Quotes

60 Best John C. Maxwell Quotes for Leadership Success

Published

4 years ago

August 7, 2019

John C. Maxwell is an American author and speaker who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership. His books have sold millions of copies, with some on the New York Times Best Seller List.

His most influential writings include titles like, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” and “The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.”

John C. Maxwell is widely considered to be one of the world’s top leadership experts.

Here, we have compiled 60 of the best John C. Maxwell Quotes to help you become a better leader.

John C. Maxwell Quotes

1. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” – John C. Maxwell

2. “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” – John C. Maxwell

3. “The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” – John C. Maxwell

4. “Look at our society. Everyone wants to be thin, but nobody wants to diet. Everyone wants to live long, but few will exercise. Everybody wants money, yet seldom will anyone budget or control their spending.” – John C. Maxwell

5. “The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.” – John C. Maxwell

6. “Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be a genius. You don’t have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.” – John C. Maxwell

7. “Your attitude towards failure determines your altitude after failure.” – John C. Maxwell

8. “A minute of thought is greater than an hour of talk.” – John C. Maxwell

9. “Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.” – John C. Maxwell

10. “The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.” – John C. Maxwell

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11. “To add value to others, one must first value others.” – John C. Maxwell

12. “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” – John C. Maxwell

13. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

14. “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” – John C. Maxwell

15. “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” – John C. Maxwell

16. “Success is due to our stretching to the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them.” – John C. Maxwell

17. “Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team.” – John C. Maxwell

18. “Doing the right thing daily, compounds over time.” – John C. Maxwell

19. “People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life.” – John C. Maxwell

20. “If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone.” – John C. Maxwell

21. “Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful.” – John C. Maxwell

22. “The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.” – John C. Maxwell

23. “As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.” – John C. Maxwell

24. “Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.” – John C. Maxwell

25. “Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have.” – John C. Maxwell

26. “We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.” – John C. Maxwell

27. “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.” – John C. Maxwell

28. “Although it’s admirable to be ambitious and hard-working, it’s more desirable to be smart-working.” – John C. Maxwell

29. “A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.” – John C. Maxwell

30. “The dreams and passions stored within hearts are powerful keys which can unlock a wealth of potential.” – John C. Maxwell

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31. “Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don’t change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan.” – John C. Maxwell

32. “Inability to make decisions is one of the principal reasons executives fail. Deficiency in decision-making ranks much higher than lack of specific knowledge or technical know-how as an indicator of leadership failure.” – John C. Maxwell

33. “Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.” – John C. Maxwell

34. “The unsuccessful person is burdened by learning, and prefers to walk down familiar paths. Their distaste for learning stunts their growth and limits their influence.” – John C. Maxwell

35. “Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.” – John C. Maxwell

36. “All good leaders are connectors. They relate well and make people feel confident about themselves and their leader.” – John C. Maxwell

37. “You will never fulfill your destiny doing work you despise.” – John C. Maxwell

38. “Have the humility to learn from those around you.” – John C. Maxwell

39. “Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.” – John C. Maxwell

40. “Time is more valuable than money, because time is irreplaceable.” – John C. Maxwell

41. “Policies are many, Principles are few, Policies will change, Principles never do.” – John C. Maxwell

42. “Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years.” – John C. Maxwell

43. “We don’t mature momentarily, but over the long-term.” – John C. Maxwell

44. “Life can be boring unless you put some effort into it.” – John C. Maxwell

45. “The first time you say something, it’s heard. The second time, it’s recognized, and the third time it’s learned.” – John C. Maxwell

46. “Good executives never put off until tomorrow what they can get someone else to do today.” – John C. Maxwell

47. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – John C. Maxwell

48. “Success each day should be judged by the seeds sown, not the harvest reaped.” – John C. Maxwell

49. “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” – John C. Maxwell

50. “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” – John C. Maxwell

51. “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.” – John C. Maxwell

52. “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” – John C. Maxwell

53. “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” – John C. Maxwell

54. “A successful person finds the right place for himself. But a successful leader finds the right place for others.” – John C. Maxwell

55. “When the leader lacks confidence, the followers lack commitment.” – John C. Maxwell

56. “A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.” – John C. Maxwell

57. “A leader with confidence is a leader who brings out positive changes in people.” – John C. Maxwell

58. “Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” – John C. Maxwell

59. “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” – John C. Maxwell