Posts by The John Maxwell Company
Loyalty: The Key to Consistent Victory
March Madness got its name because the NCAA basketball tournament provides stunning upsets each season. Unpredictability is big part of the tournament’s appeal. At any point in the competition, an unknown squad can suddenly catch fire, hitting shot after shot, to knock off a heavily favored opponent. However, if you were filling out an NCAA…
Read MoreConvinced or Committed?
Teams don’t win by accident; they cannot simply rely on their talent to take them to the top. Winning teams display strong, durable commitment—both to a common cause and to one another. This commitment inspires them to persevere through setbacks and to make the sacrifices necessary to succeed. Commitment to a Common Cause Commitment to…
Read MoreCommunication: Keep Traffic Flowing and Make Sure It’s Going Both Ways
Walking into a new work environment can be a bewildering experience. You meet a number of new teammates, get thrown into several ongoing projects, and have to navigate unfamiliar systems. The amount of information you’re exposed to, and the pace at which you’re expected to learn your responsibilities, can feel overwhelming. Imagine having to help…
Read MoreUnderstanding Underperformance
If you ignore a rattle or hum in your vehicle’s engine for too long, your car may stop running. One defective part can cause the automobile to break down completely. Similarly, the smooth functioning of a team is impacted by its weakest link. When one person routinely underperforms, the whole team suffers. People who consistently…
Read MoreWithout a Plan, You’re Growing Nowhere
Personal growth doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not an automatic process. If you want to guarantee growth, then you need a plan—something strategic, specific, and scheduled. Motivational speaker Earl Nightingale said, “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that…
Read MoreAlexander the Not-So-Great
According to legend, when Alexander the Great saw that his empire stretched across the entire known world, he wept for there were no more kingdoms left to conquer. Whether true or mythical, the story powerfully portrays Alexander’s goal-drivenness. The ambitious general always set his sights on new lands to add to his domain. Once he…
Read MoreLearning Leadership by Wrestling Cats?
“I knew a man who grabbed a cat by the tail and learned forty percent more about cats than the man who didn’t.”~ Mark Twain Twain’s witticism carries some truth about leadership: 1) we learn leadership from being in close proximity to it, and 2) we learn leadership through memorable experiences. LEADERSHIP UP CLOSE In…
Read MoreThe Lawyer Who Didn’t Lie
A busload of lawyers careened off a mountain road and tumbled over a cliff. The bus was destroyed and there were no survivors. Tragically, the bus was only half full. Though there are a number of wonderful attorneys, as the joke above indicates, members of the legal profession are often subjected to a negative stereotype.…
Read MorePassing the Ball to Playmakers
In a football game, the quarterback starts each play with the ball, but he rarely keeps it. After the ball is snapped, the quarterback steps back behind the line, surveys the field, and then hands the football to a running back or passes it to a wide receiver. These positions—running backs and wide receivers—are often…
Read MoreAre You Busy Building Sandcastles?
Anyone who has constructed sandcastles knows how fragile they can be. Minutes after they’re made, incoming waves swoop in to swallow them up and wash them away. Sadly, many leaders’ legacies suffer the same fate. They diligently build an organization for years only to see it disintegrate as soon as they’ve gone. There is no…
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