Posts by John Maxwell
Questions to Ask During a Learning Session
Larry King, who has made his living speaking to people as a television talk show host, believes that asking questions is the secret of good conversation. He says, I’m curious about everything, and if I’m at a cocktail party, I often ask my favorite question: “Why?” If a man tells me he and his family…
Read MoreThe number one reason why we don’t ask enough questions
Early in my career I didn’t ask many questions. I mistakenly believed that as a leader I should know the answers to everyone else’s questions. As a result, I adopted the ridiculous attitude of “fake it ’til you make it.” Unfortunately, that caused me to do a lot of faking but very little making. The…
Read MoreYou Only Get Answers to the Questions You Ask
When I first began teaching leadership, I spent nearly all my time giving lectures. Today, at almost every speaking gig, people want time to ask me questions about leadership, which I welcome. Not only do I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned, but answering questions also gives me an opportunity to speak from my heart. As…
Read MoreThe 10-80-10 Principle, Part Two: The Impact of the Final 10%
On Wednesday, I shared my favorite way to delegate. I explained the way I’m heavily involved on the front end of a project. During that time, I give my team five specific things (big picture, objectives, direction, resources/support, and responsibility) to set them up for success. Then I hand the next 80% of the work…
Read MoreThe 10-80-10 Principle: The Key to Maximizing Your Time and Effort
People ask me all the time how I get so much done. First, I tell them that a lot of it is thanks to my high energy mixed with low IQ. I just don’t know any better. But that’s not really the key to my success at achieving a variety of goals. The secret is…
Read MoreIs Your Environment Holding you Back?
When I was much younger, I found myself in a job situation where the environment wasn’t conducive to growth. This frustrated and discouraged me. I had always been focused on growth and improvement. From basketball as a kid to speaking professionally, I was always looking for ways to get better at what I was doing.…
Read MoreAre These Four Things Keeping You from Reaching Your Potential?
Wilma Rudolph, the Olympic track and field champion of the 1960s, said, “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” Like Wilma, I believe that we all have potential. God has designed each…
Read More9 ways to overcome fear
In a speech in 1933, American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, addressing a nation mired in a Depression and on the verge of a world war, famously stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” During the first century A.D., Epictetus said, “It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded,…
Read MoreWhen a ball has to drop, make sure it’s the right one
Have you ever felt like you spend your life juggling? Family, work, friendships, health, and simple daily commitments all demand our attention. It seems that the only way to satisfy all the demands is to frantically juggle them, hoping that nothing important gets dropped. But how do you determine what’s important? How do you prioritize?…
Read MoreSeven Ways to Make a Memory
Here at Leadership Wired, we talk a lot about leadership and success in business. But as I’m sure you know, there is so much more to life than work. And with Father’s Day coming on June 15, I find myself thinking about the wonderful experiences I’ve had with my family – as a son, a…
Read More