Happy New Year, podcast listeners! We wanted to start the year off right by encouraging you to pursue the changes and goals you’ve set! This year has so much potential for you and your organization, whether you know it or not. So, in this episode, we’re talking about how to reach your potential by avoiding the pitfalls that often come with achieving big things. John Maxwell shares four key reasons people don’t reach their full potential. In light of John’s lesson, Mark Cole references our episod...
Jan 01, 2020•49 min
Merry Christmas, podcast listeners! As we’re releasing this, we know you’re probably sitting around the Christmas tree unwrapping gifts with friends and family. So, we wanted to give you a gift as well! Are you ready for this? On January 28th, John Maxwell will release his new book, The Leader’s Greatest Return . But, today on the podcast, we’re giving you the entire first chapter from the audio book, read by the man himself! As our podcast listener, you get to be the first to hear John read fro...
Dec 25, 2019•47 min
In this Candid Conversation, John Maxwell and Mark Cole dive into the importance of preparing for important meetings and moments, especially when they’re with people who are, as John says, “bigger, better, and faster” than you. John calls this preparation “the meeting before the meeting.” If you and your team want to walk away from meetings with confidence in each other, a clear vision, and the biggest return on your investment possible, this episode will equip you for your next meeting. John sh...
Dec 20, 2019•37 min
We’ve got something very special for you this week! As many of you know, John Maxwell sets aside the last week of every year to reflect on the previous 365 days. He calls this his “Year in Review.” This annual exercise provides John the clarity to identify what he did well this past year and what he needs to improve in the year to come. John has talked about his week of reflection in previous episodes, but we’ve never shared an episode in which John tells you, step-by-step, his process for this ...
Dec 18, 2019•34 min
In this very special episode of The John Maxwell Leadership Podcast, we’re joined by two of John’s good friends: Kyle Carpenter, the youngest living recipient of the Medal of Honor, and Don Yaeger, journalist and New York Times best-selling author. Kyle and Don have recently written the book You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For , which was released in October and tells the incredible story of Kyle’s recovery from a grenade blast in Afghanistan. Kyle shares his story with us, alon...
Dec 11, 2019•49 min
In this Candid Conversation, John Maxwell and Mark Cole reflect on the impact Richard Chancy had on their lives and leadership. Mark shares several words that Richard embodied, while John Maxwell gives short lessons on each word and how Richard truly exemplified the leadership qualities that John, Mark, and Richard have taught in the podcast. As a reminder, if you would like to share how Richard’s role on the podcast has affected your life and leadership, please go to MaxwellPodcast.com/Richard,...
Dec 06, 2019•37 min
In this week’s episode, John Maxwell continues his lesson on how to gain the influence of those you lead. He points out that as you climb to higher levels in your influence, you don’t leave behind the previous levels, but instead, you build off of them. John also talks about the importance of consistent growth as a leader. In his words, “When you stop growing, your people stop going.” Consistency gives your team a reason to trust you and depend on your guidance. Mark Cole and Jason Brooks pick u...
Dec 04, 2019•43 min
Do people listen to you because they have to? Or do they listen because they want to? Much of the time, the answer to this question is a reflection of your level of influence. In this new series on what John Maxwell calls “moral authority,” John dives into five levels of influence that determine if and why those you lead are willing to listen to your guidance and leadership. This series will show you how to gain influence with your team based on the person you are, not the position you hold. You...
Nov 27, 2019•45 min
In this Candid Conversation with John C. Maxwell and Mark Cole, John shares five principles for how to lead when you’re in over your head. These are principles John has gleaned throughout his career as he has taken on challenges necessary to accomplish a vision bigger than himself. John points out: “The principles of survival are not the same as the principles of success.” Too often, leaders resort to the former in times of stress, and they allow obstacles and situations to stall progress and gr...
Nov 22, 2019•35 min
In part two of our series on motivation, John Maxwell shares his final maxims for motivating your team and organization. John discusses key ideas like, “What gets rewarded gets done,” and he teaches you how to create an environment that is conducive to motivation. Mark Cole and Richard Chancy share what they’ve learned from their leadership experiences. You’ll also hear a refreshing, new perspective on why failure should not thwart motivation, despite the discouragement that so often accompanies...
Nov 20, 2019•49 min
What’s the difference between a leader and a manager? Well, there are quite a few. But one attribute that makes leaders stand out from managers is a leader's ability to motivate their team without using position. In this new series, John shares ten maxims for motivating the people you lead to accomplish the vision and goals of your organization. John has gathered these maxims from what he has experienced motivates others and motivates himself. Our BONUS resource for this series is the Maxims for...
Nov 13, 2019•45 min
John Maxwell says that one of a leader’s greatest assets is the perspective of others. That’s why he incorporates what he calls “Learning Lunches” in his schedule regularly. Learning lunches are a time for John to learn from those with different backgrounds and experiences by asking them seven key questions, which John shares in this episode. John and Mark Cole then share a recent Learning Lunch story in which a new friend tells John how he was able to turn a $100 million setback into the most s...
Nov 08, 2019•31 min
Mark Cole said it himself – this is one of our best episodes yet! We’re making John Maxwell Leadership Podcast history this week for two reasons: 1) We recorded this episode in front of a live audience, and 2) John Maxwell and Mark Cole sat down to discuss leadership with Marcus Buckingham! If you’re not familiar with Marcus Buckingham, he is the author of two of the best-selling business books of all time, has two Harvard Business Review’s most circulated, industry-changing cover articles, and ...
Nov 06, 2019•1 hr 1 min
In this episode on attitude, John encourages us to overcome five common challenges of maintaining a positive attitude. These challenges are discouragement, problems, change, fear, and failure. John addresses each potential threat to a positive attitude and offers sage advice on how to overcome it. Mark Cole, Richard Chancy, and Jason Brooks talk through their personal challenges with maintaining a winning attitude, and they offer various ways to reframe our perspective in a positive way. They ta...
Oct 30, 2019•45 min
In this Candid Conversation, John Maxwell shares the insights he’s gleaned from his friends at Movement Mortgage––a company that has learned how to separate themselves from their competition by solving a common problem within their industry. John shares his insights in five key points, which, if implemented into your leadership will help you rise above your competition and allow your organization or team to make an even greater impact in your industry and, ultimately, your community. For more ep...
Oct 25, 2019•32 min
In episode two of this three-part series on attitude, John Maxwell dives right into specific steps we can take to develop a winning attitude. He’s quick to remind us that choosing to make your attitude your greatest asset is the starting point. You’ll want to share this helpful, practical lesson! Mark Cole, Richard Chancy, and Jason Brooks help us with the application of this lesson as they share the issues they’ve had to wrestle as they work to consistently live out positive attitudes. Mark clo...
Oct 23, 2019•39 min
This episode kicks off a three-part series on attitude. John starts us off by clearly reminding us that attitude is NOT everything, but it IS the difference maker. John shares a list of what attitude cannot substitute for, as well as a list of what attitude can do for us. He encourages us to make attitude our greatest asset. Mark Cole, Richard Chancy, and Jason Brooks offer perspective on what choosing and maintaining a positive attitude looks like for different personality types. Introverts and...
Oct 16, 2019•49 min
John Maxwell says, “Leadership determines the success of the team,” and in this episode, he dissects what makes the best leaders the best. He offers two main ideas: The best leaders give their best to their people, and the best leaders are able to get the best from their people. You’re going to want to download the notes and follow along as John dives deep into these two characteristics of the best leaders. Mark Cole and Richard Chancy direct our attention to the application side of John’s lesso...
Oct 09, 2019•49 min
You will feel like you are sitting around the table as you listen to this Candid Conversation between John Maxwell and a group of men whom he has spent the last several days with. Each person shares the mentoring lessons they have learned from John and what their key takeaways are. John encourages us to have eyes to see the mentoring opportunities all around us. We all have occasion to learn from one another, and we all have opportunity to help others. John shares how he looks for teaching and t...
Oct 04, 2019•27 min
In part two of this series on focused thinking, John Maxwell helps us narrow down our focus as he shares what we need to focus on. We get the greatest return on investment when we focus on our strengths, our key people, and our team’s development. John concludes by providing a Rule of Five for developing your own team. Jason Brooks and Mark Cole discuss what it looks like to live out this lesson, and Mark encourages us to get very clear on what we’re good at. Jason defines teachability as a comb...
Oct 02, 2019•33 min
In this Candid Conversation John shares his reflections about a recent encounter he had with Nik Wallenda of the famous Flying Wallendas who have performed audacious feats such as tight rope walking over Niagara Falls. When asked by John how he overcomes fear, Nik shared that he respects the danger and believes preparation is the greatest way to handle fear. He also acknowledges that fear is not something that will ever be eliminated but that a proper perspective allows you to focus on the posit...
Sep 27, 2019•34 min
As a high-energy, high-capacity leader, John Maxwell has a natural bias for action and has to be intentional to develop his focused thinking skills. He committed to put in the effort, and since then his effective practice of focused thinking has had a global impact. In this episode, John shares some of what he has learned to help us maximize our focused thinking skills. The starting point, he says, is to verbalize and visualize what it is that we’re going to focus on. He goes on to provide a pro...
Sep 25, 2019•41 min
In part two of this series, John Maxwell continues to teach on characteristics to look for that make up a potential leader. He talks about the importance of two necessary attributes of a high capacity leader: a positive attitude and teachability. Building on John’s principle of a teachable spirit as the key to growing as a leader, Mark Cole and Richard Chancy talk about how teachability can look different in various personalities. They provide practical advice on how to be teachable and convert ...
Sep 18, 2019•34 min
This Candid Conversation features John Maxwell and Mark Cole providing a rundown of their incredible 17-day, six-country trip. They spent 96 hours traveling to Myanmar, Ghana, Oman, Iran, and Vietnam to add value to leaders who are multiplying value to others. John shares five key takeaways: 1) His books preceded him. 2) Everywhere he went people wanted iLead (the values-based, leadership curriculum for students). 3) Mark Cole has developed into an excellent communicator. 4) John Maxwell team co...
Sep 13, 2019•31 min
John Maxwell teaches that the greatest responsibility of a leader is to raise up more leaders, and this episode is dedicated to helping you do that by showing you how to spot potential leaders. What makes up a good leader? John shares three key characteristics to evaluate a person’s leadership capacity: character, desire, and discipline. He breaks down each characteristic to make them readily identifiable. Mark Cole and Richard Chancy zoom out and share helpful ways to look for these characteris...
Sep 11, 2019•37 min
We’re deviating from our regular format to bring you this special episode featuring John C. Maxwell and Chris Hogan both being interviewed by the CEO of the Maxwell Enterprise, Mark Cole. In this episode, John and Chris share essential wisdom for those wanting to grow in their leadership. Chris reveals his journey to success, and John opens up about his current vision to add value to leaders in a way that helps them go beyond him. Both men offer key principles that have served them well and have...
Sep 04, 2019•40 min
In this Candid Conversation, John Maxwell continues to offer guidance for people who are getting started in their careers. However, you’ll quickly realize the advice is applicable to all of us in any stage of our leadership journey. This is wisdom John has acquired through years of practice, and he’s excited to share it with you. Be sure to listen to the entire episode to catch all of John’s counsel, but three standout principles are: Exceed expectations, find an advocate, and consistently add v...
Aug 30, 2019•35 min
In part two of this series, John Maxwell shares that possibility thinking is the mindset that allows energy to build. He describes the four P’s of energy: possibility thinking, passion, praise, and progress. Tapping into all of these resources creates an ongoing cycle of energy, results, and growth. Mark Cole and Richard Chancy ask the question, “What possibility is in your life, which with a little bit of thinking, could lead you to experiencing significance?” Mark shares the example of John en...
Aug 28, 2019•30 min
John Maxwell and Mark Cole begin this Candid Conversation with an update on two projects John is currently hard at work on. The first is The Power of 5 for network marketing. The second is iDo, a values-based, leadership-roundtable curriculum designed specifically for students. These resources have the potential to have a huge impact, and you get to be among the first to hear about them. For the rest of the conversation, John shares with Mark five pieces of advice he would offer to those just st...
Aug 23, 2019•29 min
In part one of this two-part series, John Maxwell looks at how we can unleash our enthusiasm and hope to solve problems that seem impossible. John says that unsuccessful people allow circumstances to limit them, while successful people see possibility everywhere. John encourages us to have a positive life stance that acknowledges challenges as they happen but allows us to focus on the positive. Mark Cole and Richard Chancy follow up John’s talk with a discussion on what it looks like to conditio...
Aug 21, 2019•30 min
