It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? That time of year when people are busier than ever preparing for family visits, fighting crowds at the mall, wrapping presents, finishing projects, and setting goals, all while trying to bake fruitcakes for neighbors. Our lives are busy with so much still to be done. And…

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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…

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Recently I was on a plane from Paraguay to Guatemala with Jeff Williams. Jeff is not only a tremendous business leader from Vancouver, Canada, he is a significant strategist and supporter of EQUIP, our non-profit leadership organization. He also attends several John Maxwell Company leadership experiences each year. More than all of that, Jeff has…

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Leaders are readers of people. They study a person like they would a book, by paying careful attention to words. If you listen careful to the words someone says, you will learn a lot about that person. Specifically, you’ll discover the person’s attitude toward life, which reveals his or her gratitude for life. A positive…

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“Who you attract is not determined by what you want. It’s determined by who you are.”1 It is likely as a leader that you have a picture of the perfect employee in your head. For some organizations, the next hire maybe in the C-Suite. For others, it may be an entry-level person with a drive…

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“I love mankind – it’s people I can’t stand.” Charlie Brown, in Charles Schulz’ timeless comic strip, “Peanuts” Charlie Brown had a point: relationships with other human beings are wonderful – in theory. In reality, they can be difficult and messy. But nothing determines our success in life as much as our ability to work…

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“There is a choice you make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.” ~ John Wooden A legacy isn’t something over which we have no control, like the shadow that follows us down the sidewalk. Rather, we can choose the way in which our…

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A five-year old slugger smacks the baseball out into the field and sprints toward third base. A tiny midfielder, playing her first soccer match, reaches down and scoops into her arms the ball rolling through the green grass toward her. A small child on the basketball court receives a pass from a teammate and excitedly…

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The Sahara plays tricks on the eyes of its travelers. As the desert sun beats down on the sand, heat waves rise from the ground. Light bends as it passes through the superheated air, painting illusory pictures on the horizon. To thirsty travelers moving through the Sahara, it often appears as if an oasis looms…

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