John C. Maxwell Leader Quotations

Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That's not a guess, it's a guarantee. With pride, it's not a matter of 'if' we will fall, but 'when.' There are no exceptions.

The best leaders are readers of people. They have the intuitive ability to understand others by discerning how they feel and recognizing what they sense.

How do leaders serve their people? They may pay good wages and treat employees with respect.

All good leaders are connectors. They relate well and make people feel confident about themselves and their leader.

To remain a credible leader, I must always work first, hardest, and longest on changing myself. This is neither easy nor natural, but it is essential.

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.

If a leader cannot give you a clear picture of what he or she sees in the future, that person is not the leader of that organization.

Everyone is a leader because everyone influences someone.

To measure a leader, put a tape around his heart, not his head.

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

Not everybody who has a vision is a leader, but every leader has a vision.

Credibility is a leader's currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.

Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.

Great leaders understand that the right attitude will set the right atmosphere, which enables the right response from others.

Successful leaders have the courage to take action while others hesitate.

A leader can give up anything - except final responsibility.

Leadership is influence.

Leaders never outgrow the need to change.

Leaders don't rise to the pinnacle of success without developing the right set of attitudes and habits; they make every day a masterpiece.

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

A leader who develops people adds; a leader who develops leaders multiplies.

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. Many people who approach the area of vision in leadership have it backwards. They believe that if the cause is good enough, people will automatically buy in and follow. But that's not how leadership works. People don't follow worthy causes; they follow worthy leaders with a cause they can believe in. They buy into the leader first.

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.

Effective leaders sacrifice much that is good in order to dedicate themselves to what is best

Competence goes beyond words. It's the leader's ability to say it, plan it, and do it in such a way that others know that you know how - and know that they want to follow you.

The strength of any organization is a direct result of the strength of its leaders.

A highly credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.

Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less...titles don't have much value when it comes to leading. True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned, it comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned.

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

You must find a way to get your vision seen, implemented, and contributed to by others.

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

If you don't have the ability to see when to stand up and the conviction to do it, you'll never be an effective leader.

Effective leaders don't gather things just for themselves; they do it in order to give to others.

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

A good leader encourages followers to tell him what he needs to know, not what he wants to hear.

If you can become the leader you ought to be on the inside, you will be able to become the person you want on the outside. People will want to follow you. And when that happens, you'll be able to tackle anything in this world.

Inexperienced leaders are quick to lead before knowing anything about the people they intend to lead. But mature leaders listen, learn and then lead.

The Visalus Founders are the finest and sharpest young leaders that I have ever met.

Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.

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

As a leader, you have to take responsibility for your own failures as well as successes. That's the only way you'll learn. If you keep learning, you'll improve. If you improve, your leadership will get better. And in time, you will earn the right to lead on the level you deserve.

Acquiring and keeping good people is a leader's most important task.

Anyone can steer a ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course

If you're a leader, it's important to set aside time to quiet yourself and listen for God's direction.

Most pastors have a hard time grasping a vision. But vision is the indispensable quality of a leader.

People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.

The more intentional you are about your leadership growth, the greater your potential for becoming the leader you're capable of being. Never stop learning.

It was while I was pastoring that I began to realize that pastors were not growing churches because they didn't understand leadership because they were not trained, adequate leaders.

Leaders must live by higher standards than their followers.

A word of Encouragement from a leader can #Inspire a person to reach her potential

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

A leader is a reader.

Every new level of growth we hope to experience as leaders calls for a new level of change. You cannot have one without the other. If you want to be a better leader, get ready to make some trades.

Change the leader, change the organization.

When a leader reaches out in passion, he is usually met with an answering passion.

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

Leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him.

Nurturing has the ability to transform people's lives.

The best teacher for a leader is evaluated experience.

People today are desperate for leaders, but they want to be influenced only by individuals they can trust, persons of good character.

Seek people who seek solutions.

A leader's ability to convey confidence and his ability to communicate effectively are similar.

People will not follow a leader who does not have confidence in himself.

Strong leaders equal strong organizations.

Success doesn't come instantly. Neither does the ability to lead.

Great leaders always have self-discipline -without exception.

A great leader has the ability to instill within his people confidence in themselves.

Leaders create and inspire new leaders by instilling faith in their leadership abilities and helping them develop and hone leadership skills they don't know they possess.

Birds of a feather really do flock together.

There is no success without a successor.

Unless you want to carry the whole load yourself, you need to be developing leaders.

Leaders express feelings that other leaders sense.

It takes a leader to know a leader, grow a leader, and show a leader.

A leader who loves status quo soon becomes a follower.

A person who refuses to risk change fails to grow.

An organization cannot increase its productivity-but people can!

If you really want to be a successful leader, you must develop other leaders around you. You must establish a team.

Leaders determine the level of an organization.

It is the leaders job to add significance to the lives of the people he leads.

It is the leader's job to hold hope high.

When you believe in people, you motivate them and release their potential.

Time spent with a potential leader is an investment.

Trust must be built day by day. It calls for consistency.

Leaders attract potential leaders.

No matter what our circumstances, our greatest limitation isn't the leader above us - it's the spirit within us.

You can't become a leader in one conference.

We cannot lead anyone farther than we have been ourselves.

You don't become an effective leader by default.

Realizing your potential as a leader is your responsibility.

COURAGE isn't an absence of fear. It is doing what you are afraid to do, letting go of the familiar and forging ahead into new territory. What I have discovered is that the best leaders have the courage to act - are willing to take the risk, make the statement, point the way, lead the way - when others hesitate out of fear. Effective leadership requires the ability to stand up, stand out, and the conviction to do it. I have never known a successful leader that was not courageous.

The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.

The collective influence of you and the other leaders will bring the rest along. If this does not happen, divided interest and loyalty will occur within the group.

Smart leaders believe only half of what they hear. Discerning leaders know which have to believe.

Any leader who asks the right questions of the right people has the potential to discover and develop great ideas.

The success of a vision is determined by its ownership by both the leader and the people.

When a leader is upbeat in the face of discouraging circumstances, others admire that quality and want to be like her.

A manager says 'go,' but a leader says 'let's go'.

To add growth, lead followers - to multiply, lead leaders.

The unexamined leader is not worth following.

If you are training leaders, because you need them, you are too late.