Top 500 John C. Maxwell Quotes (2026 Update)
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301. “True Leadership always begins with the inner person.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

303. “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

304. “Nothing speaks like results. If you want to build the kind of credibility that connects with people, then deliver results before you deliver a message. Get out and do what you advise others to do. Communicate from experience.”

— John C. Maxwell

305. “An idea is worthless unless you use it.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

307. “If you’re always at the head of the class, then you’re in the wrong class.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

309. “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

310. “Attitude isn’t everything, but it is one thing that can make a difference in your life.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

312. “A trustworthy leader goes the extra mile to remedy strained relationships, even when it doesn’t appear to be required.”

— John C. Maxwell

313. “Success is due to our stretching to the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them.”

— John C. Maxwell

314. “Never open a can of worms unless you plan to go fishing.”

— John C. Maxwell

315. “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

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

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

318. “Reaching the top is a monumental achievement, but remaining there may be the most spectacular feat of all.”

— John C. Maxwell

319. “Big-picture thinkers broaden their outlook by striving to learn from every experience. They don’t rest on their successes, they learn from them.”

— John C. Maxwell

320. “Your attitude towards failure determines your altitude after failure.”

— John C. Maxwell

321. “Perhaps our greatest power in life is the power to choose. Without question, choices are the most determining factor in how our lives turn out.”

— John C. Maxwell

322. “Of all the things a leader should fear, complacency heads the list.”

— John C. Maxwell

323. “God uses people who fail – Cause there aren’t any other kind around.”

— John C. Maxwell

324. “All great leaders have understood that their number one responsibility is cultivating their own discipline and personal growth. Those who cannot lead themselves cannot lead others.”

— John C. Maxwell

Featured in: Personal Growth Quotes

325. “Trust must be built day by day. It calls for consistency.”

— John C. Maxwell

326. “You see, when our attitudes outdistance our abilities, even the impossible becomes possible.”

— John C. Maxwell

327. “Most people don’t like change. They revolt against it unless they can clearly see the advantage it brings. For that reason, when good leaders prepare to take action or make changes, they take people through a process to get them ready for it.”

— John C. Maxwell

328. “Every worthwhile accomplishment has a price tag attached to it. The question is always whether you are willing to pay the price to attain it – in hard work, sacrifice, patience, faith, and endurance.”

— John C. Maxwell

329. “What you are going to be tomorrow, you are becoming today.”

— John C. Maxwell

330. “Nurturing has the ability to transform people’s lives.”

— John C. Maxwell

331. “To add growth, lead followers – to multiply, lead leaders.”

— John C. Maxwell

332. “You are only an attitude away from success!”

— John C. Maxwell

333. “If your desire is a 10 but your self-esteem is a 5, you’ll never perform at the level of a 10. You’ll perform as a 5 or lower. People are ever able to outperform their self-image.”

— John C. Maxwell

334. “True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from Influence.”

— John C. Maxwell

335. “One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”

— John C. Maxwell

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

— John C. Maxwell

337. “Your thinking, more than anything else, shapes the way you live. It’s really true that if you change your thinking, you can change your life.”

— John C. Maxwell

338. “Positivity is an inside job that makes the outside look a lot better.”

— John C. Maxwell

339. “Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.”

— John C. Maxwell

340. “Doing the right thing daily compounds over time.”

— John C. Maxwell

341. “If you travel alone, you can probably go faster. But the journey will never be as rewarding, and you probably won’t be able to go as far.”

— John C. Maxwell

342. “Self-centered leaders manipulate when they move people for personal benefit. Mature leaders motivate by moving people for mutual benefit.”

— John C. Maxwell

343. “Do you value people who won’t benefit you or only those who might contribute in some way to your success? Great team players truly value others as people, and they know and relate to what others value.”

— John C. Maxwell

344. “Your life expands in proportion to your courage. Fear limits a leader.”

— John C. Maxwell

345. “Experience teaches nothing, but evaluated experience teaches everything.”

— John C. Maxwell

346. “Birds of a feather really do flock together.”

— John C. Maxwell

347. “The leader’s Attitude is like a thermostat for the place she works. If her attitude is good, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the environment is easy to work in. But if her attitude is bad, the temperature is insufferable.”

— John C. Maxwell

348. “You can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion. The heart comes before the head.”

— John C. Maxwell

349. “Be generous, be humble, and be grateful when achieving your dreams.”

— John C. Maxwell

350. “Commitment comes as a result of choice, not conditions.”

— John C. Maxwell