The John Maxwell Company, Author at John Maxwell

While reading a magazine at a dentist’s office in Paris, Philippe Petit became engrossed in an article about the Twin Towers in New York. As an 18-year old street performer, Petit was constantly on the lookout for venues for his high wire balancing acts. Studying an artist’s rendition of the World Trade Center, Petit came…

Before the days of GPS devices, my glove compartment was stuffed with area maps, and I consulted them to navigate the roadways. When planning vacations, I pored over printed maps to plot my route from one point of interest to the next. I recall being assigned the role of navigator on family trips and hunching…

“No man can live happily who regards himself alone; who turns everything to his own advantage. You must live for others if you wish to live for yourself.”~ Seneca In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, The Ghost of Christmas Past transports the cantankerous old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, back in time to the place Scrooge first…

Guy Laliberte’s parents (a PR executive and a nurse) hadn’t envisioned their son making a living by playing his accordion for tips from passersby. Hence, they weren’t exactly delighted when Guy informed them of his decision to bypass college in favor of becoming an artist. As much as they may have regretted his choice at…

The following moral/ethical dilemma supposedly was included on an actual job application: You are driving down the road at night during a torrential downpour, when you pass by a bus stop. Three people are waiting for the bus: 1) An elderly lady who looks as if she needs medical attention. 2) A longtime friend who…

The United States has seen its share of weather-related catastrophes in 2011. At the beginning of year, several cities were pounded by blizzards, and snowfall amounts approached record totals in Chicago, Boston, and New York. In April and May, a super outbreak of tornadoes wreaked devastation across the South-Central United States, most notably in the…

Leading peers can be tricky since you’re simultaneously cooperating with and competing against them. For example, athletes on the same team contend for a limited number of positions in the starting lineup, yet compete together on game day. Musicians within an orchestra vie for the first chair, but then harmonize their talents to delight audiences…

In 2004, a group of Yale students (24 of them) pulled off an elaborate prank at the annual Harvard-Yale football game. Dressed in crimson-and-white T-shirts touting their membership in the Harvard Pep Squad, the Yale students positioned themselves throughout the bleachers on Harvard’s side of the field. During the first half of the game, the…

“This is a great, great country that had gotten a little soft and…we didn’t have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last couple of decades. We need to get back on track.”~ President Barack Obama Has America gotten soft? Lost its edge? Wandered off track? In many ways, society has indeed gotten…

President Harry S. Truman readily took responsibility for his decisions, and he was famous for saying, “The buck stops here.” Though his approval ratings were only 20-30% for much of his presidency, Truman didn’t waver. “I know the public is against me,” he’d say, “but they’ll come around.” Truman entered the election year of 1948…

Posts by The John Maxwell Company

Passion: The Fuel of Persistence

Resolving to Grow Through Relationships

Spreading Joy on the Job

From Street Performer to Space Tourist: The Creativity of Cirque du Soleil’s Founder

Moving Past Our Myths About Creativity

A Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Leading Across: From Competing to Completing

Avoiding Workplace Rivalries

Curbing the Entitlement Culture

When the Crowd Boos