Give...

It all comes down to what you do daily

How would you describe your life? Are you achieving what you desire? Are you accomplishing the things that are important to you? Do you consider yourself a success? How do your prospects look for the future?If I could come to your house and spend just one day with you, I would be able to tell whether or not you will be successful. You could pick the day. If I got up with you in the morning and went through the day with you, watching you for 24 hours, I could tell in what direction your life i...

Look Back to Plan Forward

Happy New Year! What did you do to welcome 2015? Throw a party? Toast at midnight? Spend time reflecting on the past year and creating a plan for making the most of the new one?Researchers have discovered that transitional times (like the new year, or the beginning of a season) naturally motivate us as human beings to make changes and try new things. That’s probably why we make New Year’s Resolutions, vow to lose weight, and go back to the gym, only to find it full. It’s a natural time to “tu...

What Is the Most Effective Daily Habit to Develop in 2015?

Habits. This is the time of year when we all seem to be examining our habits. What habits do we want to eliminate for the new year? Smoking? Overeating? Angry outbursts? And what habits would we like to establish? Regular exercise? Flossing? Prayer? How do we want our days to look in 2015? Now is the perfect time to make some important decisions. Then we can manage those decisions in the new year.I believe that there is one big decision that everyone needs to make and manage, especially if yo...