Leadership
Think Like a Leader
Several years ago, I taught a lesson titled, “How Leaders Think.” Like a lot of my older lessons, there is plenty about the content that I would have to change if I were to present it today—after all, I’ve grown over the years, and what I think about thinking has changed quite a bit. But…
Read MoreMark Cole: A Leader’s Most Dangerous Thought
In my role as the leader of a leadership organization, I spend a lot of time studying other leaders around the world—both past and present. In my studies, I typically look for two different kinds of patterns: patterns that lead to success and patterns that lead to failure. Today, I want to share a pattern…
Read MoreFind Your Way: The Path Over The Plan
I’m so excited to share this blog post with you! It’s an excerpt from an amazing book, Find Your Way, by my friend Carly Fiorina. Carly is a dear friend and valued partner, and I know her insights in this post will help you unlock your potential to become the leader you’re meant to be.…
Read MoreWhat Does it Feel Like to See a Dream Come True?
Now, that’s not a question for everyone because not everyone has a dream. That’s not intended to be a slight or a negative statement; but it is a reality that I learned the hard way. You see, about 10 years ago I wrote a book called, Put Your Dream to the Test, and after it…
Read MoreMark Cole: Let The Best Idea Win
I was reminded of a valuable lesson in a team meeting recently. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an event our team will host this year. After setting aside an entire afternoon to prepare ideas, I felt very confident about what I was bringing to the meeting. But soon after the meeting began,…
Read MoreYour Leadership Can Transform the World
Recently, my team at the John Maxwell Company introduced a new offering for beginning leaders called Permission Granted. The purpose behind it was helping new or aspiring leaders understand that they have permission to lead—from themselves, the people around them, and the world at large. We felt comfortable launching that product because we believe it…
Read MoreMark Cole: Preparation Positions Your Talent
What happens when you don’t prepare? Take a minute to think about it—and be honest with yourself. In my leadership, the results of being unprepared are predictable. Things I hoped wouldn’t happen do happen—and occur with greater frequency than the things I hoped would happen. The reason is simple: being unprepared puts me out of…
Read MoreThe 25-50-25 Principle of Change
Last year, I wrote about the difference between tension and conflict, and why it was necessary for leaders to know the difference. In short, tension is a healthy and temporary disagreement within a team that produces a positive outcome when addressed well. Conflict is unhealthy and potentially permanent disagreement that produces negative outcomes and must…
Read MoreConnect with Your Ears
Are you a good listener? If you’re going to lead, you need to be. A 2018 article from Harvard Business Review states “managers who listen well are perceived as people leaders, generate more trust, instill higher job satisfaction, and increase their team’s creativity.” If you want to lead, you’ve got to use your ears. I’ve…
Read MoreMark Cole: Do You Have Personal Leadership Questions?
Asking personal leadership questions is one of the most powerful and effective things you can do to improve your life, your leadership, and your organization. Great self-accountability questions often stem from a difficult situation in our lives. As people, our natural tendency when dealing with a challenge of some kind is to become frustrated. That…
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