John C. Maxwell Motivational Quotations

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.

The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to...failure.

Live to learn and you will really learn to live.

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.

Maturity does not always come with age; sometimes age comes alone.

The more that people know how they fit on a team, the more they will desire to properly make the most of their fit and maximize their contribution.

Leaders need to remember that the point of leading is not to cross the finish line first. It's to take people across the finish line with you. For that reason, leaders must deliberately slow their pace, stay connected to their people, enlist others to help fulfill the vision, and keep people going. You can't do that if you're running too far ahead of your people.

In my organizations I don't have employees; I have teammates. Yes, I do pay people and offer them benefits. But people don't work for me. They work with me. We are working together to fulfill the vision. Without them, I cannot succeed. Without me, they cannot succeed. We're a team. We reach our goals together. We need each other. If we didn't, then one of us is in the wrong place.

No matter if you're just starting out or if you are at the peak of your career, the more you work in your strength zone, the more successful you will be.

If you are in a leadership position, do not rely on your title to convince people to follow you. Build relationships. Win people over. Do that and you will never be a lonely leader.

If you are leading others and you're lonely, then you're not doing it right. Think about it. If you're all alone, that means nobody is following you. And if nobody is following you, you're not really leading!

Successful people reject rejection.

The purpose of leadership is to take others to the top. And when you take others who might not make it to the top otherwise, there's no other feeling like it in the world. To those who have never had the experience, you can't explain it. To those who have, you don't need to.

The more intentional you are about your leadership growth, the greater your potential for becoming the leader you're capable of being. Never stop learning.

When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves. That begins when we do what we should no matter how we feel about it.

Your goal as a leader isn't to be indispensable to the people you lead; it is to leave your people something that is indispensable to them.

The smartest person in the room is never as smart as all the people in the room.

Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.

The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying

Question for God every morning: What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?

If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, then someday you can do the things you want do when you want to do them.

Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life.

We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.

If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet.

Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.

The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what? After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it.

The greatest handicap a person has is not realizing his potential.

Think back to the most important experiences of your life, the highest highs, the greatest victories, the most daunting obstacles overcome. How many happened to you alone? I bet there are very few. When you understand that being connected to others is one of life's greatest joys, you realize that life's best comes when you initiate and invest in solid relationships.

I've been told that certain species of fish will grow according to the size of their environment. Put them in a tiny aquarium, and they remain small even at adulthood. Release them into a huge natural body of water, and they grow into their intended size. People are similar. If they live in a harsh and limiting environment, they stay small. But put them someplace that encourages growth, and they will expand to reach their potential.

The english word thanks comes from the same root word as think. Maybe if leaders were more 'think-ful' about the contribution of others, they would be more 'thankful' to them.

People create success in their lives by focusing on today. It may sound trite, but today is the only time you have. It's too late for yesterday. And you can't depend on tomorrow. That's why today matters. Most of the time we miss that.

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.

Always take the high road.

Wanting to win isn't enough. You have to go through a process to improve. That takes patience, perseverance, and intentionality.

For years I kept a sign on my desk that helped me maintain the right perspective concerning yesterday. It simply said, 'yesterday ended last night.' It reminded me that no matter how badly I might have failed in the past, it's done, and today is a new day.

Now more than ever I am aware that a person's significant birthdays can either mark the passage of time, or they can mark changes they've made in their lives to reach their potential and become the person they were created to be. With each passing year, I want to make good choices that make me a better person, help me become a better leader, and make a positive impact on others.

Working on a weakness within a strength zone will always produce positive results. Working on a weakness outside of the strength zone will not.