Leadership
The Leadership Reproduction Cycle
The end of the year is almost here, and I know that many companies are going through the same season as my team at The John Maxwell Company: annual reviews. This is the time of year when our leaders sit down with their team members and go over PPFs for the past 12 months: Personal,…
Read MoreMark Cole: Success Begins With Purpose
The most popular question John Maxwell receives when he is on the road speaking and coaching is: “How do I become successful?” John’s reply usually goes something like this: “You cannot achieve what you have not defined.” John’s response is designed to help the questioner begin the journey to discovering his or her purpose. John…
Read MoreThe Shift from Uniformity to Diversity
Have you ever noticed that in many space movies, the bad guys all suffer from the same disease? I’m not exactly a movie buff, but I do observe patterns, and it occurred to me that in many science-fiction space movies, there’s a common theme when it comes to the villains. A lack of diversity. Think…
Read MoreMark Cole: Cultivating Gratitude
This week, I have been intentionally reflecting on the importance of gratitude in leadership. And I keep coming back to a very important question—how do I cultivate a willingness to be grateful? The truth is, the best version of you is a grateful you. But it is more natural to be entitled and selfish than…
Read MoreLeading in Polarized Times
Lately, it seems as though people are dividing themselves into categories, drawing lines between themselves and others that are increasingly harder to cross. All over the world, we are now defined largely by what separates us. As a leader, this makes for a challenging culture to navigate. One of the biggest responsibilities we have is…
Read MoreMark Cole: If You Want Answers, Ask Questions
Questions have power. Think about the power of simply asking, “Why?” Bernard Baruch said, “Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the only one who asked why.” Thank God for Isaac Newton! But what about the millions who saw the apples fall and never asked why? What kept them from asking the question? Have…
Read MoreYou Can’t Lead If You Can’t Stick Around: Developing Longevity as a Leader
What do Daniel Amos, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet all have in common? Yes, they’re all men. Yes, they’re all successful businessmen. Yes, they’re all CEOs of their respective companies (AFLAC, Amazon, and Berkshire Hathaway). But there’s one more thing that connects them. Can you guess what it is? Each one has been the CEO…
Read MoreMark Cole: The Choice Is Yours
Without question, choices play the biggest role in how our lives turn out. Some people make their lives difficult by making questionable choices. Others move through life easier because of good choices they’ve made. Regardless of which road a person takes, I know this: we don’t always get what we want, but we always get…
Read MoreLeading Everyone Well: Equality and Equity
In our current culture, there’s a lot of conversation about equality. Whether it’s a discussion about race, gender, or other cultural divides, over the past few months news events have forced us to reconsider the way we interact with others. It’s pushed many leaders to take a long hard look in the mirror, and that’s…
Read MoreMark Cole: What Every Leader Needs to Know
The foundation for every leader is his or her ethical standards. That’s why one of the most helpful books I know of for any leader is Ethics 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know. I have recommended it countless times because it’s imperative for leaders to know and understand ethical standards. In the book, John…
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