Do you remember how you felt on Christmas Eve when you were a child?  If you were like me you probably had butterflies in your stomach.  You couldn’t sleep because of anticipation.  Your dreams were full of images of what Christmas morning would be like. Trust me, I still love Christmas and I get excited…

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“What’s my motivation?”  That’s the question crossing our minds when the alarm goes off at 6:00 in the morning. That’s the question we pose to ourselves at the office when the clock rolls past 5:00 pm and there is still work needing to be done. At some point, all leaders must consciously face the “motive…

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One of our main areas of focus at The John Maxwell Company is that we want to “live out” the principles John teaches.  One that has been paramount to John’s success is his consistent practice of the “Rule of 5”. The Rule of 5 is simply a series of activities that you do EVERY DAY…

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Times of crisis almost always create memories we look back on as defining moments in leadership. They send us on a trajectory, either good or bad, towards some destination. Many of us realize our “life purpose” through this kind of an experience. I’ve always loved this quote by Winston Churchill:  “There comes a special moment…

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“Nothing of significance was ever achieved by an individual acting alone. Look below the surface and you will find that all seemingly solo acts are really team efforts.”1 Have you ever met a successful person who has not had support or guidance from another person? One of the most important factors to success is teamwork.…

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When did you first realize that you were a leader? For me it happened as a fifth grade student in Mr. Horton’s classroom. We were studying the legal system, and we planned to assemble a mock courtroom with attorneys, a jury, and a judge. When it came time to elect the judge, Mr. Horton passed…

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In many areas of life, the middle is the most miserable place to be. Where’s the worst seat on an airplane? The middle. Aisle seats are roomier, and easier to climb in and out of; window seats offer a better view along with a place to rest your head. What’s the most difficult stage of…

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“Preparation positions people correctly, and it is often the separation between winning and losing. Talent-plus people who prepare well live by this motto: ‘All’s well that begins well.’”1 All leaders possess talent, but having the ability to recognize the power of preparation and “beginning well” is critical to getting the desired end result and the…

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