What’s your definition of the word “failure”? For some people, failure is a mistake of any kind. For others, failure is missing a set goal. For still others, failure is a constant state of being, a way of thinking about themselves and the world. For leaders, failure is different. J. Wallace Hamilton wrote, “The increase…

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I recently shared a few quotes on mistakes here. And based on the comments, they seemed to strike a chord for many of you. I believe you can’t have too much instruction on the value of mistakes. So I thought I’d share one of my favorite illustrations on the subject. This is quoted in my…

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I haven’t shared any favorite quotes here in awhile. Today’s selection comes from my file on Mistakes. I hope they inspire and encourage you. And if you want to keep them for future reference, try my  filing system to record them. You miss 100% of the shots you never take. –Wayne Gretzky The fellow who never…

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Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. -Napoleon Hill When I was growing up, one of the questions I used to hear from motivational speakers was this: “If the possibility of failure were erased, what would you attempt to achieve?” That seemed to be an intriguing question.…

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Do you think of yourself as a failure? Maybe not in every area of life, but in at least one important one? Well, you’re not alone. Many people think that having failed makes them a failure. Too many people. So many, in fact, that I wrote an entire book, Failing Forward, to challenge that perception. Seeing…

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Photo from Flickr, Chris Daniel’s Photostream His name is Roger Crawford, and he makes his living as a consultant and public speaker.  He’s written a few books, and travels all across the country working with Fortune 500 companies, national and state associations, and school districts. Those aren’t bad credentials.  But if that doesn’t impress you,…

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Today I’m probably known most for my public speaking. The irony is that when I first started speaking, I was anything but effective. In fact, I remember being really fearful, and it showed. In my first speaking opportunity as a senior in college, I was terrible. People described my speaking style as “stiff.” I could’ve…

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Every major difficulty you face in life is a fork in the road. You choose which track you will head down, toward breakdown or breakthrough. Dick Biggs, a consultant who helps Fortune 500 companies improve profits and increase productivity, writes that all of us have unfair experiences; as a result, some people merely exist and…

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Today’s blog post is an excerpt from The Maxwell Daily Reader. I loved compiling this book, with the goal of offering the reader one leadership principle per day for an entire year. Each one-page entry is drawn from one of my earlier (pre-2007) books, and is designed to be put into practice right after reading.…

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In response to your suggestions for future books, I described in my last post how some questions could actually be answered by already-published books. Next month, we’re going to talk about my next book (the one that comes out next spring). But before we do, here are some other published books and some of your…

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