In this post, we have collected for you the best John Maxwell quotes so that you can become a great leader who influences others.
John C. Maxwell Short Biography
John C. Maxwell was born on 20 February 1947 in Garden City, Michigan, United States. He is a famous self-development speaker, coach, and successful writer who has sold more than 24 million books in many languages.
Maxwell is known as an expert in the field of leadership, as he has authored numerous books in this field such as The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, and The 5 Levels of Leadership.
He is called American’s No.1 leadership authority and was the best leadership expert in the world according to Inc.
John C. Maxwell took his bachelor’s degree from Ohio Christian University which enabled him to become an evangelical Christian pastor. He founded EQUIP which is a nonprofit organization that has provided training to more than 5 million leaders in 180 countries.
10 Best John Maxwell Quotes
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
“Do not take the agenda that someone else has mapped out for your life.”
“Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.”
“Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”
“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
“We all stand on the shoulders of the past generation.”
“You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.”
“You must manage your thought life daily and then you can manage your life.”
John Maxwell Quotes on Leaders and Leadership
“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
“Believing in people before they have proved themselves is the key to motivating people to reach their potential.”
“Encourage the many; mentor the few.”
“A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.”
“Everyone is a leader because everyone influences someone.”
“Leadership is developed daily, not in a day.”
“A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences.”
“Leadership is influence.”
“Leaders must live by higher standards than their followers.”
“Most People have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional.“
“Not everyone will become a great leader, but everyone can become a better leader.”
“One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”
“The first step to leadership is servant hood.”
“The law of process says leaders develop daily, not in a day.”
“The more credible you are, the more confidence people place in you, thereby allowing you the privilege of influencing their lives.” — John Maxwell
“We cannot lead anyone farther than we have been ourselves.”
“What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?”
John Maxwell Quotes on Character
“Character creates consistency, and if your people know what they can expect from you, they will continue to look to you for leadership.”
“Character makes trust possible, and trust is the foundation of leadership. It’s true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.”
— John Maxwell
“Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent.”
“There are three qualities a leader must exemplify to build trust: competence, connection, and character.”
“You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.”
Quotes on Choice and Decisions
“Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life.”
“If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading… “
“There are two paths people can take. They can either play now and pay later, or pay now and play later. Regardless of the choice, one thing is certain. Life will demand a payment.”
“We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it’s a continuing choice.”
“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.”
Quotes from John Maxwell on Communication
“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.”
“Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.”
“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”
“People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”
“Relational skills are the most important abilities in leadership.”
“Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.”
“Talk to people, not above them.”
Quotes on Credibility
“A highly credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.”
“Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.”
“Credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.”
“Don’t hide bad news. With multiple information channels available, bad news always becomes known. Be candid right from the start.”
John Maxwell Quotes on Daily Impact
“Doing the right thing daily, compounds over time.”
“Stay focused instead of getting offended or off track by others.”
“Success is not a destination thing, it’s a daily thing.”
“What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?”
“The law of process says — leaders develop daily, not in a day.”
“The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
“What you are going to be tomorrow, you are becoming today.”
“Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.”
Quotes on Failure
“Don’t buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They can’t be.”
“‘Failing forward’ is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.”
“Failure is not a one-time event; it’s how you deal with life along the way. Until you breathe your last breath, you’re still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.”
“Generally speaking, there are two kinds of learning: experience, which is gained from your own mistakes, and wisdom, which is learned from the mistakes of others.”
“Seek advice, but make sure it’s from someone who has successfully handled mistakes or adversities.”
“You are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective.”
John Maxwell Quotes on Growth
“A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose, a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.”
“If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”
“Image is what people think we are; integrity is what we really are.”
“Life doesn’t do anything to you. It only reveals your spirit.”
“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.”
“The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
“You must do right before you feel good.”
John Maxwell Quotes on Success
“Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success.”
“If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet.”
“Once our minds are ‘tattooed’ with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish.”
“Successful leaders have the courage to take action while others hesitate.”
“Successful people are willing to do things unsuccessful people will not do.”
“You don’t become a success when you get your diploma, you became a success when you decided to go to college when you get your diploma you get the rewards of success.”
“To collaborative team members, completing one another is more important than competing with one another.”
“True success comes only when every generation continues to develop the next generation.”
“You have to sow excellent seeds to have an excellent life. You must start with sowing excellent thoughts.”
John Maxwell Quotes on Teamwork
“Coming together is a beginning, and staying together is progress, but only when teams sweat together do they find success.”
“Talented performers flock to the best and brightest leaders, and these leaders in turn lift the lids off their people and uncork the latent talent inside of them.”
“Teams make you better than you are, multiply your value, enable you to do what you do best, allow you to help others do their best, give you more time, provide you with companionship, help you fulfill the desires of your heart and compound your vision and effort.”
“The best way to serve the individuals on the team is to see that the whole team wins.”
“Values hold the team together, provide stability for the team to grow upon, measure the team’s performance, give direction and guidance and attract like-minded people.”
Latest Thoughts
We hope that you enjoyed reading the above John Maxwell quotes.
These quotes from John Maxwell offer practical wisdom that may help many people become outstanding leaders, as well as passionate about learning new skills.
His valuable research and experience in leadership have enabled him to help anyone who wants to achieve progress in their personal and professional lives.
Whatever your goal in life, John Maxwell quotes have the ability to motivate you so that you can achieve the success you desire.
Over to you now, which quote from the above list of John Maxwell quotes did you like the most? Please let us know in the comments section.
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