John Maxwell Quotes that Will Inspire Your Greatness

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John Maxwell

This is a collection of John Maxwell quotes you can use to inspire yourself and others.

As you’ll see in his quotes, John Maxwell flows inspiration and wisdom in a relevant way.

While many of John Maxwell’s quotes are focused on teams and leaders, he also tackles interesting topics like character, choice, and every day success,.

There is truly something for everyone.

Enjoy.

John Maxwell’s 7 Steps To Success

Before we dive into quotes, let’s start with Maxwell’s steps for success which reflect his his philosophy, mindset, and values:

Make a commitment to grow daily.
Value the process more than events.
Don’t wait for inspiration.
Be willing to sacrifice pleasure for opportunity.
Dream big.
Plan your priorities.
Give up to go up.

Top 10 John Maxwell Quotes

Here are my top 10 favorite John Maxwell quotes:

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” — John Maxwell
“Do not take the agenda that someone else has mapped out for your life.” — John Maxwell
“Growth inside fuels growth outside.” — John Maxwell
“Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.” — John Maxwell
“Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”
“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” — John Maxwell
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” — John Maxwell
“We all stand on the shoulders of the past generation.” — John Maxwell
“You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” — John Maxwell
“You must manage your thought life daily and then you can manage your life.” — John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Character

“Character creates consistency, and if your people know what they can expect from you, they will continue to look to you for leadership.”
— John Maxwell

“Character makes trust possible, and trust is the foundation of leadership. It’s true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.”
— John Maxwell

“Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent.”
— John Maxwell

“Over time, is it easier or harder to sustain your influence within your organization? With charisma alone, influence becomes increasingly more difficult to sustain. With character, as time passes, influence builds and requires less work to sustain.”
— John Maxwell

“There are three qualities a leader must exemplify to build trust: competence, connection, and character.”
— John Maxwell

“You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Choice and Decisions

“Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life.”
— John Maxwell

“If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading… “
— John Maxwell

“The law of the [Cub Scout] pack guides the boys to move in the direction of being helpful, friendly, courteous, trustworthy and promote qualities which parents and the community are looking for. The whole purpose of scouting is to help the children grow up making good decisions in life.”
— John Maxwell

“There are two paths people can take. They can either play now and pay later, or pay now and play later. Regardless of the choice, one thing is certain. Life will demand a payment.”
— John Maxwell

“We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it’s a continuing choice.”
— John Maxwell

“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Communication

“A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.”
— John Maxwell

“Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.”
— John Maxwell

“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”
— John Maxwell

“People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”
— John Maxwell

“Relational skills are the most important abilities in leadership.”
— John Maxwell

“Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.”
— John Maxwell

“Talk to people, not above them.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Credibility

“A highly credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.”
— John Maxwell

“Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.”
— John Maxwell

“Credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.”
— John Maxwell

“Don’t hide bad news. With multiple information channels available, bad news always becomes known. Be candid right from the start.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Daily Impact

“As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behavior. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to become. Take action on your behavior. Too many people want to feel, then take action. This never works.”
— John Maxwell

“Doing the right thing daily, compounds over time.”
— John Maxwell

“Doing the wrong thing daily, compounds over time.”
— John Maxwell

“It is truly one day at a time.”
— John Maxwell

“Stay focused instead of getting offended or off track by others.”
— John Maxwell

“Success is not a destination thing, it’s a daily thing.”
— John Maxwell

“The law of process says — leaders develop daily, not in a day.”
— John Maxwell

“The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
— John Maxwell

“Today matters.”
— John Maxwell

“What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?”
— John Maxwell

“What you are going to be tomorrow, you are becoming today.”
— John Maxwell

“Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Failure

“Don’t buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They can’t be.”
— John Maxwell

“‘Failing forward’ is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.”
— John Maxwell

“Failure is not a one-time event; it’s how you deal with life along the way. Until you breathe your last breath, you’re still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.”
— John Maxwell

“Generally speaking, there are two kinds of learning: experience, which is gained from your own mistakes, and wisdom, which is learned from the mistakes of others.”
— John Maxwell

“Seek advice, but make sure it’s from someone who has successfully handled mistakes or adversities.”
— John Maxwell

“You are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Growth

“A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose, a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.”
— John Maxwell

“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
— John Maxwell

“If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”
— John Maxwell

“Image is what people think we are; integrity is what we really are.”
— John Maxwell

“The depth of your mythology is the extent of your effectiveness.”
— John Maxwell

“Life doesn’t do anything to you. It only reveals your spirit.”
— John Maxwell

“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.”
— John Maxwell

“The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
— John Maxwell

“You must do right before you feel good.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Leaders and Leadership

“A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”
— John Maxwell

“A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.”
— John Maxwell

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
— John Maxwell

“A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences.”
— John Maxwell

“Believing in people before they have proved themselves is the key to motivating people to reach their potential.”
— John Maxwell

“Encourage the many; mentor the few.”
— John Maxwell

“Everyone is a leader because everyone influences someone.”
— John Maxwell

“Leadership is developed daily, not in a day.”
— John Maxwell

“Leadership is influence.”
— John Maxwell

“Leaders must live by higher standards than their followers.”
— John Maxwell

“Most People have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional.“
— John Maxwell

“Not everyone will become a great leader, but everyone can become a better leader.”
— John Maxwell

“One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”
— John Maxwell

“The first step to leadership is servant hood.”
— John Maxwell

“The law of process says leaders develop daily, not in a day.”
— John Maxwell

“The more credible you are, the more confidence people place in you, thereby allowing you the privilege of influencing their lives.”
— John Maxwell

“We cannot lead anyone farther than we have been ourselves.”
— John Maxwell

“What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?”
— John Maxwell

“You can’t become a leader in one conference.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Success

“Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success.”
— John Maxwell

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

“Once our minds are ‘tattooed’ with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish.”
— John Maxwell

“Successful leaders have the courage to take action while others hesitate.”
— John Maxwell

“Successful people are willing to do things unsuccessful people will not do.”
— John Maxwell

“To collaborative team members, completing one another is more important than competing with one another.”
— John Maxwell

“True success comes only when every generation continues to develop the next generation.”
— John Maxwell

“We all stand on the shoulders of the past generation”
— John Maxwell

“You don’t become a success when you get your diploma, you became a success when you decided to go to college when you get your diploma you get the rewards of success.”
— John Maxwell

“You have to sow excellent seeds to have an excellent life. You must start with sowing excellent thoughts.”
— John Maxwell

John Maxwell Quotes on Teamwork

“Coming together is a beginning, and staying together is progress, but only when teams sweat together do they find success.”
— John Maxwell

“Talented performers flock to the best and brightest leaders, and these leaders in turn lift the lids off their people and uncork the latent talent inside of them.”
— John Maxwell

“Teams make you better than you are, multiply your value, enable you to do what you do best, allow you to help others do their best, give you more time, provide you with companionship, help you fulfill the desires of your heart and compound your vision and effort.”
— John Maxwell

“The best way to serve the individuals on the team is to see that the whole team wins.”
— John Maxwell

“The Wrong Person in the Wrong Place = Regression. The Wrong Person in the Right Place = Frustration. The Right Person in the Wrong Place = Confusion. The Right Person in the Right Place = Progression. The Right People in the Right Places = Multiplication.”
— John Maxwell

“Values hold the team together, provide stability for the team to grow upon, measure the team’s performance, give direction and guidance and attract like-minded people.”
— John Maxwell

Quotes Collection
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Dreaming Big Quotes
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