65 John Maxwell Quotes On Leadership, Growth, & Success

Check out the best John Maxwell quotes that offer powerful insights on leadership, personal growth, success, and teamwork.

John C. Maxwell is a renowned leadership expert, speaker, and best-selling author whose teachings have transformed millions of lives.

His wisdom on influence, positive mindset, and continuous improvement have made him one of the most respected voices in personal and professional development.

Born in Garden City, Michigan, in 1947, Maxwell started his career as a pastor, where he developed his skills in communication, mentorship, and organizational leadership.

Over time, he transitioned into a full-time leadership coach, founding organizations like The John Maxwell Company, EQUIP, and the John Maxwell Team, training leaders across industries worldwide.

With a career spanning decades, Maxwell has authored over 100 books, including bestsellers like “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” “The 5 Levels of Leadership,” and “Developing the Leader Within You.”

His teachings inspire individuals to embrace change, cultivate discipline, and lead with purpose and integrity.

Through his books, seminars, and leadership programs, John Maxwell continues to shape the future of leadership, empowering people to maximize their potential and become effective leaders.

Here are the most famous John Maxwell quotes and sayings to motivate you to pursue your dreams and achieve success.

Top 10 John Maxwell Quotes

  1. “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.” — John C. Maxwell  

    John Maxwell Quotes
    John Maxwell Quotes
  2. “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” — John C. Maxwell

    Inspirational Quotes From John Maxwell
    Inspirational Quotes From John Maxwell
  3. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” — John C. Maxwell

    John C. Maxwell Quotes
    John C. Maxwell Quotes
  4. Goals may give focus, but dreams give power.” — John C. Maxwell   

    John Maxwell Sayings
    John Maxwell Sayings
  5. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” — John C. Maxwell

    John Maxwell Motivational Quotes
    John Maxwell Motivational Quotes
  6. “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” — John C. Maxwell

    John Maxwell Quotations
    John Maxwell Quotations
  7. “The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.” — John C. Maxwell

    Famous Quotes By John Maxwell
    Famous Quotes By John Maxwell
  8. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John C. Maxwell

    John Maxwell Leadership Quotes
    John Maxwell Leadership Quotes
  9. “The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.” — John C. Maxwell

    John Maxwell Inspirational Quotes
    John Maxwell Inspirational Quotes
  10. “You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” — John C. Maxwell

    John Maxwell
    John Maxwell

Best John Maxwell Quotes On Leadership And Success

  1. “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” — John C. Maxwell
  2. “Doing the right thing daily, compounds over time.” — John C. Maxwell
  3. “If you wouldn’t follow yourself, why should anyone else?” — John C. Maxwell 

    John Maxwell Leadership Quote
    John Maxwell Leadership Quote
  4. “Leaders who are effective are leaders who are disciplined in their daily lives.” — John C. Maxwell
  5. “Leaders are meant to help others become the people God created them to be.” — John C. Maxwell
  6. “A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.” — John C. Maxwell
  7. “Success each day should be judged by the seeds sown, not the harvest reaped.” — John C. Maxwell
  8. “It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.” — John C. Maxwell
  9. “If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet.” — John C. Maxwell
  10. “Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” — John C. Maxwell
  11. “Success is due to our stretching to the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them.” — John C. Maxwell
  12. “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” — John C. Maxwell
  13. “A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.” — John C. Maxwell
  14. “The measure of a leader is not the number of people who serve him but the number of people he serves.” — John C. Maxwell
  15. “A successful person finds the right place for himself. But a successful leader finds the right place for others.” — John C. Maxwell

Famous John C. Maxwell Quotes

  1. “You have the potential to transform your world.” — John C. Maxwell
  2. “A minute of thought is greater than an hour of talk.” — John C. Maxwell
  3. “Life can be boring unless you put some effort into it.” — John C. Maxwell
  4. “We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.” — John C. Maxwell
  5. “Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” — John C. Maxwell
  6. “Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful.” — John C. Maxwell
  7. “If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone.” — John C. Maxwell
  8. “The success of a vision is determined by its ownership by both the leader and the people.” — John C. Maxwell
  9. “People who use time wisely spend it on activities that advance their overall purpose in life.” — John C. Maxwell
  10. “No one stands taller in the climb to success than when he bends over to help up someone else.” — John C. Maxwell
  11. “As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me.” — John C. Maxwell
  12. “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” — John C. Maxwell 
  13. “The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.” — John C. Maxwell
  14. Courage isn’t an absence of fear. It’s doing what you are afraid to do. It’s having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory.” — John C. Maxwell
  15. “Make a point to continually search for a better way of doing things, even when things are going well, to ensure that a better alternative has not been overlooked and to keep your creative talents in practice.” — John C. Maxwell

Inspirational Quotes From John Maxwell

  1. “Growth inside fuels growth outside.” — John C. Maxwell
  2. “Change positive intentions to positive actions.” — John Maxwell
  3. “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.” — John C. Maxwell
  4. “Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.” — John C. Maxwell
  5. “Time is more valuable than money, because time is irreplaceable.” — John C. Maxwell
  6. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” — John C. Maxwell
  7. “Most people have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional.” — John C. Maxwell
  8. “The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” — John C. Maxwell
  9. “Reaching the top is a monumental achievement, but remaining there may be the most spectacular feat of all.” — John C. Maxwell
  10. “The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.” — John C. Maxwell
  11. “Success is…knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” — John C. Maxwell
  12. “‘Failing forward’ is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.” — John C. Maxwell
  13. “Often people fail to start or complete a task because they don’t see any connection between what they’re doing and what they really want to accomplish in life.” — John C. Maxwell
  14. “Do you know the difference between leaders, followers, and losers? Leaders stretch with challenges. Followers struggle with challenges. Losers shrink from challenges.” — John C. Maxwell
  15. “Growth demands a temporary surrender of security. It may mean giving up familiar but limiting patterns, safe but unrewarding work, values no longer believed in, and relationships that have lost their meaning.” — John C. Maxwell

Motivational John Maxwell Quotes

  1. “The experience of pain or loss can be a formidably motivating force.” — John C. Maxwell
  2. “The timing of your decision is just as important as the decision you make.” — John C. Maxwell
  3. “Although it’s admirable to be ambitious and hard-working, it’s more desirable to be smart-working.” — John C. Maxwell
  4. “Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.” — John C. Maxwell
  5. “Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.” — John C. Maxwell
  6. “There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.” — John C. Maxwell
  7. “Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be a genius. You don’t have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.” — John C. Maxwell
  8. “Exceptionally hard decisions can deplete your energy to the point at which you finally cave in. If you mentally crumble and degenerate into negative thinking, you’ll magnify the problem to the point where it can haunt you.” — John C. Maxwell
  9. “We tend to become what the most important person in our life thinks we will become. Think the best, believe the best, and express the best in others. Your affirmation will not only make you more attractive to them, but you will help play an important part in their personal development.” — John C. Maxwell
  10. “Don’t ever be impressed with goal setting; be impressed with goal getting. Reaching new goals and moving to a higher level of performance always requires change, and change feels awkward. But take comfort in the knowledge that if a change doesn’t feel uncomfortable, then it’s probably not really a change.” — John Maxwell

Conclusion .

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