Top 500 John C. Maxwell Quotes (2025 Update)
Page 6 of 10

251. “Being one step ahead makes you a leader. Being fifty steps ahead could make you a martyr.”

— John C. Maxwell

252. “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who want to get things done, and those who don’t want to make mistakes.”

— John C. Maxwell

253. “Success is not a destination thing, it’s a daily thing.”

— John C. Maxwell

254. “Set the tone for your day by treating people better than you expect to be treated by them. Be the first to smile. Express your appreciation for them. Expect the best out of them. If you act first, you will set yourself up for success.”

— John C. Maxwell

255. “The wrong action done at the wrong time spells disaster. The right action done at the wrong time spells resistance. The wrong action done at the right time spells mistake, but the right action done at the right time spells a miracle.”

— John C. Maxwell

256. “I think many people believe the best way they can help others is to criticize them, to give them the benefit of their ‘wisdom.’ I disagree. The best way to help people is to see the best in them.”

— John C. Maxwell

257. “You’ve got to love your people more than your position.”

— John C. Maxwell

258. “Leaders don’t rise to the pinnacle of success without developing the right set of attitudes and habits; they make every day a masterpiece.”

— John C. Maxwell

259. “To go nowhere, follow the crowd.”

— John C. Maxwell

260. “Practice the 101 Percent Principle. Whenever possible, find the 1 percent you do agree on in a difficult situation, and give it 100 percent of your effort.”

— John C. Maxwell

261. “If you want to lead you must learn. If you want to continue to lead you must continue to learn.”

— John C. Maxwell

262. “Find your vision, and let it guide you in all that you do. If you lack vision, look inside yourself. Draw on your natural gifts and desires.”

— John C. Maxwell

263. “You can’t avoid fear. No magic potion will take it away. And you can’t wait for motivation to get you going. To conquer fear, you have to feel the fear and take action anyway.”

— John C. Maxwell

264. “There are no half-hearted champions.”

— John C. Maxwell

265. “Every person has a longing to be significant; to make a contribution; to be a part of something noble and purposeful.”

— John C. Maxwell

266. “Leaders who leadershift must be like water. They have to be fluid. Water finds a way, then makes a way.”

— John C. Maxwell

267. “Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.”

— John C. Maxwell

268. “Leadership deals with people and their dynamics, which are continually changing. The challenge of leadership is to create change and facilitate growth.”

— John C. Maxwell

269. “Value people. Praise effort. Reward performance.”

— John C. Maxwell

270. “The success of a vision is determined by its ownership by both the leader and the people.”

— John C. Maxwell

271. “Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn’t come alive until the leader models it.”

— John C. Maxwell

272. “If you wouldn’t follow yourself, why should anyone else?”

— John C. Maxwell

273. “If you always do what you’ve always done, then you will always get what you’ve always gotten.”

— John C. Maxwell

274. “Although it’s admirable to be ambitious and hard-working, it’s more desirable to be smart-working.”

— John C. Maxwell

275. “Circumstances do not make you what you are, they reveal what you are.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

277. “To be an influencer, you have to love people before you can try to lead them.”

— John C. Maxwell

278. “He that thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.”

— John C. Maxwell

279. “Behind every great idea is someone saying “It won’t work””

— John C. Maxwell

280. “The only adequate preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today.”

— John C. Maxwell

281. “Successful people make right decisions early and manage those decisions daily.”

— John C. Maxwell

282. “Goals not only help you develop initial motivation by making your dreams obtainable, but they also help you continue to be motivated and that creates momentum.”

— John C. Maxwell

283. “A Chinese proverb says, “Those who drink the water must remember those who dug the well.” Gratitude is one of the most attractive of all personal attributes;.”

— John C. Maxwell

284. “You either spend your life preparing or you spend your life repairing.”

— John C. Maxwell

285. “Life is like riding in a taxi. Whether you are going anywhere or not, the meter keeps ticking.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

287. “The measure of a leader is not the number of people who serve him, but the number of people he serves.”

— John C. Maxwell

288. “They can’t hurt you unless you let them.”

— John C. Maxwell

289. “If you don’t like the crop you are reaping, check the seed you are sowing.”

— John C. Maxwell

290. “If your vision doesn’t cost you something, it’s a daydream.”

— John C. Maxwell

291. “Your life begins to change when you change something you do every day.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

293. “True Leadership always begins with the inner person.”

— John C. Maxwell

294. “Tend to the people, and they will tend to the business.”

— John C. Maxwell

295. “Anybody who thinks that they are a leader and doesn’t have anyone following them is just out for a walk.”

— John C. Maxwell

296. “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 C. Maxwell

297. “The length and breath of our influence on others are directly related to the depth of our concern for them.”

— John C. Maxwell

298. “Giving is the highest level of living.”

— John C. Maxwell

299. “Policies are many, Principles are few, Policies will change, Principles never do.”

— John C. Maxwell

300. “You never really know something until you teach it to someone else.”

— John C. Maxwell