You Must Have These Important Things to Become Successful in Business | John Maxwel

Five Essentials for Success

So let me give you now what I consider to be the five Essentials, the things that you need to do consistently every day. Stay focused on these five things if you really want to be successful in your business. I don’t put them in any particular order, so number one isn’t more important than number four or five. I just have five things that you need to do every day. Remember this: if you know what is important, I’m going to give that to you now, and you do it consistently, you will be successful. I guarantee it. As I said, my name’s John, and I’m your friend. So let’s see what five things matter. They should matter to you, they should matter to the people on your team, they should matter to your business, they certainly are going to matter to the people that become part of your team.

Growth Matters

What are those five Essentials? Number one, growth matters. And again, as I said earlier, I think this is the network marketing sweet spot, really helping people grow. If you were to sit down and have a conversation with me one-on-one—and boy, wouldn’t that be wonderful? I sure love to do that sometime with you, just to have a one-on-one conversation with you—and you looked at me and said, “John, okay, you’ve had a pretty successful life, can you tell me, what’s the key to your success?” Now, you would think I would probably say leadership because I’m known as a leadership guru. But if you asked me what the key to my success would be, I would say personal development and growth. The key to my success was simulated by my father who just passed away, just recently passed away at 98 and a half years of age. But when I was 17 and I shared with my dad that I wanted to give my life to adding value to people and helping people, I wanted to be a speaker, I was going to enter the ministry, and my father gave me some great advice as he pulled me aside and he said, “Son, I love what you’re wanting to do.” He said, “But I’m going to tell you,” he said, “put water in the well.” He sat down and explained to me that every day I needed to make sure that I was putting water in the well so that when I needed to put the bucket down, I could draw water out of it. Basically, he was saying, “John, you’ve got to grow yourself so that you can pass on all the things that you’re learning to other people.” Now, that was my first kind of introduction to personal growth as far as advice was concerned. But my father, who is so wise, years before that—I’m the middle child, I have an older brother, a younger sister—my father, when we went into the seventh grade, he put us on a reading program. You would think that he was with my daily choice. He put us on a reading program of which he picked out the books, and he paid us an allowance to read the books. In fact, what he did is, whatever the book cost when we read the book, he would pay us what the book cost. That would be our allowance, and he would select the books, and it was life-changing for all three of us. Now, my friends, they got paid to do chores. That’s how they got their allowance. And in fact, they would talk about how they got paid to do chores. We weren’t getting paid to do chores at all. So I went to my dad one day, and I said, “Dad, you know, all my friends get paid to do chores. I think that’s a good idea, don’t you?” And Dad said, “No, I think it’s a terrible idea.” So what do you mean? He said, “I—I, you do chores because you’re part of the family, and I don’t pay you to be part of the family. I don’t pay your mother, I don’t pay your brother, I don’t pay your sister. We are not paying you to be part of the family. We do chores because that’s what family does. We do chores for each other.” And so, because of that, at that time, they taught me that if I really wanted to do well, that what I needed to do is I needed to read the books, and my dad picked them out, and it changed my life. If you talk to my brother, my sister, myself, we would tell you the most life-changing practice in our family was reading great books. So I got on a reading program as a seventh grader. This was absolutely wonderful. It helped me so much, and in that process, I began to grow. So when I talk about the classic books—how to Win Friends and Influence People, when I talk about the magic power of thinking big, Think and Grow Rich, all the books that I can talk about that are the classic kind of personal development books—I read them in the seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade, tenth grade, eleventh grade, twelfth grade. And by the time I graduated from high school, I was so far ahead of my peers because my father was very intentional in putting good books in my hands. In fact, a few years ago, I was on a plane, I was going to Brazil, São Paulo, and there was a magazine on the plane, and in the magazine, was there was.

Continued Growth and Investment

An article about the 25 books that you need to read to be successful caught my attention. I thought, “Well, this is an interesting article,” so I picked it up, and I began to read them. They would have the book and then maybe three or four paragraphs describing why the book would help you be successful. I read the article, in fact, I was very pleased—one of my books was in the 25—and I thought, “Oh my gosh, that made me feel good.” And when I finished, I said to myself, “Wow, I read a lot of these books when I was in high school, junior high school.” So I went back and I counted up. Of the 25 books, 19 of them I had read by the time I graduated from high school. My father had put them in my hand. By the way, the reason I hadn’t read the other seven is they hadn’t been written by the time I graduated from high school, including my own book.

What am I saying? I’m saying that for my children, I did what my father did. I paid them allowance to read books. For my grandchildren, I paid them allowance to read books. One of the greatest practices you can ever have for your family is to pay them an allowance to read great books. What a wonderful way for people to develop and what a wonderful way for people to grow.

So my father, in the seventh grade, put me on a growth plan. And when I was 17, he said, “Put some water in the well so the well isn’t empty.” And then when I was in my 20s, I was having breakfast with one of my mentors, KT cm, and he asked me a question. He said, “John, what is your plan for growth?” And I didn’t have a plan for growth. And I said, “Well, what do you mean?” He said, “Well, what do you intentionally do to grow yourself?” And I never had anybody ask me that question. It kind of threw me. I thought, “Oh my gosh,” and I didn’t know how to answer him. And I was a young leader, and so I thought I had to have an answer, which was foolish. And so I told him all the things I was doing in my work and how I was diligent and faithful, etc., and he just listened to me. And when I finished, he just smiled. He said, “You don’t have a plan, do you?” I said, “No, I don’t have a plan.” Then he said words that changed my life. He said, “John, growth, personal growth, personal development is not automatic.” That day he helped me understand that if I was going to grow, I was going to have to be intentional. That it wasn’t going to be an automatic process just because I showed up to work, just because I was a good person, didn’t mean I was going to grow. In fact, he told me that day, he said, “John, getting older is automatic. Getting better is not automatic.” Well, that was eye-opening to me.

I started going to my friends and asking them if they had a plan for growth. And I discovered none of them, none of them had a plan for growth. Not one. I asked in six months, I asked 300 people, “Do you have a plan for growth?” No, no, no, no. And all of a sudden, it hit me. We were all going through life hoping to grow, thinking that we could probably grow, but none of us had a plan. None of us had a game plan. None of us were intentional. I can still remember, it took me about six months to find success Motivational Institute, Paul Meyer was the founder of that. Before he passed away, he became a great friend of mine. And I found that for $799, I could get a goal-setting kit, of which it took me six months to get the money for that, and save up the money. In fact, it was one month’s salary. And I finally did, and I bought that kit, and I can tell you, I went through that for three years. I went through that personal goal setting, through the workbooks, through the cassette tapes, all the exercises, everything that they asked me to do. And it was life-changing for me. It helped me to become intentional in my personal growth. And I’ve had a personal growth plan for the entire life since. I heard Kurt Camp Meers say, “Growth was not automatic.”

In fact, if you went to my home office, where I sit at my desk, if you just looked over to the right, not very far at all, about 10 feet from me, is a personal growth kit, the one that started me off on my personal growth journey. And it was life-changing. In fact, when people talk about investment, I sometimes, if they’re in my office, I’ll just point to there and say, “That was my greatest investment ever made. Cost me $799, one month’s salary. And guess what? It’s returned millions of dollars to me.”

The Power of Personal Growth

Because it set me on a path of personal growth, and here’s what is essential for you and I to know: the only guarantee that you have, the only guarantee that I have, that tomorrow is going to get better than it is today, is because I’m growing right now. That’s the only guarantee. So when I ask people, “How’s your future look?” Well, I’m hoping business will do well, I’m hoping things will come. No, no, no, no, no, no, that hope. Hope’s not a strategy. It’s not a guarantee. The only guarantee that I’m going to be better tomorrow than I am today is that I am growing right now.

So what does personal growth do for me? Since personal growth really, really matters, what does it do for me? Well, it does three things. Number one, it keeps me in the game. And what I mean by that is the fact that, because I’m personally growing, I have continually learning, I have things to share. When I talked about 80 some books that I’ve written, somebody says, “Well, how can you write that many books?” Well, I can write that many books because every day I read, every day I think, every day I file. I’m constantly consuming material. You see, if you’re not growing, even if you’re talented, you’ll just be a one-hit wonder. And one-hit wonders, that’s what they are. They just, for a very brief time, they shine, and then they’re gone. I don’t mean this unkindly. They’re the Debbie Boons of life who had a great hit, “You Light Up My Life.” I think it was number one for maybe three or four months, and it just, the most popular song, “You Light Up My Life,” you light up my life. And everybody loved it. I loved it. But can I tell you, after hearing Debbie sing “You Light Up My Life” about a hundred times, it’s kind of like, “Wow, can you light anything else up? Do you have another song? Do you have anything else to sing about?” The answer was no. One-hit wonder. You see, when you’re personally growing and you’re personally learning and you’re personally applying and you’re personally taking action and you’re personally teaching others, your world is ever-expanding. And it doesn’t stop expanding until you stop growing. And the moment you stop growing, it stops expanding. In fact, let me just say this: I’m 73. My growth potential right now is greater than it ever has been. I’m 73. But you see, what happens is if you are on a personal growth plan and if you intentionally grow yourself, what you do is you every day expand your growth capacity. My growth capacity is off the charts. My learning capacity, it’s off the charts. Why? Because I’ve been doing this for 50 plus years. The way you develop great capacity, if you want muscle capacity, go to the gym. If you want mental capacity, start studying. I mean it. You grow. Your growth capacity is a result of the fact that you continually stay in the growth game. So my personal growth not only keeps me in the game, keeps me fresh, keeps me writing, but the second thing it does, it helps me play the game better. I not only get to stay in the game, but I keep improving the game.

Great story. One of my early mentors when I started writing books was a very successful writer himself, and he kind of put me under his wings and mentored me and helped me learn how to write because it wasn’t a natural gift for me. And I can remember, probably it was about my fifth or sixth book, it just was published, and I got the first one off of the press, and I was going out to Colorado to have dinner with my mentor and his spouse. So I decided to take the book to him and sign it over to him. It was the first book off the press, and I wanted to thank him for his influence. We just said some nice words to each other. It was warm, just like you would expect it to be. Then I’ll never forget, he leaned into me and he asked me a question. He said, “John, let me ask you something about this book. Is it your best book?” And I said, “Yeah, yeah, it is. It’s my best book.” And he said, “Good, good, I’m glad to hear that.” He said, “Always remember, you’re only as good as your last book. So never get lazy, never get sloppy. Don’t, after a while, if you get a reputation, think that you can give a product out that isn’t excellent just because you’ve got a good name and a good brand.” Now, he said, “Just remember, you’re only as good as your last book. And when you don’t do a good job on your last book, when people read it, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s not that good.’ He said, ‘The next time they see your book, they’re going to ask themselves the question, ‘Should I buy the book?” He said, ‘Never put the reader in the question, ‘Should I buy the book?” The reader should always say, ‘If it’s a Maxwell book, I got to get it.’

Sustaining Growth Environment

Because it set me on a path of personal growth, and here’s what is essential for you and me to know: the only guarantee that you have, the only guarantee that I have, that tomorrow is going to get better than it is today is because I’m growing right now. That’s the only guarantee. So when I ask people, “How’s your future look?” Well, I, you know, I’m hoping business will do well, I’m hoping things will come. No, no, no, no, no, no. That hope. Hope’s not a strategy. It’s not a guarantee. The only guarantee that I’m going to be better tomorrow than I am today is that I am growing right now.

So what does personal growth do for me? Since personal growth really, really matters, what does it do for me? Well, it does three things. Number one, it keeps me in the game. And what I mean by that is the fact that because I’m personally growing, I am continually learning. I have things to share. When I talk about 80 some books that I’ve written, somebody says, “Well, how can you write that many books?” Well, I can write that many books because every day I read, every day I think, every day I file. I’m constantly consuming material. You see, if you’re not growing, even if you’re talented, you’ll just be a one-hit wonder. And one-hit wonders, that’s what they are. They just, for a very brief time, they shine, and then they’re gone. I don’t mean this unkindly. They’re the Debbie Boons of Life, who had a great hit, “You Light Up My Life.” I think it was number one for maybe three or four months, and it just, the most popular song, “You Light Up My Life,” and everybody loved it. I loved it. But can I tell you, after hearing Debbie sing “You Light Up My Life” about a hundred times, it’s kind of like, “Wow, can you light anything else up? Do you have another song? Do you have anything else to sing about?” The answer was no. One-hit wonder. You see, when you’re personally growing and you’re personally learning and you’re personally applying and you’re personally taking action and you’re personally teaching others, your world is ever-expanding. And it doesn’t stop expanding until you stop growing. And the moment you stop growing, it stops expanding. In fact, let me just say this: I’m 73. My growth potential right now is greater than it ever has been. I’m 73. But you see what happens is, if you are on a personal growth plan, and if you intentionally grow yourself, what you do is you every day expand your growth capacity. My growth capacity is off the charts. My learning capacity is off the charts. Why? Because I’ve been doing this for 50 plus years. The way you develop great capacity—if you want muscle capacity, go to the gym. If you want mental capacity, start studying. I mean it. You grow. Your growth capacity is a result of the fact that you continually stay in the growth game. So my personal growth not only keeps me in the game, keeps me fresh, keeps me writing, but the second thing it does, it helps me play the game better. I not only get to stay in the game, but I keep improving the game.

Great story. One of my early mentors, when I started writing books, was a very successful writer himself, and he kind of took, put me under his wings, and mentored me, and helped me learn how to write because it wasn’t a natural gift for me. And I can remember, probably it was about my fifth or sixth book, it just was published, and I got the first one off of the press, and I was going out to Colorado to have dinner with my mentor and his spouse. So I decided to take the book to him and sign it over to him. It was the first book off the press, and I wanted to thank him for his influence. We just said some nice words to each other. It was just warm, just like you would expect it to be. Then I’ll never forget, he leaned into me and he asked me a question. He said, “John, let me ask you something about this book. Is it your best book?” And I said, “Yeah, yeah, it is. It’s my best book.” And he said, “Good, good. I’m glad to hear that.” He said, “Always remember, you’re only as good as your last book. So never get lazy, never get sloppy. Don’t, after a while, if you get a reputation, think that you can give a product out that isn’t excellent just because you’ve got a good name and a good brand. Now,” he said, “just remember, you’re only as good as your last book. And when you don’t do a good job on your last book, when people read it, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s not that good.’ He said, “The next time they see your book, they’re going to ask themselves the question, ‘Should I buy the book?'” He said, “Never put the reader in the question, ‘Should I buy the book?’ The reader should always say, ‘If it’s a Maxwell book, I got to have it,’ because you’re constantly getting better. The only way that you and I can constantly get better is by increasing our growth capacity, which allows us to keep expanding our world. When I think about books yet to write, I get very excited because I have several books. I don’t know, a dozen, 13. I usually keep probably a dozen to 13 books kind of in my mind that I want to write. And when I write a few, because I keep learning, expanding, I get another few, and we just keep about a dozen out in front of me all the time. And it’s a very exciting time of my life. Why? Because I’m constantly growing.

And let me just say this: it not only helps me—my personal growth—not only keeps me in the game, helps me play the game better, it helps others play better also. Because when I get better, guess what? The book gets better, the talk gets better, the mentoring gets better, the relationship gets

Fostering Growth Environment

That you’re encouraged, that the people around you are pulling for you, they’re lifting you, they’re believing in you. And that’s again one of the wonderful things I think about network marketing organizations is that’s exactly what happens. You get into this belief environment and in this positive environment, which just brings out the best in you. A growth environment is a place where failure is your friend, that it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to mess up, that you are learning. That you know you’re never good the first time, and you’re probably not too hot the second or third time either. And so you’re kind of falling around and flailing and failing, and it’s okay because you’re in an environment that’s affirming, that just says, “Hey, it’s okay I failed too. In fact, get back up. You can get back up.” It’s a beautiful environment to be in. A growth environment is a place where other people around you are growing. You’re not the only one that is growing. Wow. In fact, as a young leader, when I developed that list of what a growth environment looks at, looks like, I had to intentionally put myself into a place that had that growth environment. And again, I’m just so excited to come to you at My Daily Choice and say to you, it’s wonderful that you could be part of an organization that provides that category growth environment.

So let me just give you one little quick thought on personal growth, and then we’ll go to the second thing because there are five things that really matter for you to be successful in your business. When I was developing myself and growing myself, I heard Earl Nightingale say that if you would spend one hour a day, every day on the same subject for five years, that at the end of five years, you would become an expert on that subject. And I was just at that time, I was a young leader in my 20s, and I was falling in love with leadership. And I came to the conclusion that everything rises and falls on leadership, and I said, “I want to be an expert in leadership. I want to be at the top of the class in leadership.” And so I took Earl Nightingale up on his challenge. I did. I literally said, “I’ll give one hour a day, every day for five years on the subject of leadership.” And so I talked to people that were leaders, I practiced leadership, I read leadership, I did everything I could to keep in a leadership-conducive environment. But I kept thinking of the five years Earl Nightingale said in five years I’d become an expert, and I want to become an expert. So I’ve got to stick with this game for five years. And so back then, personal growth was kind of like a timeline, okay, okay, five years, I could become an expert. And so when I finished my first year, I was at four. Then I got to three, and now I’m Mr. Cape Canaveral doing a countdown, and I’m about halfway into this five-year timeline of growth. And something happened to me, totally surprised me, didn’t plan for it, but all of a sudden, I began to change. You see, every day I was growing, every day I was reading about leadership, I was learning about leadership, I was talking to leaders, I was having leadership experiences, and every day I was practicing leadership. So I was becoming a better leader. And as I kept the countdown of five, four, three, how long will it take? How long will it take? How long will it take? About midway in that five-year stretch, because I was growing and learning and getting better, and I was seeing results of my better leadership, all of a sudden one day, I quit asking the question, how long will it take? The day I stopped asking the question, how long will it take, because I knew then that personal growth is not on a timeline. I changed the question from how long will it take to how far can I go? This is absolutely huge. How far can I go? Now, growth was not something to finish or to be done with. Growth was my pathway to my future. And that as long as I kept growing, I would keep expanding. And my world would get bigger, and my world would get better. And I’ve never asked again how long will it take. In fact, when it comes to personal growth, there are two questions I don’t ask: how long will it take, or how much will it cost? Because I know that the greatest investment I can make in myself is a personal investment of personal growth. And I know the best investment I can make in myself is to expand my future and have a better day tomorrow than I have today. And so today, I don’t think there’s a finish line in my life at all. I’m continually growing, I’m continually expanding. I have more companies now than I’ve ever

Growth and Self-Improvement

Wanted to get better for yourself and, and I salute you and, and, and I honor you because you’re wanting to grow and as you grow you will get better there is no doubt about it that’s one of the five Essentials to really be successful in your business so let’s go to the second one okay again they’re not in any order priority there’re just five things that you need to do to accomplish great things in your business.

Connecting with People

The second one is about connecting with people I want you to know that connection matters just like growth matters in your personal development connection matters matters the ability to connect with people in fact connection is the lifeblood it’s the foundation of leadership because the foundation of leadership is relationships that’s just a fact in fact when people talk to me about leadership I Define leadership very simple as leadership is influence nothing more nothing less so people come to me they say well if leadership is influence then how do do I get influenced when I and I share with them it’s very very simple you get influenced by developing good relationships with people so many times in the area of leadership people think of loneliness in fact we hear the expression that we think a leadership expr when people say well you know it’s it’s Lonely at the Top I don’t think so let me just say this if if if if it’s Lonely at the Top for you you you’re not a leader you may be a hiker but you’re not a leader because leaders are surrounded by people if leadership is influenced if you’re at the top there ought to be a whole bunch of people at the top with you in fact if you’re top all alone well probably to be honest with you you have a personality disorder you lack emotional intelligence that’s probably for sure but if you’re Lonely at the Top here here are my suggestions get off the top go down in the valley find the people because here here’s what I know connecting matters because leaders find their people before they lead their people and to find people that means as Leaders we go to where they are you see there’s a mistaken idea that if we’re the leader we’re at the top of the mountain and we’re up there we’re saying come on up the top come on I’m up here I’m up here you can get to the top too come on up I’m waiting on you no no no no no if you’re at the top all alone you go down in fact you don’t go to the top without people and and you slow your pace because you’re bringing people with you and it’s okay what you’re doing is you’re saying I’m going to the top but I’m not going to the top alone you want to come with me and you start Gathering people and you start slowly bringing them to the top there are several laws that I’ve written about in the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership but there are a couple I want to to mention to you right now one of them is the law of connection which is basically says leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand I like that law it’s true you connect with people at the Heart level before you ever ask him to join your team and help another law is the law of Buy in which basically says people buy into the leader before they buy into the vision I have leaders all the time say I’ve got this Vision what do you think do you think the people will follow me and I I look at them say they’ll follow you not because of your vision they’ll follow you because they connect with you and you connect with them do they like you if they like you they’ll follow you with your vision if they don’t like you H they won’t follow you so every day every day I do five things that helps me to connect with people this is so simple but this is so lifechanging and I want to give you those five things because again these are just connecting principles connecting practices in your life that will allow you to be successful in connecting with people and when you connect with people they’ll join your team and when they join your team they’ll buy into your vision and all of a sudden you can build a team but you you have to do it through connecting with others so there are five five things that I do every day does that sound familiar by now we’re talking about the rule of five the power of five we’re talking about consistency how consistency compounds well here’s one of those five things that I do every day these this would be on five things on on connecting with people that will really help you to to uh tighten that relationship and the five things I’m going to share with you you can do there’s there’s nothing I’m going to give you today in this teaching that’s beyond you if you don’t accomplishment it isn’t because you can’t accomplish it if you don’t accomplish it it’s because you make a decision not to accomplish it and the five things I do to connect with people are so powerful and they’re so simple are you ready I’m going to give them to you now every day number one every day I value people I do in fact that’s why I’m with you today that’s why I’m with you right now that’s why when Jenna and Josh asked me to come and be a part of my daily choice I I said I would love to do that I would love to be a part of your of your program why because I value them and and you know what I value you because I value them and I always value people that people that I value value you don’t have to write that down but every day I value people and all of successful connecting begins with truly valuing people in fact I tell leaders all the time if you don’t value people that you lead don’t lead them because if you don’t value the people that you lead to be honest with you you’ll begin to manipulate them you’ll begin to take advantage of them a and that’s never good that that that doesn’t work so every day every day I I I value people I value you in fact in my coaching company we have a statement that I love it’ll work for you we are people of value who value people and add value to them the foundation of connecting with people is to have an appreciation and a value to them you see when you value people they come toward you when you devalue people they remove themselves away from you so every day number one I value people number two every day I think of ways to add value to people the moment that I value you I begin now to come alongside of you and say now how can I add value to you because you add value to people that you value just like you don’t add value to people people that you devalue so now that I value you every

Growth and Personal Development

I wanted to get better for yourself and and I salute you and and and I honor you because you’re wanting to grow and as you grow you will get better there is no doubt about it that’s one of the five Essentials to really be successful in your business so let’s go to the second one okay again they’re not in any order priority there’re just five things that you need to do to accomplish great things in your business.

Connection and Leadership

The second one is about connecting with people I want you to know that connection matters just like growth matters in your personal development connection matters matters the ability to connect with people in fact connection is the lifeblood it’s the foundation of leadership because the foundation of leadership is relationships that’s just a fact in fact when people talk to me about leadership I Define leadership very simple as leadership is influence nothing more nothing less so people come to me they say well if leadership is influence then how do do I get influenced when I and I share with them it’s very very simple you get influenced by developing good relationships with people so many times in the area of leadership people think of loneliness in fact we hear the expression that we think a leadership expr when people say well you know it’s it’s Lonely at the Top I don’t think so let me just say this if if if if it’s Lonely at the Top for you you you’re not a leader you may be a hiker but you’re not a leader because leaders are surrounded by people if leadership is influenced if you’re at the top there ought to be a whole bunch of people at the top with you in fact if you’re top all alone well probably to be honest with you you have a personality disorder you lack emotional intelligence that’s probably for sure but if you’re Lonely at the Top here here are my suggestions get off the top go down in the valley find the people because here here’s what I know connecting matters because leaders find their people before they lead their people and to find people that means as Leaders we go to where they are you see there’s a mistaken idea that if we’re the leader we’re at the top of the mountain and we’re up there we’re saying come on up the top come on I’m up here I’m up here you can get to the top too come on up I’m waiting on you no no no no no if you’re at the top all alone you go down in fact you don’t go to the top without people and and you slow your pace because you’re bringing people with you and it’s okay what you’re doing is you’re saying I’m going to the top but I’m not going to the top alone you want to come with me and you start Gathering people and you start slowly bringing them to the top there are several laws that I’ve written about in the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership but there are a couple I want to to mention to you right now one of them is the law of connection which is basically says leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand I like that law it’s true you connect with people at the Heart level before you ever ask him to join your team and help another law is the law of Buy in which basically says people buy into the leader before they buy into the vision I have leaders all the time say I’ve got this Vision what do you think do you think the people will follow me and I I look at them say they’ll follow you not because of your vision they’ll follow you because they connect with you and you connect with them do they like you if they like you they’ll follow you with your vision if they don’t like you H they won’t follow you so every day every day I do five things that helps me to connect with people this is so simple but this is so lifechanging and I want to give you those five things because again these are just connecting principles connecting practices in your life that will allow you to be successful in connecting with people and when you connect with people they’ll join your team and when they join your team they’ll buy into your vision and all of a sudden you can build a team but you you have to do it through connecting with others so there are five five things that I do every day does that sound familiar by now we’re talking about the rule of five the power of five we’re talking about consistency how consistency compounds well here’s one of those five things that I do every day these this would be on five things on on connecting with people that will really help you to to uh tighten that relationship and the five things I’m going to share with you you can do there’s there’s nothing I’m going to give you today in this teaching that’s beyond you if you don’t accomplishment it isn’t because you can’t accomplish it if you don’t accomplish it it’s because you make a decision not to accomplish it and the five things I do to connect with people are so powerful and they’re so simple are you ready I’m going to give them to you now every day number one every day I value people I do in fact that’s why I’m with you today that’s why I’m with you right now that’s why when Jenna and Josh asked me to come and be a part of my daily choice I I said I would love to do that I would love to be a part of your of your program why because I value them and and you know what I value you because I value them and I always value people that people that I value value you don’t have to write that down but every day I value people and all of successful connecting begins with truly valuing people in fact I tell leaders all the time if you don’t value people that you lead don’t lead them because if you don’t value the people that you lead to be honest with you you’ll begin to manipulate them you’ll begin to take advantage of them a and that’s never good that that that doesn’t work so every day every day I I I value people I value you in fact in my coaching company we have a statement that I love it’ll work for you we are people of value who value people and add value to them the foundation of connecting with people is to have an appreciation and a value to them you see when you value people they come toward you when you devalue people they remove themselves away from you so every day number one I value people number two every day I think of ways to add value to people the moment that I value you I begin now to come alongside of you and say now how can I add value to you because you add value to people that you value just like you don’t add value to people people that you devalue so now that I value you every

Intentional Relationship Building

day I’m thinking how can I add value to you when when I realized that I was going to have the opportunity to be part of your conference and and and and address all of you that are part of my daily Choice the the first question I ask myself is okay how can I add value to you what and I began to think ahead what what can I say what what illustrations what what teaching can I give you that will just add value what what hey what what can I I put in your hand what what what where where’s the where’s the axe that I can put in your hand so you can go cut that tree where’s that right tool the the you know the power of five what what can I do I’m thinking about how to weigh how to add value to you when I was writing the book intentional living I was really working with my grandchildren we have five

Value in Connecting

Intentional action is key to adding value to others. It’s about actively seeking ways to contribute, not just stumbling upon them. Reflecting on one’s actions is crucial.

Every morning, I assess my schedule and ask: “How can I add value to those I’m meeting?” Then, at day’s end, I review: “What did I do to add value?” This routine bookends my day.

Encouraging Intentional Value Addition

I advocate for intentional value addition daily, even as I address you all, members of My Daily Choice. It’s about recognizing the importance of valuing, planning, and acting to add value consistently.

Collaborative Growth

I urge team collaboration on these principles. Discuss, strategize, and share experiences. Mutual learning enhances our ability to add value intentionally.

Personal Journey: Adding Value

Reflecting on my journey, I realize that prioritizing adding value to others has been foundational. Consistent effort over the years compounds success. My calling has always been to add value, not merely to attain wealth or influence.

Continuous Connection

Success isn’t a static destination but a continual journey of growth and connection. Adding value remains paramount throughout. Never outgrow the need for connection and personal growth.

Power of Five

In this discussion, we’ve emphasized personal growth, intentional value addition, and the significance of mindset. These principles underpin effective connection and success.

Conclusion

The key lies in intentional action, valuing others, and cultivating the right mindset. By prioritizing adding value to people, we not only foster personal growth but also build strong connections and achieve lasting success.

Personal Story: Shaping Attitude

My father shared a pivotal moment with me one night. Despite his naturally melancholic disposition, he cultivated a positive mindset. Growing up poor in a small town, he observed only three families thriving financially. Determined to understand their secret, he realized it was their mindset that set them apart. This revelation inspired me to write “How Successful People Think,” which became a bestseller.

Mindset Transformation

During the Depression, while others waited in food lines, my father sought opportunities. He offered his labor for free to local store owners. Despite initial skepticism, his dedication earned him three part-time jobs within a month. His story illustrates the power of mindset in shaping outcomes.

Importance of Positive Thinking

Positive thinking isn’t innate but learned and practiced. It’s a skill that transforms outcomes. I often wish we could cleanse our minds like we do our bodies. Correct thinking is the catalyst for change.

Intentional Living

To live intentionally, we must first think intentionally. It’s the foundation for purposeful living. Cultivating a positive mindset is a deliberate choice that yields profound results.

Conclusion

My father’s journey underscores the transformative power of mindset. By adopting a positive outlook and intentional thinking, we can overcome challenges and achieve success. It’s not about circumstances but about our response to them.

Uphill Journey: Intentional Living

Success necessitates intentional effort. Everything worthwhile requires uphill struggle. We must consciously plan, exert energy, and persist. Tough times may challenge us, but our attitude determines our resilience. While attitude isn’t everything, it significantly influences outcomes.

The Power of Attitude

Attitude is the differentiator in hiring decisions and life’s challenges. Belief in oneself and in one’s purpose is paramount. Personal belief and purpose belief must align for success. Without self-confidence, even lofty goals remain unattainable.

The CEO’s Revelation

During an interview with a prominent CEO, he revealed a profound perspective on failure. Despite numerous mistakes, he wouldn’t redo any. His failures taught invaluable lessons, shaping his success. This mindset shift exemplifies the power of positive thinking.

Conclusion

Positive thinking isn’t just a cliché; it’s a transformative force. Intentional living, aligned with a positive attitude and purpose, leads to success. Embracing failures as opportunities for growth is key to achieving our goals. It all begins with how we think and perceive challenges.

Leadership Insights: Learning from Failure

Failure serves as a potent learning tool, imparting invaluable wisdom and vital life lessons. Reflecting on setbacks and failures is essential for growth.

Evolution of Leadership

In the realm of leadership, growth and development are imperative. The concept of developing oneself as a leader was revolutionary when introduced in the book “Developing the Leader Within 2.0.” This groundbreaking idea challenged the notion that leaders are solely born, not made.

The Law of the Lid

The Law of the Lid emphasizes the critical role of leadership in determining success. Regardless of industry or profession, effective leadership is the linchpin for progress. Business success is contingent upon the quality of leadership at the helm.

Leadership Impact on Business

Leadership directly impacts the trajectory of a business. If leadership capabilities are limited (represented by a low “lid”), the business’s potential is similarly capped. Conversely, strong leadership propels the business to greater heights.

Embracing Growth as a Leader

Leadership is not fixed but can be developed and enhanced over time. Investing in leadership development expands the lid, allowing for increased business potential. Continuous growth and improvement are fundamental to leadership success.

Conclusion

Leadership development is a journey of perpetual learning and growth. By recognizing the pivotal role of leadership in business success and embracing opportunities for development, individuals can unlock their full potential as leaders.

values, they become a magnet for others to do the same. Moral authority is built on integrity, consistency, and alignment between words and actions.

Growth Journey in Leadership

If you’d spend one hour a day every day on the same subject studying and learning it for five years, okay, that at the end of five years you could become an expert on that subject. And I was very passionate to be a better leader. So I said I’m going to try what Earl Nightingale suggests. I’m going to spend one hour a day every day on leadership. I’m going to talk to leaders. I’m going to practice leadership. I’m going to read leadership books. I’m going to ask leadership questions. And I did that every day, one hour, leadership, leadership, leadership, leadership, every day. And Earl Nightingale said in five years, I’d be an expert. So I started my growth journey off by saying, “Wow, in five years, I’m going to be an expert.” And so I’m, I’m, you know, I’m kind of go doing a countdown, five, four, three. You know, I’m, I’m, wow. I, I, I, I’m, I’m, I’m looking at the end. But something happened, something that I didn’t expect. You see, as I started my growth journey in leadership, I kept asking, “How long will it take? How long will it take? How long will it take?” Well, Earl Nightingale said five years, five, four, three. How long will it take? How long will it take? But about midway through the five-year leadership growth experience, something beautifully happened within me. I began to change. I began to see leadership from a different perspective. I began to be able to lead better because I was practicing leader leadership all the time. All I was growing. I was developing. And all of a sudden, I wasn’t the same person. I had begun to raise my leadership lid. And when I started, it was here. But boy, I’m, I’m, I’m practicing and I’m growing and I’m learning, learning, I’m experiencing. And so, you see, this incredible miracle happened within me. It’ll happen within you too if you’ll do what I say. I kept asking myself, “How long will it take? How long will it take?” Well, he says five years, five, four, three. And about in the middle of that three, I quit asking the question, “How long will it take?” And I started asking a different question, question. I quit asking, “How long will it take?” And I started asking, “How far can I go?”

Embracing Growth Potential

Life-changing. Now all of a sudden, I wasn’t thinking about five years becoming an expert in leadership because I was inwardly growing. I was getting better. I was learning. I was getting more successful. I was leading people better. I was building a good team. And now all of a sudden, I wasn’t interested in that expert leadership title in five years. That was kind of small and mundane because now I was growing. It’s not long, how long will it take? It’s how far? How far can I go? I tell you that story because that’s what I want for you. I will challenge you immediately to begin developing and growing yourself. In fact, as I teach you the five essentials of leadership in a moment, these five core essentials that you just want to have under your belt, I just want to be sure that you understand, be sure that you know that you have incredible growth potential. And as you grow as a leader, you will be highly, highly successful.

The Law of Process and Leadership Essentials

I also teach in the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership not only the law of lid there’s 21 of them but another one I teach is the law of process. And the law of process just simply says leaders develop daily, not in a day. And that’s why I want to give you the five essentials of leadership because what I’m about to share with you is a part of my leadership journey. This is what I have learned as a leader. This is the journey that I have taken. And so I pass it on to you with great honor and privilege and respect for who you are. And I know that it will help you. So are you ready? And the essentials I gave you the five, they’re not prioritized. Number one isn’t more important than number three. It’s just there are five essentials, okay? Number one, live what you say. This is so important. Leadership is visual. Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” Very simple. Gandhi said that if you want to see your company get better, you have to get better. It’s not a fact that somehow you don’t grow, but your company grows or you don’t grow, but your team grows. That doesn’t happen. You have to live what you say. There’s a difference between positional authority, leadership authority, and moral authority. Let me talk to you about all three of those for a moment. Positional authority is given to you when you get a leadership title or a leadership position. And sadly, very sadly, too often, people get a leadership title or position, and they think that they’re a leader. Now that is not true. The position doesn’t make the leader. The leader makes the position. But we get this title or position, and now people are on our team, and they have to follow us. They don’t have to follow us because we’re good. They have to follow us because we have a title. We have a position. And regretfully, too many people think that’s leadership. In fact, they’ll tell me, they’ll say, “John, boy, last week I became a leader.” As soon as they tell me they became a leader last week, I know they don’t understand leadership. What they’re really saying is this: last week I got a leadership title. Well, that doesn’t make you a leader. It just gives you a title. People don’t follow titles. They follow examples. And so the lowest of this authority that we’re talking about now is that you have a title. You have a leadership position. And that’s why I call it positional authority. You only have authority to lead because you have a title or a position to lead from. The second level of authority is what I call leadership authority. Positional authority says, “Follow me because of who I am. I’m the leader here. I’m the supervisor.” Leadership authority says, “Follow me not only because of who I am, I do have a title, but follow me also because what I say, I say things that are helpful to you and lift you.” And so therefore, it’s not only my title, but it’s also my words. And that’s a level above positional authority. But the one that I’m going for because I’m talking about essentials of leadership today is the third one, which is moral authority. And moral authority says, “Follow me because of who I am, because of what I say, and follow me, don’t miss this, because of what I do.” That’s moral authority. When you have the position, the title, when you have the words, and then when you have the behavior and the action. For example, one of the things I try to help

Values and Being the Example

Values, guess what? They become more valuable. They become more valuable to their own self. They become more valuable to their family. They become more valuable to their business. But values, it’s on the inside. It’s here. What I’m encouraging you to do today when I talk to you about being the example and living what you say is, I’m encouraging you to be better on the inside than you are on the outside and to be bigger on the inside than you are on the outside.

I do a lot of work with companies around the world, and in America, there’s a very successful restaurant company called Chick-fil-A. And I’ve worked with Chick-fil-A for many, many years. It’s, well, it’s, as far as the fast-food business, it’s at the top of that business. And they’re great people of values. Truett Cathy, who was the founder, who’s now passed away but was a wonderful friend, his son Dan now leads the organization, who’s a close friend. Truett was pressured by his board to build more stores, and they kept saying, “We need to get bigger. We need to get bigger. We need to grow. We need to advance.” And Truett would say, “No, no, no. You don’t understand,” he said. “We need to get better.” He said, “When we get better, the customer will demand that we get bigger.” That’s what I’m talking about. I’m talking about living what you say.

Leadership Integrity

When I was a young leader, I made a decision. I was only 25, so I was very young as a leader, but I made a decision that has been with me for many, many years now, and I want to pass it on to you because it’s helped me so much. And that decision was that I was only going to teach in leadership what I truly lived. If I didn’t live it, if I didn’t believe it, I wouldn’t teach it because my temptation as a young leader was to lead beyond myself, to lead in areas that I did not yet know or lead in areas I did not experience or lead in areas that perhaps I didn’t even do myself. You see, it’s not important that you believe me, but it’s important that I believe me. And that’s what I’m talking about when I say live what you say, live what you teach. I mean, I just said I’m not going to teach what I don’t live. I’m not going to do it. And the result of that is it made me, it helped me to become what I would call a transformational leader.

You see, the world needs demonstration more than instruction. And yet, most leaders, what they want to do is talk all the time. They want to instruct. They want to point and they say, “Do this and go there.” That’s not what great leaders do. The essentials of leadership is, before I ask you to do it, I do it. Before I ask you to pay that price, I’ve paid that price. Before I ask you to take that journey, I’ve taken that journey. That’s where I get credibility as a leader. That’s where I get buy-in as a leader. That’s when I can truly say those what I call those great words, life-changing words that every leader needs to be able to say to his or her people, and those are the words, “Follow me.” The moment I can say to you, “Follow me, watch me, stay close to me. I’ll show you exactly how to do this.” Now I have integrity. I have credibility. I have authenticity as a leader. This is huge. So, the first essential of leadership is just very simple: live what you say. If you don’t live it, don’t say it. In fact, if you don’t live it, you disqualify yourself to be the leader of the people. People should only have to follow a leader who lives what they say.

Adding Value to Others

The second essential in leadership is for you to lift people by adding value to them. Wow, I want to do a good job teaching this because it is essential to your leadership. A few years ago, I was in Kiev, Ukraine, and I was getting ready to speak to 15,000 people in a live Coliseum. And my translator was in the green room with me, and he was talking to me about my books. He said, “John, I’ve read your books. I’m so honored to be your translator. This is just going to be wonderful.” But he said, “Before you go out,” and he’s talking to me about 10 minutes before I go out to speak, he said, “Before you go out, I just want you to know, John, that you believe in adding value to people and you say, leaders always add value to people. That’s a very strong core of your leadership message.” And he said, “You’re about to go out to talk to people who, for 70 years, were under communism. And when you go out and say, ‘Leaders add value to people,’ they’re not going to.”

Understanding Leadership

Understand what you’re saying because all they’ve ever seen is leaders take advantage of people, abuse their leadership position, put themselves first as leaders instead of the people. So, he said, when you walk out and you start that message, “Leaders add value to people,” you’re going to disconnect with them immediately because they have never known a leader that added value to them.

Shifting Perspectives

And then I’ll never forget left the green room, and I thought, “Wow, I’ve got about 6 minutes, and I’m going to have to have some redirection in my conversation and my thinking.” So, I did, and I went down, I went out that day, and instead of just starting to teach, I just asked him. I said, “Let me ask you a question. How many of you have ever had leaders take advantage of you?” And 15,000 people raised their hand. “Yeah, we’ve had leaders take advantage of you.” I said, “Let me ask you another question. How many of you didn’t appreciate that when leaders did take advantage?” Every hand raised up again. And then I said, “I’m going to today give you a new paradigm of leadership. As of today, I’m going to teach you a new and better way to lead people.” And that evening, for the next two hours, I talked on the subject of adding value to people, the first step of every good leader. And I talked to them about how do you add value to your people? How do you lift your people? How do you make it better for your people?

Adding Value in Leadership

I travel internationally. I speak privately with many presidents. In fact, I have one company that does transformation in countries, and we have 23 presidents that have invited us in to do values transformation for their entire country. And when I’m one-on-one with those leaders, the press is gone, the teams are gone, it’s just the two of us. I always look that leader in the eye, and I ask him one very simple question: are the people better off because you’re their leader? Would they look at you and say you’ve added value to them, or would they look at you and say, “No, you’ve taken advantage of me”? I said, “That’s your question that you have to answer. That’s the question I have to answer. That’s the question every one of you has to answer.”

In the real estate business, you’ve got teams, you’re building companies. Are you adding value to your team? Now, I’m going to show you very quickly how to do that. I have a very simple formula of adding value to people that I practice on a daily basis. I practiced it today, I practiced it yesterday, tomorrow I’ll do it. There are five things I do every day to add value to people. And since adding value is the first step of a good leader and it’s our job to lift people by adding value to them, it’s probably important that you get these five things.

Five Steps to Adding Value

1. Value People: That’s where it starts. You see, I’m with you today because I value you. I believe in you. I think you have growth potential. I think that you can build a better business. I think you can help more people. I think you can be successful. When you value people, you look for ways to add value to them. Just as if you devalue people, you don’t even think of adding value to them. In fact, they are no concern or interest to you to add value to any people that you devalue. So, every day I value people. I value Stephen. I value what they’re doing at gex. That’s why I’m here with you. I value you. That’s step number one. Every day I value people.
2. Think of Ways to Add Value: Every day, I think of ways to add value to you. I mean, I knew that today I’d have this opportunity to talk to you about leadership. And so, I sat down and I worked on this lesson just specifically for you. I’ve never taught this lesson. I get teaching it today, never ever. Because I value you, and I want to add value to you. So, every day, I not only value you, but I think before I meet you, when I’m with my friends in the real estate world, how can I add value to them? I think of ways to add value to you.
3. Look for Ways to Add Value: Every day, I look for ways to add value to you. In other words, when I’m with you, I say, “Okay, what can I do?” For example, last night, I was speaking at a Unity University. In fact, it was a conference of many African leaders. And they asked me to be the evening speaker. And so, I walked into this ballroom, full of people, and my granddaughter Hannah happens to go to this university. And so, you know, I text her, I said, “Hannah, you know, be my date and come to the banquet with me.” And she said, “Yes, I will.” And it’s a great school, it’s called Liberty University. And they literally put on this conference to help leaders. And so, I walked in the room, and I sat down with Hannah, we were having our salad, and people were wanting pictures, people were wanting me to sign books. And so, Hannah, I said, “Honey, is it okay if I, you know, we walk around and I’ll sign books?” And she said, “Papa, I’ll be glad to.” So, I walked around and I signed books. Now, why did I walk around and sign books? I could have sat there and eaten. It wasn’t required me to sign books for the people. But I saw them, and I was looking for a way to add value to them. I thought, maybe a, you know, 30 seconds signing a book for them, giving them a smile, meeting them. I had Hannah go with me, I’d introduce Hannah. In fact, some of them were having my granddaughter Hannah sign the books for them. And it was just a beautiful, beautiful evening. In fact, when we were leaving, I had my arm around Hannah as we were leaving. And I said, “Honey, I didn’t give you as”…

Adding Value Continues

Continued from previous section…

intentional in adding value to them. Every day, I encourage others to add value to people. And what I’ve discovered is that the people that are successful in leadership and the people that are successful in the real estate business, they’re always lifting up people and adding value to them. Just where I live in Florida, I just bought another home, and the realtor, the real estate people that took care of me, I’m telling you, they did much more than just the legal part of the property transaction. They were constantly saying, “What can we do to help you? And how can we add value?” And I said, “Well, there are a couple of other changes I would like to happen.” And I shared with them. I said, “I’ve bought the house, but I know that’s my responsibility. But before I get in there, could you?” And oh, they said, “We’ll take care of it. We’ll take care of it.” And I said, “Well, you didn’t charge me.” “Well, no, that’s good. No, you’re good. We’re glad to do that.” And I kept thinking, “Wow, they’re different. They’re adding value to me.” In fact, they did such a good job, I said, “Well, here, you can have my house to sell.” Now, what caused me to give them my house to sell and another fee? What caused me to do that? Well, because they were lifting me. They were adding value to me.

So, the five essentials of leadership: live what you say and lift people up by adding value to them.

Loving and Trusting

Number three, love the people that you lead. In fact, I tell leaders all the time, when you stop loving your people, stop leading your people. Because the moment I stop loving you as a leader is the moment I’ll start manipulating you and taking advantage of you. This is the line that leaders have to be careful. It’s such a fine line, and it’s so easy to cross. The moment that I lead you for good reasons, I will motivate you, which is always good. I move you from mutual advantage. But the moment that I don’t care for you, I’ll manipulate you. And manipulation is different than motivation. When I motivate you, we all win together. When I manipulate you, I win, you lose. And I see leaders cross that line all the time. And I ask myself, what happened to those leaders? Why did they manipulate the people? Why did they take advantage of the people? Why were they unfair? Why didn’t they put the people first? It’s very simple. They stopped loving their people.

A few years ago, I did the opening session at the United Nations. So, I was speaking to every ambassador in the world from every country. And so, you know, different cultures, different countries, different types of government, there were a lot of differences. But we were all leaders. And so, for two hours that day, I talked on the subject, three questions that followers ask of their leaders. And it was a delightful day. I enjoyed myself immensely. And I want to take a moment. I want to share with you those three questions because I tell you, in your real estate world, when people determine that you’re going to be the realtor or they’re going to let you be part of the transaction, there are three questions they’re asking about you. And the three questions are:

1. Do you like me? Think about it. Do you really want somebody to lead you that doesn’t like you?
2. Can you help me? In other words, if I sign up to let you be my leader, is it going to be better for me? That’s a very legitimate question. Can you help me?
3. Can I trust you? Can I trust you with my money? Can I trust you with my life? Can I trust you in every area? Are you a trustworthy person?

Now, those three questions as a leader, I ask. I flip those questions around. I know that’s what followers ask me as a leader. But as a leader, I ask myself these questions. Do I love the people that I lead? If I do, that’s a positive check. Can I help the people I lead? Do I add value to them? Oh, I do. Positive check. Am I trustworthy? Can they trust me? Oh, if I, that’s a positive check. You see, love the people that you lead.

Conclusion

The fourth essential of leaders is to be intentional in adding value to them. Every day, I encourage others to add value to people. And what I’ve discovered is that the people that are successful in leadership and the people that are successful in the real estate business, they’re always lifting up people and adding value to them.

Leadership During Difficult Times

Successful leadership is crucial during challenging periods. The speaker reflects on the global challenges, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for leadership presence during adversity.

“Now this has been a very difficult time for the world. We’ve had a pandemic, we’ve had COVID-19, everybody has been adversely affected by it, and I have watched this as a leader as a very interesting time because when I say it’s essential for you to lead people during difficult times, you have to understand that’s the time they need your leadership more than any other. And what’s sad is so many times when the adversity and difficulty comes, the leaders are absent. In fact, I, in America, forget Nigeria, in America we have a leadership absence right now. We have a leadership vacancy. I mean, we’ve never had a time when we needed better leaders and more leaders, and we’ve never had a time when we had less leaders and worse leaders.”

Revealing True Leadership

The speaker discusses how challenging times reveal true leaders. He contrasts between ‘players’ who step up during adversity and ‘pretenders’ who disappear.

“And what I’ve discovered with COVID-19 is that this adversity, this difficult time that we’re in has separated the pretenders from the players. During this dark hour, there have been players that stepped up as leaders and said, ‘I’m going to be here for you. I’m going to add value to you. I’m going to be counted on, I’m going to be trustworthy.’ And then there are people that are pretenders, they’re gone, they’re just gone.”

Commitment to Employees

The speaker shares his approach to leading his companies during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of valuing employees and maintaining trust.

“So what do we do with the employees, what do we do with our business? And I said, ‘Mark, we do today in this dark difficult time what we did when we were in the good times. We value our people, we value our team members, we value our clients, we value our mission. We’re going to take care of our people, assure them that the only way that they go down is if we go down with them, that we’re going to lead well during a very difficult time.'”

Personal Integrity and Leadership

The speaker underscores the importance of personal integrity and commitment to staying with employees during difficult times, emphasizing mutual support and trust.

“What I want my people to know is not that I’m a successful man. What I want them to know is that I’m an honest man, and I’m a truthful man, and that I’m a person that will do what I say, and that I will stay with them during the difficult times, and if we go down, we go down together, and if we go up, we go up together. But it’s got to be together.”

Leadership Development and Mentorship

The speaker expresses his passion for mentoring potential leaders and passing on knowledge and experience to empower others, highlighting the importance of succession planning.

“There is no succession without a successor. And the question I have to ask is, who am I handing the baton off to? Who am I empowering, who am I equipping, who am I mentoring? That’s how you grow a great company.”

Cultivating a Growth Environment

The speaker emphasizes the importance of personal growth and creating a conducive environment for growth within organizations.

“Growth matters. Your first investment should be in you. If you wouldn’t bet on yourself, why should anyone else bet on you? A better you makes a bigger you, and a bigger you makes a more influential you.”

Connecting with Others

The speaker highlights the significance of connecting with people and understanding their motivations to lead them effectively.

“Connecting matters. Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”

Developing the Right Mindset

The speaker discusses the importance of mindset, suggesting that successful thinking patterns distinguish successful individuals from unsuccessful ones.

“I think the greatest gap between success and failure is the thinking gap.”

Importance of Leadership

The speaker asserts that leadership is pivotal for success, stressing the correlation between effective leadership and organizational success.

“When people ask me how do I build my company, I said it’s very simple, you’ve got to build leaders. Your business always follows your leadership.”

Pursuit of Significance

The speaker urges individuals to seek significance by adding value to others, distinguishing between personal success and making a positive impact.

“I want you to be successful in B, but I want you to be also significant. I want you to take your blessings and your resources and add value to people.”

Fulfillment in Others’ Success

The speaker finds fulfillment in the success of others, emphasizing the joy derived from empowering and impacting lives positively.

“My greatest fulfillment in life is in your success. I want to make a difference with people who want to make a difference, doing something that makes a difference, at a time when it makes a difference.”

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by welcoming the audience to the Maxwell leadership executive podcast, reiterating the podcast’s goal of enhancing leadership skills and achieving remarkable results.

“Welcome to the Maxwell leadership executive podcast, where our goal is to help you increase your reputation as a leader, increase your ability to influence others, and increase your ability to fully engage your team to deliver remarkable results.”