15 More Top Quotes from John Maxwell's "The 360 Degree Leader"

"Short as life is, we make it still shorter 

by the careless waste of time." 

- Victor Hugo

"The key to personal development 

is being more growth oriented than goal oriented." 

- John Maxwell

"I don't think much of a man 

who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." 

- Abraham Lincoln

"The difference between what we do 

and what we are capable of doing 

would suffice to solve most of the world's problems."

 - Mahatma Gandhi

"You can't change where you started, 

but you can change the direction you are going. 

It's not what you are going to do, 

but it's what you are doing now that counts." 

- Napoleon Hill

"The most important single ingredient in the 

formula of success is knowing how 

to get along with people." 

- Theodore Roosevelt

"Your best friend is he who brings out 

the best that is within you." 

- Henry Ford

"When the eagles are silent, 

the parrots begin to jabber." 

- Winston Churchill

"People are like rubber bands. 

They are most valuable when they are stretched, 

not when they are at rest."  

- John Maxwell

"Relationship building is always 

the foundation of effective leadership."  

- John Maxwell

"Leaders aren't necessarily the first to cross the finish line 

- people who run alone are the fastest. 

Leaders are the first to bring all of their people 

across the finish line." 

- John Maxwell

"You never really know something 

until you teach it to someone else." 

- John Maxwell

"Any business or industry that pays equal rewards 

to its goof-offs and its eager beavers 

sooner or later will find itself with more goof-offs 

than eager beavers." 

- Mick Delaney

"I've never known a person focused on yesterday 

to have a better tomorrow." 

- John Maxwell

"The only conquests which are permanent 

and leave no regrets are our conquests over ourselves." 

- Napoleon Bonaparte

Top Ten Leadership Quotes from John Maxwell's "The 360 Degree Leader"

"The bottom line is this: 

Leadership is a choice you make, 
not a place you sit. 

Anyone can choose to become a leader 
wherever he is. 

You can make a difference 
no matter where you are."

 - John Maxwell

"Good leaders rarely think in 
terms of boundaries; 

instead, they think in 
terms of opportunities." 

- John Maxwell

"True heroism is remarkably sober, 
very undramatic. 

It is not the urge to surpass all 
others at whatever cost, 

but the urge to serve others 
at whatever the cost." 

- Arthur Ashe

"Some of us will do our jobs well, 
and some will not. 

But we will all be judged by 
only one thing - the result." 

- Vince Lombardi 

"I will go anywhere provided it's forward." 

- David Livingstone

"I love the man that can smile in trouble, 

that can gather strength from distress, 

and grow brave by reflection. 

'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, 

but he whose heart is firm, 

and whose conscience approves his conduct, 

will pursue his principles unto death." 

- Thomas Paine

"Until you value yourself, 
you won't value your time. 

Until you value your time, 

you won't do anything with it." 

- M. Scott Peck

"Leaders can give up many things. 

They can delegate many things. 

The one thing that the top leader 
can never let go of 

is final responsibility." 

- John Maxwell

"You learn resiliency and tenacity during 

tough assignments, not easy ones. 

When tough choices have to be made 

and results are difficult to achieve, 
leaders are forged." 

- John Maxwell

"The secret of success in life 

is for a man to be ready 
for his time when it comes." 

- Benjamin Disraeli

The Pareto Principle

A long, long time ago, near the beginning of my ministry, I attended a leadership conference taught by John Maxwell. I ate up the material because it related to what I was facing in my church and life at the time. I was just reminded of one of the principles that he taught as I was sitting at my desk looking at literally scores of books that I want to read.

The truth is that you can't do everything. You can't read everything. You can't listen to every podcast and you certainly can't keep everybody happy. That's where the reminder about the Pareto Principle came to my puny little mind.

The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) was developed by an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto way back in 1906. What it basically teaches is this: for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. He observed, for example that, in 1906, 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the people. In his garden, 80% of the peas came from only 20% of the pea pods.

Frankly, I don't care about the peas and the pods or who owns what in Italy - the question for me is how can I apply this principle. Maxwell shared some great applications for my church and my life. Take a look at some of these examples and see if you have found these true in your environment:

• 20% of the people do 80% of the work.
• 20% of the people give 80% of the money.
• 20% of the people take 80% of the time.
• 20% of the people invite 80% of the visitors.
• 20% of the people make 80% of the decisions.
• 20% of the people teach 80% of the people.
• 20% of the time produces 80% of the results.
• 20% of the programs give 80% of the growth.
• 20% of the message gives 80% of the content.
• 20% of the job gives 80% of the satisfaction.

The bottom line application for all of us is this: if we devote our energy, time, and resources to the top 20% of our priorities, we’ll achieve 80% of the results we desire. This is one application of this principle that I have definitely found to be true. All of us are busy (some at things that don't matter, but that's another story). Many of us find ourselves with not enough hours in a day to accomplish all that we need to accomplish. So, obviously, choices need to be made. Here are some lessons from Pareto.

It's not how hard you work, but how smart, that counts. 
I've known some very unsuccessful hard workers. They're certainly not lazy, but lazy is not the only way to be unproductive. We need to recognize those areas of responsibility that are going to move us the greatest distance toward our destination, and do them first.

Someone spoke of the "tyranny of the urgent." Without planning and evaluating, we end up constantly having to deal with things that are now "urgent," simply because we weren't paying attention. With my personality I learned a long time ago that I wasn't going to get a lot done without the use of a planner. Working hard was never an issue, working smart was.

Organize or agonize.
I say this as I'm surrounded by stacks of papers and files on my desk. I'm an "abstract random." I tend to move quickly from project to project and like to have a lot of things of the go. I can be like the talking dog in the movie "Up" who was constantly being distracted because he thought he saw a squirrel. I like squirrels, they're cute little furry animals, rodents actually that like nuts....  Sorry. The point is. I've had to learn (still learning) to organize my major projects or regret the missed deadlines.

For those with personalities like mine, this is an ongoing process. But I do find the principle holds true. I need to keep asking myself which of these projects will bring the greatest reward and refocus my energies on those.

Choose or lose.
The truth is that we are always making choices whether we want to be or not. If we do not choose to place first things first then we are choosing to place them somewhere else. When those important things are moved down on the totem pole our effectiveness drops as well. Sometimes we simply cannot do everything that is asked of us so we must choose - or lose.

Evaluate or stalemate.
Someone called it "the paralysis of analysis," the inability to make a decision. It's also been called the "ready, aim, aim, aim... syndrome." We have to set and maintain priorities if we're going to be effective in our chosen field of endeavour. How can we do that? Here are some questions to ask:

• How do we determine our priorities?

1. Requirement: What is required of me?
2. Return: What gives the greatest return?
3. Reward: What gives me the greatest joy?

• How do we maintain our priorities?

1. Evaluate: Where am I?
2. Eliminate: What am I doing that can be done by someone else?
3. Estimate: What is needed to accomplish my objective?

I know that I have a set amount of hours to work with in any given day and week. The question is, what am I going to do with that time? If I apply the Pareto Principle and focus on the top 20%, rather than the squirrels, chances are I'll get a lot more done. So, as far as my books are concerned, I think I'm going to figure out which 20% are going to give me 80% of what I need to know. The others look good on my shelf for the time being. By the way, if you're reading this, you're in my top 20%. : )

Related Articles:
"Do It Now" - The Principle of Inertia
“Put God First” - The Principle of Priority
Developing Great Habits
Key Leadership Qualities - Discernment
Are You Teachable?
Resources: Top Ten Lists For Canadian Christian Leaders

Life-changers

I was reading my friend Dewayne Hamby's blog about the impact a recent message by Andy Stanley had on him, and it got me thinking. What are the moments that I remember that had a profound impact on my life? There have been a few of them, but one immediately leapt to mind - first a little background.

I began my pastoral ministry at a very young age, and have learned many of my life-lessons the hard way - by experience. By 25 I had already pastored two churches, assisted at another and was starting out as a Youth Pastor in Jacksonville, Florida. Like many young people starting out, I believed that I had all of the answers - or at least a lot of them. I was of the opinion that the reason I didn't have more success in my ministry was a lack of opportunity, or resources, or the right people around me, or... You get the picture. My Senior Pastor in Florida signed us up for a Pastor's Conference (I believe in Birmingham, AL) featuring John Maxwell as the keynote speaker. At the time, John was already well on his way to becoming a household name in the area of leadership development.

John began to speak, and I believe I had a front-row seat. It was one of those times when it felt as though John (and God through him) was speaking directly to me. I don't remember all of the details, as this was 23-24 years ago now. But what I do remember has had a lasting impact on me.

John spoke about personal responsibility and about being honest with ourselves. One of the quotes that I remember is this: "Your problem is not the problem, you are. Face it and fix it." He was talking about pastors who spend two years at a church and then, all of a sudden, hear God "calling" them to move on. Then two years later the cycle repeats itself, and so on, and so on... He went on to say that the reason for this cycle is that most pastors enjoy a "honeymoon" period at a new church, and once three years were up, the problems they faced could no longer be blamed on their predecessor. I have to admit, this was one of those "ouch" moments for me. I thought back over my few years in ministry and realized that there was a lot of truth to what he was saying.

I made a number of commitments as a result of that conference. One of them was a commitment to develop my leadership abilities, another prominent theme of the conference. From that one commitment has followed many lessons learned that have radically changed my life and ministry. I have made it a part of my life to attend at least one leadership conference a year and read leadership material on a regular basis. Another commitment was to not run from my problems but to face them head on and with grace. This has lead to two long-term pastorates, both of which have been extremely rewarding.

It's amazing the difference that one lesson can make. I am eternally grateful to John for his influence from a distance. Thanks from the guy in the front row.

Articles of Interest:
Book Review: "It Came From Within!"
Are You Listening?
Deliver Us From Mediocrity
The Rebekah Principle

Deliver Us From Mediocrity

Many years ago I remember sitting in a conference hosted by John Maxwell as he spoke on the subject of excellence. The lesson has never left me. He began by talking about the plague of mediocrity.

That word makes an interesting study. Its a compound word (medi and ocris) which literally means "halfway up a stony mountain." Now doesn't that create a great picture? It accurately describes our situations when we fail to give our best. We end up halfway there, unsuccessful and precariously placed on the side of a mountain.

The story's told of climbing companions attempting to scale the heights of a majestic mountain. The journey begins with relatively easy hikes over the foothills to the higher peaks. As the days go by, the trek becomes more and more challenging, and some begin to question the wisdom of the adventure altogether. Just before they reach the base of the main peak they plan to climb they reach a lodge. This was built to help travelers rest up for the most difficult part of the climb.

The weary climbers are able to sit by a roaring fire, eat hot meals and drink coffee in the shelter the lodge provides. But an interesting thing happens. When it's time to leave, some of those who were once excited about reaching the summit decide that they will wait here at the halfway point for their friends to return. They're satisfied to stop half way.

They take a comfortable seat on the front porch with their coffee and watch as the committed few begin the hardest part of the journey. At first the conversation is loud and the laughter is easy. They talk about how much pain the climbers will endure as they reach for the summit. But, as the day wears on, something interesting happens. From their vantage point, they can still see their friends as they climb higher and higher, closer to their goal. But the loud talk and the laughter cease, and each is left with their own quiet thoughts as they watch those with whom they started climbing, ascend to the peak without them.

There are relatively few people who are willing to do what it takes to pursue excellence, because excellence is not easy - it costs. What does it cost to pursue excellence?

1. It costs time to pursue excellence.
It matters not the field in which you find yourself, whether that be sports, academics, a trade or public service. Excellence is not simply a choice; it is a series of choices. It is a daily decision to do your best: to take the time to study, practice, write or rehearse, whatever it takes.

Charles Swindoll, one of the most enduring of Christian writers, decided early on in his ministry to make such a commitment. Already dealing with a heavy workload as a pastor, he chose to arise one hour earlier each day and to spend that hour writing. Years later, he has now written over 50 books and has become one of the most respected spokesmen for Christianity.

Michael Jordan is on everyone's short list of the greatest basketball players of all time. He is a six-time NBA champion, a five-time MVP, a 10-time scoring champion and a 14-time All-star. When it came time for a game to be decided, there was never a question who would be holding the ball - it would be Michael. How did he reach such heights of excellence?

Alongside the other accolades, Michael Jordan has been called the best practice player ever. He took seriously every opportunity he had to improve his game It was said that he performed every drill as if it was a game situation. He did this so that, when faced with an opportunity when it mattered, he would always be prepared. It takes time to achieve excellence.

It costs resources to achieve excellence.
Excellence is the result of investing in your personal growth over a long period of time. Not everyone who has achieved excellence has a university education (many don't), however, those who are consistently excellent are those who have made a commitment to be life-long learners.

The question is often asked, "but what about those who are just born with natural talent." That is certainly an advantage, but the world is full of talented bums, people who have wasted their potential because they relied on their talent alone. With talent comes responsibility. As a high school basketball coach I have seen naturally gifted players that I would gladly trade for less talented ones with a higher commitment level. A true gift is a player with talent and a teachable spirit; that is the place from which greatness comes.

So how do we grow? You can grow from school, books, mentors, seminars, etc... but it starts with a commitment to invest. Look for someone who knows what you want to learn and ask for help. Find the right books, listen to the right CD's, go to the right places, attend the right events... and learn.

3. It costs emotionally to achieve excellence.
This statement speaks of relationship. The sad truth is that not everyone wants to reach excellence; not everyone is willing to pay the price to reach the summit. If you surround yourself with people who are unwilling to pay the price, you will never reach your potential. Conversely, if you surround yourself with people who make the same commitments as you do, your investments are multiplied as "iron sharpens iron."

Please hear me accurately. I'm not saying that we should have nothing to do with people who do not share our dreams and commitments. I am saying that our key friendships and relationships will have a great deal to say in whether we achieve our dreams. Constantly dealing with insecure people can be like the proverbial kittens in the basket. None can get out because they take turns pulling each other down. This is opposed to the Biblical advice from Hebrews 10:24 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

The person who is committed to excellence not only makes a difference in their own life; they have a positive impact on those around them. When the Chicago Bulls saw their most talented player working harder in practice than anyone else, it drove each one to work harder and raised the bar for the whole team.

I've been encouraged over the course of my ministry to see that many churches are beginning to understand the importance of excellence in the church. After all, we profess to be working for the Creator of all things, the One who could say at the end of creation that "it was very good." We are created in His image; therefore, we should work to do the best we can as well.

This applies to all areas of church life: music, preaching, children's ministries, youth ministry, the arts, technology, teaching, all of it. I want to do better. I want to do better at communicating the truth of God's Word in a way that people can understand. I want do better in providing the very best worship to God of which we are capable. I want to do better in producing life-impacting events that are second to none. I want to do better in utilizing the latest technologies to help to demonstrate eternal truths. I want to do better because God deserves the very best of which I am capable.