Top 500 John C. Maxwell Quotes (2025 Update)
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251. “Set the tone for your day be 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

252. “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

253. “Grow a leader-grow the organization. A company cannot grow without until its leaders grow within.”

— John C. Maxwell

254. “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

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

— John C. Maxwell

256. “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

257. “No matter your title, people will not follow you if they don’t trust you.”

— John C. Maxwell

258. “A proven leader always has a proven track record.”

— 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. “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

262. “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

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

278. “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

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

284. “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

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

289. “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

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

293. “To achieve your dreams, you must embrace adversity and make failure a regular part of your life. If you’re not failing, you’re probably not really moving forward.”

— John C. Maxwell

294. “Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.”

— John C. Maxwell

295. “People knowledge is much more important than mere product knowledge.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

297. “Great communication depends on two simple skills-context, which attunes a leader to the same frequency as his or her audience, and delivery, which allows a leader to phrase messages in a language the audience can understand.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

299. “Persuasive communication involves enthusiasm, animation, audience participation, authenticity and spontaneity.”

— John C. Maxwell

300. “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