The setting was midwestern America during the Depression, in an average town, with ordinary people, all looking to simply survive. A young boy enters a store and, in keeping with the times, asks the store owner if he can work for him that day. “I can’t afford to hire anyone, son,” the owner says. “That’s…

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How we think is very important. As John Maxwell says, “Your life today is a result of your thinking yesterday. Your life tomorrow will be determined by what you think today.” I agree with him. Great leaders are disciplined in staying focused in their thinking. On this week’s episode of the John Maxwell Leadership Podcast,…

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The Law of Empowerment says that only secure leaders give power to others. But what does it mean to be secure? Using the analogy of personal finance, let’s look at what’s missing from the lives of insecure leaders. This will help us better understand where security comes from and why it matters. Paupers, debtors, and…

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“Mind the gap” is a safety announcement, advising passengers of the London Underground metro system to be careful when stepping across the opening between train doors and station platforms. The world’s oldest underground subway system, built 151 years ago, the London Underground contains several stations with rounded platforms, constructed on a curve to avoid important…

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In my last post, I wrote about one big misconception that makes people think that success is farther away from them than it really is: the idea that success is really hard to achieve. I defined success differently and gave a game plan for closing the gap between us and our goals. Today, let’s talk…

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“Hi, my name’s John, and I’m your friend.” That’s something I say during most of my speaking engagements. People laugh when I do. I’m sure it sounds corny at times. But I have a very important reason for saying it. One of my goals whenever I speak is to close the success gap. The success…

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Imagine walking along an outdoor trail during the middle of a pitch-black night. You’re a few hundred feet from your campground, and you have only a small flashlight to illuminate the path in front of you. Provided you know which way to go, it would be foolish to sit down and wait for the sun…

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Have you ever driven a car with terrible alignment? Even on a perfectly straight highway, the vehicle will drift into a ditch unless the driver constantly compensates for its misalignment. As part of normal driving, the springs in a car’s suspension system gradually stretch out, and the vehicle’s highly calibrated internal components get knocked off-kilter.…

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Connecting is the leadership ability to identify with and relate to people in such a way that it increases your influence with them. Connecting demands constant attention on the part of the leader so that people stay tuned in to the vision, values, and priorities of the organization. The trick is to keep the connection…

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Parents of toddlers and teenagers understand a simple truth about being a leader: sooner or later you encounter fierce resistance. Leadership feels a lot like peddling uphill, swimming upstream, or running into a stiff headwind. The challenge is to overcome the resistance instead of being overwhelmed by it. 1) Be Aware that Motion Creates Friction…

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