Posts by John Maxwell
Leading difficult people: Fearful Fred
Someone once said, “90% of the art of living consists in getting along with people you cannot understand.” Haven’t you found that to be true? I know that if everyone were just like me, then relationships would sure be a lot simpler. But people ARE different, in wonderfully complex ways. And there IS an art…
Read MoreOne is too small a number
A Chinese proverb states, “Behind an able man there are always other able men.” The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement. The question isn’t whether teams have value. The question is whether we acknowledge that fact and become better team players. That’s why I assert that one is too small…
Read MoreMe and Michael, Jr.
At the Gateway Men’s Conference last week, I sat down for an interview with the comedian Michael, Jr. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…
Read MoreDon't lose your marbles!
My friend Dwight Bain sent me a story of a ham radio operator who overheard an older gentleman giving advice to a younger man. “It’s a shame you have to be away from home and family so much,” he said. “Let me tell you something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my…
Read MoreRemoving the U from Failure
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…
Read MoreFrom my files: Connecting
I’m in Atlanta this week, preparing for the Chick-fil-A Leadercast on Friday. This event will be broadcast to venues all over the world, and you still have time to find a location near you. Just visit the website for more information. One of the things I’ll be talking about on Friday is the different levels…
Read MoreQuitting is more about WHO you are than WHERE you are.
Back in December, I wrote about the importance of starting well. In the comments, many people agreed with me, but they also pointed out the critical nature of continuing after you start. They were right. Like I said at the time, starting and finishing are the two covers of the book. The main part –…
Read MoreWhat I've been reading, Winter & Spring 2011
Have you had a busy first quarter of 2011? I know I have. It seems that time has flown between January 1 and today. But regardless of how busy I am, I make time for personal growth. And one of the best ways to spark new growth in myself is reading. Here are some of…
Read MoreHow well do you see the big picture?
An Egyptian librarian once heard that the sun could be seen shining at the bottom of a well in the town of Syene on the longest day of the year. He surmised that to make a reflection in a well, the sun had to be directly overhead on that day. And a sun directly overhead…
Read MoreJoin me at Leadercast!
Last Tuesday, at noon EDT, I participated in something I’d never done before. In fact, it was something I’d never SEEN done before: an interview conducted via Twitter. A “Twitterview,” if you will. Suddenly, people used to seeing 1-2 Tweets per day from me, received one solid hour of them coming every 2-3 minutes. Sorry…
Read More