Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen

 

Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my first Brant Hansen book, but I'm sure is will not be my last. He makes an argument that Christians should never be offended because of what Christ has done for us. I recommend this book for all believers in Christ. It will challenge you to live a life that honors our Lord. Even though I share many quotes from the book, you really need to read it for yourself. Enjoy the quotes below and allow the Holy Spirit to use them to help you be unoffendable.

To all those who want grace for themselves but struggle to extend it to others. Wait: that’s everybody. ~Brant Hansen

Anger is the most fundamental problem in human life. ~Dallas Willard

The thing that you think makes your anger “righteous” is the very thing you are called to forgive. Grace isn’t for the deserving. Forgiving means surrendering your claim to resentment and letting go of anger. ~Brant Hansen

In the Bible’s “wisdom literature,” angers always - not sometimes, always - associated with foolishness, not wisdom. The writer recognized that, yes, anger may visit us, but when it finds a residence, it's “in the lap of fools” (Eccl. 7:9). ~Brant Hansen

Thinking we're entitled to keep anger in our laps - whether toward the sin of a political figure, a news network, your dumb neighbor, you're lying spouse, you deceased father, whomever - is perfectly natural, and perfectly foolish. Make no mistake. Foolishness destroys. ~Brant Hansen

I can let stuff go, because it's not all about me. Simply reminding myself to refuse to take offense is a big part of the battle. ~Brant Hansen

Dan Kahan, a Yale law professor, led a study that found that our passions and biases undermine even basic reasoning. The study show that people who are normally very adept at math are suddenly unable to solve a problem when the obvious answer conflicts with their political beliefs. And it's not as if the “smartest” people were able to do better at solving the problems. In fact, the researchers felt that the better the people were at math, the more apt they were to try to avoid the actual answer. (This applied to both liberals and conservatives, by the way.) Instead of changing our beliefs to match reality, we often just rearrange reality, in our heads, to match what we want. ~Brant Hansen

We simply can't trust ourselves in our judgments of others. We don't know what they're really thinking, or their background, or what really motivated whatever they did. And since we don't know, let's choose ahead of time: we're just not going to get offended by people. ~Brant Hansen

One man may be so placed that his anger sheds the blood of thousands, and another so placed that however angry he gets he will only be laughed at. But the little mark on the soul may be much the same in both. Each has done something to himself which, unless he repents, will make it harder for him to keep out of the rage next time he's tempted, and will make the rage worse when he does fall into it. Each of them, if he seriously returns to God, can have that twist in the central man straightened out again: each is, in the long run, doomed if you will not. The bigness or smallness of the thing, seen from the outside, is not what really matters. ~C.S. Lewis

So, what if - just dreaming out loud here - Christians were known as the people you couldn't offend? ~Brant Hansen

Yes, the world is broken. But don't be offended by it. Instead, thank God that He's intervened in it, and He's going to restore it to everything it was meant to be. His Kingdom is breaking through, bit by bit. Recognize it and wonder at it. ~Brant Hansen

But grace has no borders. Love breaks through, and - just as Jesus said of the church - the gates of hell will not prevail against it. ~Brant Hansen

We're told, in Psalm 46:10, to “be still,” or to stop “stop striving” and know that He is God. Some people are familiar with this verse but not the larger context, which is that of someone looking over the remains of a battlefield. The original Hebrew is suggestive of stopping the fight, letting go, and relaxing. God wants us to drop our arms. No more defensiveness. No more taking things personally. He'll handle it. Really. Trust Him. Rest. Quit thinking it's up to you to police people and that God needs you to “take a stand.” God “needs” nothing. Quit trying to parent the whole world. Quit offering advice when exactly zero people asked for it. Quit being shocked when people don't share your morality. Quit serving as judge and jury, in your own mind, of that person who just cut you off in traffic. Quit thinking you need to “discern” what others’ motives are. And quit rehearsing in your mind what that other person did to you. It's all so exhausting. ~Brant Hansen

We have nothing to prove, and when we really believe that, will hardly be quick to anger. ~Brant Hansen

Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but I doubt people will love God more because of my list of moral accomplishments. They're more likely to be annoyed. ~Brant Hansen

Refusing to be offended by others is a powerful door - opener to actual relationships. ~Brant Hansen

I used to think that to be Christ like meant to be alienated and put off by the sin off others. But it's quite the opposite. Refusing to be alienated and put off by the sin of others is what allows me to be Christlike. ~Brant Hansen

I used to read, and Matthew 16, where Jesus was talking about the “gates of hell” coming against the church and how they would not prevail against it, and I’d think, that's great! We can stand up to the worst attacks. But that doesn't make any sense. Gates don't attack. I'm kind of a military history nerd, and I still missed this. The reference isn't defensive at all. It's about being on offense. What it actually sounds like is this: Jesus is sending His followers out to love others, and they can go anywhere, even through the gates of hell, to do it. ~Brant Hansen

Christians do not condone unbiblical living; we redeem it. ~ Mike Yaconelli

Love people where they are, and love them boldly. And if you really want to go crazy, them too. ~Brant Hansen

In the book “Messy Spirituality,” Yaconelli told a story about a small group of American soldiers during World War 2 who sought out a burial site for one of their fallen friends. They were pulling out the next day and were hoping to bury him in a fenced churchyard cemetery nearby. As the sun was setting, they approached the house next to the church and knocked on the door. The priest answered. They asked him if they could bury their friend in the cemetery. “I'm sorry,” he replied, “but that's only for members of our church.” The priest went on to tell the soldiers they could, if they chose, bury their comrade near the cemetery but on the other side of the fence. They were saddened but had few options, so that's what they did. The next day, they wanted to visit their fellow soldier’s grave site one last time before moving on. When they came to the churchyard, they were shocked: they couldn't find his grave. It simply wasn't there. One of them went to the Parsonage door and knocked. “What happened to the grave we dug?” one soldier asked when the priest answered. “It's not there. We did it last night, and it's not there.” “It's still there.” The soldier was baffled. “You see, last night, I couldn't sleep,” the priest confessed “all I could think about was that I’d told you, that you couldn't bury your friend inside our fence. I regretted that. So, last night, I got up - and I moved the fence.”

My goal with relationships is no longer to try to change people. Is to introduce people to a God who is already reaching toward them, right where they are. This changes everything. It means everyone is welcome, and not just theoretically, but really: everyone - no matter what their political or religious beliefs - is welcome in my home, at my table. I happen to be a pro- life, limited- government Jesus-follower. So, you're an atheist and a socialist who's pro-choice and thinks Jesus is for losers? Fascinating! Say, how would you like your toast? Tell me more about your thoughts about Jesus and losers . . . Welcoming people into our lives isn't “glossing over important issues.” Refusing to be angry about others’ views isn't conflict avoidance or happy-talk. It's the very nature of serving people. I don't pretend the differences aren't there; I just appreciate that God has a different timetable with everyone. ~Brant Hansen

Don't condemn the culture; redeem it. ~Brant Hansen

Wait: We're supposed to surrender the idea that we know others motivations. ~Brant Hansen

So how do I access the relative spiritual temperature of these people? How do I determine where they stand with God? Answer: I don't. ~Brant Hansen

Let’s dispense with one idea at the very start of this chapter: that anger and action are synonymous. Often, we confuse the two, thinking that if we're not angry about an unjust situation, we're simply accepting it. That's completely false. ~Brant Hansen

Anger and action are two very different things, confusing the two actually hurts our efforts to set things right. ~Brant Hansen

Indeed, we are to be motivated by something very different: love, in obedience born of love. ~Brant Hansen

The Bible gives us ample commands to act, and never, ever, says to do it out of anger. ~Brant Hansen

You can recognize injustice, stand up to it, even sacrifice your life fighting. And you can do it without anger. In fact, you'll do it better. You won't be remembered as angry, but as convicted of what's right, and loving to the very end. This kind of love leaves an impression on one's enemies that anger simply never will. ~Brant Hansen

That Monday I went home with a heavy heart. I was weighed down by a terrible sense of guilt, remembering that on two of the three occasions I had allowed myself to become angry and indigent. I had spoken hastily and resentfully. Yet I knew that this was no way to solve a problem. “You must not harbor anger,” I admonish myself. “You must be willing to suffer the anger of the opponent, and yet not return anger.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

For those who ask, “but how can we fight injustice without anger?” King's response is simple: Be motivated by love. Love for victims, love for bystanders, even love for our enemies themselves.

We are not advocating violence. We want to love our enemies I want you to love our enemies. Be good to them. Love them and let them know that you love them. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jesus will not accept the common distinction between righteous indignation and unjustifiable anger. The disciple must be entirely innocent of anger, because anger is an offence against both God and his neighbor. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor and theologian

Naturally, if you love people, you're going to worry about them. But do you know where constant worry comes from? It's rooted in an arrogance that assumes, I know the way my life has to go, and God's not getting it right. Real humility means to relax. Real humility means to laugh at yourself. Real humility means to be self-critical. ~Timothy Keller

When you start practicing it, you realize: choosing to be unoffendable means actually, for real, trusting God. ~Brant Hansen

Hell . . . begins with a grumbling mood, and yourself still distinct from it. . . . Ye can repent, and come out of it again. But there may come a day when you can do that no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood, nor even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself going on forever, like a machine. ~C.S. Lewis

There's only one way to not be threatened by anything, and that’s if you have nothing to lose. And this is where the choosing- to-be-unoffendable business really becomes not only possible but also completely cnsonant with the teachings and life of Jesus. Just making the choice, and being mindful each day that “I'm not going to let people offend me,” is very helpful, and it will make life better. ~Brant Hansen

We say “I trust Jesus,” or “Trust in the Lord, and all that stuff.” But here's where the words actually mean something: What if . . . the worst happens? Do you still trust Him? ~Brant Hansen

Whether or not you currently feel that God is around doesn't alter reality. ~Brant Hansen

Because salvation is by grace through faith, I believe that among the countless number of people standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands (see Revelation 7:9 ), I shall see the prostitute from the Kit-Kat Ranch in Carson City, Nevada, who tearfully told me that she could find no other employment to support her two-year-old son. I shall see the woman who had an abortion that is haunted by guilt and remorse but did the best she could faced with grueling alternatives; the businessman besieged with debt who sold his integrity in a series of desperate transactions; the insecure clergyman addicted to being like, who never challenged his people from the pulpit and longed for unconditional love; the sexually abused teen molested by his father and now selling his body on the street, who, as he falls asleep each night after his last “trick,” whispers the name of the unknown God he learned about in Sunday school. “But how?” we ask. Then the voice says, “they have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” There they are. There we are - the multitude who so wanted to be faithful, who at times got defeated, soiled by life, and bested by trials, wearing the bloodied garments of life’s tribulations, but through it all clung to faith. My friends, if this is not good news to you, you have never understood the gospel of grace. ~Brennan Manning

God still loves us. He has not abandoned us. Every hope we've ever had - that someone would find value in us, would think we were worthy of love, would find us enjoyable and attractive and pleasing and worthwhile - is met in Him. God Himself loves us! His love trump's everything. And nothing, Paul wrote in Romans, can separate us from that love. Nothing. ~Brant Hansen

What we believe isn't what we say we believe; it's what we do. ~Brant Hansen

But the King of kings wants you so badly that He'd give up his only Son to be with you. He not only allows it, but desires that you and I - lowly us! - talk to Him often, whenever we want. He's not asking us to try harder, but to trust that the work is already done to bring us into His family. He wants us to spend eternity - His eternity - with us. ~Brant Hansen

Jesus, the one who made breakfast for His betrayers, wants us to love as He loves. ~Brant Hansen

Without love, I'm just a bunch of noise. And even when well - intentioned, my arguments are abstractions. People have heard so many words. They want to see the love of God. We quote Scripture, saying, “God is love,” and “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 John 4:8; 1 Peter 4:8 ), but if we don't demonstrate this, our words are just more useless racket. ~Brant Hansen

Ideally, however, the church itself is not made up of natural “friends.” It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything of the sort. Christians come together, not because they form a natural collection, but because they have been saved by Jesus Christ and owe Him a common allegiance. In the light of this common allegiance, in light of the fact that they have all been loved by Jesus Himself, they commit themselves to doing what He says - and He commands them to love one another. In this light, they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus sake. ~D.A, Carson

Since anger has value, giving it up requires a sacrifice. And, as we've explored, it's one that's simply not optional for the follower of Jesus. The cross simultaneously stands as a constant reminder of His willingness to “pay the bill” and as an indictment on us when we are unwilling to do the same for others. ~Brant Hansen

It doesn't matter if I feel stupid. I just want to love people for once. ~Brant Hansen

It makes sense that people who follow the Man of Sorrows, a man who was “acquainted with grief,” are also acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3 ). We don't run away from it. We run toward it. And we run toward it knowing full well that people might thrash about, scream, punch, kick, curse, cry, and yell at God and us . . . and then, when they look up, wondering, are you still there? . . . We're still there. ~Brant Hansen

Choosing to be unoffendable out of love for others is ministry. And real ministry forces us to abandon our relentless search for approval from others. That frees us to love . . . beautifully and recklessly. ~Brant Hansen

And that's just it: it's always grace that changes hearts. Rules are wonderful. I'm a rules guy. Rules bring wisdom into our lives. They help us live better. They spare us from pain. But rules don't change anyone's heart, ever. Grace does. ~Brant Hansen

We can play pretend and try to sit up an aquarium - type existence, devoid of interaction with anything or anyone who might challenge or upset us, but that's not the world Jesus came to save. ~Brant Hansen

Henry Nouwen was a priest. He also had plenty of what the culture considers “significant”: he was a brilliant writer and a professor at both Yale and Harvard. As he lived his life, he saw the struggle between operating by the values of the world and the values of the kingdom of God. He says, “More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire is to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.”

It takes a childlike humility to embrace the love of God, to realize how “unfair” it is, and then add, quickly, “but I'll take it!” ~Brant Hansen

If you're constantly being hurt, offended, or angered, you should honestly evaluate your inflated ego. ~Brant Hansen

The Bibe karma on the other hand, it's shockingly devoid of Awesome, Big Planner People. Instead, God continually chooses the least likely to be chosen, the broken and the humble. It’s clearly His modus operandi. ~Brant Hansen

I also can't help but think that if we just responded to things God places in front of us in our lives, and entrusted the visionary role to the Lord Himself, beautiful things could happen. It doesn't mean we don't need leaders; of course we do. But we need humble ones, leaders who don't need a spotlight, don't need approval, don't need attention. “Ant” leaders who prod us own and serve us in order to help free us to do what God puts in front of us . ~Brant Hansen

To even get near [humility], even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in a desert. Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all. ~C.S. Lewis

When we choose, ahead of time - before conversations,  before meetings,  before our day begins - to be unoffendable, we’re simply choosing humility. ~Brant Hansen

You needn't be insecure in who you are - not because you're great, but because your security isn't found in who you are. ~Brant Hansen

But you know what's harder than living a life of forgiveness? Living a life of unforgiveness. ~Brant Hansen

We don't forgive people because they deserve it. We forgive because we didn't deserve it. We forgive because we've been forgiven. We forgive as an act of worship. God deserves it. ~Brant Hansen

There's nothing that can be done with anger that cannot be done better without it. ~Dallas Willard

We have to constantly be grateful for our own forgiveness. We start the day with it. We live the day with it. We end the day with it. It defines us. ~Brant Hansen

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Abraham: One Nomad's Amazing Journey of Faith by Charles R. Swindoll

 

Abraham: One Nomad's Amazing Journey of Faith by Charles R. Swindoll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of my favorite authors and Bible Teachers is Chuck Swindoll. I am currently teaching the life of Abraham to my Sunday School class. The book is an excellent resource. Some many lessons to be learned from Abraham's life. I highly recommend this book. I hope the quotes below will help you in your walk with our Savior.

Scripture doesn't presume to tell fairy tales. It's a book about real life. ~Charles R. Swindoll

While each person's faith journey is unique, Abraham blazed the trail for the rest of us; his faith journey tells us about our own. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Truly enlightened thinking builds upon the truth that God, as described in the Bible, not only exist but also actively governs his creation (see Psalms 111:10 and Proverbs 1:7 ). When life is viewed through this lens, scientific discoveries become clearer, and the world - with all of its chaos and danger - becomes a less frightening place. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The God of the Bible loves you and has been actively involved in your life from the day you were born - and even before. This is true whether or not you recognize His activity or choose to acknowledge Him. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God has a plan for you, and this plan includes blessings greater than your ability to imagine. Many centuries ago, He established a plan to redeem the world from evil, and He has made a place for you in His grand design. This redemption plan began with His choice of one man, Abraham. Because his story is the archtype for my story, and your story, let's walk in his sandals as we learn about this God who loves us so much. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The Lord chose Abram for reasons known only in heaven. Abram did nothing to earn or deserve God's favor. ~Charles R. Swindoll

We don't like waiting, but that's when God does some of his best work on our souls. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The Lord doesn't expect anyone to exercise perfect faith. Instead, He meets us where we are and then helps us cultivate increasingly more mature trust in Him. So, I don't mind telling you that God isn't finished with me yet. He continues to stretch my faith muscle so that it will become even stronger with use. And He's doing the same for you. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Trusting in God rarely involves easy choices. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Every choice to follow God's leading involves sacrifice - at least the sacrifice of our own desires. Do you trust the Lord's character enough to obey Him without having all the details worked out? Are you willing to accept a short-term loss in order to receive divine blessings you cannot yet see? ~Charles R. Swindoll

If you know what God wants you to do, obedience isn't complicated. It may be difficult, but it's not complicated. Stop hoping it will be easy, and give up the search for alternatives. Don't wait any longer for all the details to be worked out. The Lord has given you an opportunity to grow in faith. He wants you to trust in his faithful care and rest in his unfaltering power. The time to obey has come. Now . . . Go! ~Charles R. Swindoll

God doesn't use difficult circumstances to find out what we'll do. He already knows what the future holds. He uses tests to reveal us to ourselves! ~Charles R. Swindoll

How many people have yet to embrace the God of the Bible because they continue to live in the shadows created by our moral failures? ~Charles R. Swindoll

The Lord's favor on Abraham didn't depend upon the man's good behavior. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Most of us rise to meet adversity with our best character. However, our true character comes out when things go really well. It's easy to become arrogant, self-sustaining, conceited, greedy, and condescending at such times. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The best remedy for the disease of greed is generosity. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Our biggest problem is it that we don't see and hear God; is that we struggle with doing what He has commanded! ~Charles R. Swindoll

Even great men and women struggle with temptation. Even wealthy people can be lured by the prospect of more riches. ~Charles R. Swindoll

If I were to boil down all the characteristics of greatness to a single word, it would be humility. ~Charles R. Swindoll

No one can argue with the One who made the stars. God’s omnipotence makes anything possible. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Don't consider a delay a cancellation. ~Charles R. Swindoll

When the consequences of sin begin to fall, relationships always suffer. ~Charles R. Swindoll

When we're forced away, the Lord helps us acquire an appetite for the blessing to come. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Holiness cannot be acquired at once; holiness takes time. Time to be still, and patience to accept the silence of God. ~Charles R. Swindoll

People of depth are rare. Not many people have the foresight or the patience to cultivate spiritually deep roots. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Slowing down will help you avoid a lifetime strewn with the litter of regrets. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Slow down. Learn to wait on God. Deliberately devote yourself to walking with Him instead of making decisions and then expecting Him to ratify your choices. Let Him be your advocate. Let Him remove your anxiety as you lean on Him for everything. Surrender to Him control over every matter; you have little control over them anyway. Slow down. Grow deep. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God doesn't need to go anywhere together information. Yet He chose to come down to earth from heaven, and He elected to wear the skin of humanity. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Be aware that some people you encounter may be angels (Hebrews 13:1-2). Here's the point: treat everyone like he or she is a representative of heaven. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Be confident that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Nothing is too difficult for Him! ~Charles R. Swindoll

Remain sensitive to the Lord. Remaining sensitive to His leading will allow you to trust Him when He does things you don't understand. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Be passionate in prayer. There's something about praying that softens the soil of our souls, keeping us in tune with God's perspective, which is always compassionate, realistic, hopeful, wise, and full of grace. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The One who did wondrous things for Abraham and Sarah is the One who loves you as His own child. ~Charles R. Swindoll

At times, God honors the motives of our prayer but did not the specific petition in order to give us something better. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God can't shower you with blessing or grant your request while you're in rebellion; it’s not good for you. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God's “no” can become our opportunity to grow deeper in our relationship with Him. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Immorality is poisonous. You could never become immune to its deadly potency. ~Charles R. Swindoll

We need beliefs. Beliefs fuel our doctrinal knowledge and help establish us in faith. Beliefs form a major part of the Christian conscience and provide direction for our faith journeys. Our beliefs sharpen the edge of discernment. But convictions. . . . What you know is one thing, but what you do with your knowledge defines your character and establishes your reputation. It takes guts to develop deep, firmly rooted inner principles regarding integrity, morality, ethics, and faith. That is what we need in government and so rarely fine. That is what we need in churches and schools. But even those institutions may lack such convictions. You can make a major difference in your part of the world by determining and then holding a set of convictions derived from God's Word. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Convictions must be clearly established before God, or they will be twisted and weakened before others. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Convictions must be affirmed and modeled in the home, are there will be compromised on the street. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Convictions must mean everything to us personally, or they'll mean nothing when we're under pressure. ~Charles R. Swindoll

What comes into our minds when we think about God it's the most important thing about us. ~A. W. Tozer

The world is temporary; God's Kingdom is forever. ~Charles R. Swindoll

If it's wrong, it's a big deal. If it's a habitual wrong, it's a bigger deal. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God is still a God of holiness; take Him seriously . ~Charles R. Swindoll

We are still creatures of immortality; take Him seriously. ~Charles R. Swindoll

We are still at the mercy of God's grace; take Him seriously. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Our culture has a dangerous moral undertow current. If we're unaware of that and fail to respond effectively, immorality will drag us under. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Recognize that no one is immune to the dangers. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The deadly downward drag of immorality can overcome anyone, just as a strong riptide can overwhelm an excellent swimmer. Repeat to yourself, I am vulnerable. This could happen to me and to my family. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Pay attention to subtle hints. Stay alert. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Get into the habit of asking yourself, will I be a better person because of this? Is this the kind of thing that will make me healthier? Are my children going to benefit from this? Is this spiritually wholesome and healthy? ~Charles R. Swindoll

Declare and model your standard repeatedly . ~Charles R. Swindoll

Discuss your values, model your values, and encourage your children to do the same. Being proactive is essential in today's world! ~Charles R. Swindoll

Guard against passivity. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Be alert! Pay attention! Step up! Parent up! The next generation needs you! ~Charles R. Swindoll

The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment, the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime. ~Alan Redpath

Abraham is a forerunner of faith for the rest of us. His journey of faith blazed the trail we all follow, and Genesis tells his story for our benefit. Each of our journeys is unique, but we will find in Abraham’s story episodes that resonate with their own. And that includes the continual struggle to rise above old temptations and conquer repeat sins. In Abraham's case, this means fighting the compulsion to lie when the truth might jeopardize his life. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Never think that a person who doesn't worship God can't have integrity or behave morally. Candidly, some nonbelievers have more integrity than Christians do. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Abraham fell back on his old nature. Yet his failure didn't make him any less God's man or any less a prophet. ~Charles R. Swindoll

When we as God's people fail to trust him and then sin to protect ourselves or to provide for our own needs, we look exactly like unbelievers. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Never presume on your own weaknesses. Accept your vulnerabilities and plan ahead. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Never rely on your own crutches. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Get rid of any well-worn crutch. Toss it aside and stop relying on phony excuses to get around admitting your weaknesses. Call it what it is, repent of your sin, claim God's forgiveness, ask for strength to get beyond it, and seek help from others. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Never lean on your own understanding. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The chronic dependence upon self as opposed to living by faith is referred to as carnality by many theologians. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God is not in a hurry. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God isn't constrained by time or human perspective. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The people who have grown deep in their relationship with God have learned to wait with anticipation instead of worry. They know that God keeps his promises, so they don't fret over whether the fulfillment will come but only when it will take place. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God never forgets his promises. God is always trustworthy. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God's promises are linked to their context. All the Lord's promises are not universal. Not every promise is for everyone. When reading a promise, we have to ask a few questions: To whom is He speaking? In what circumstance did He make the promise? Who will be affected by the promise? Is the promise universal, affecting everyone who ever lived? Or did God direct the promise to a specific person or group? ~Charles R. Swindoll

When we finally receive what we desire most, we will see that no time earlier and no time later would have been right. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Remember that God is never accidentally late. His plan unfolds right on time, even though on our timetable, the next step has been delayed for a long time. From our perspective, God's actions come later than what we want or expect. But His timing is perfect - He's never too late. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Forget about your own schedule and plans. Your agenda cannot take into account all the details that affect other people, and you cannot see how future events will unfold. Fortunately, God has the perspective we lack, and He loves us more than we love ourselves. So, His plan will give us greater joy than anything we could devise for ourselves. It could be said, then, that God answers the prayers we would pray if we could see what He sees. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Ask Lord for sustaining strength and divine wisdom. I know that sounds elementary, but we often forget that we can't do life on our own. We need divine help from one day to the next. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Forgive yourself for being short sighted and and for missing the big picture. Forgive yourself for clinging when you should have released. Forgive yourself for failing to be excited about what's ahead when God's plan doesn't include your plans. Repent of your failings, receive God's forgiveness, and then forgive yourself. ~Charles R. Swindoll

While God forgives our sins and wipes the slate clean in terms of our relationship with Him, our wrongdoing may have lingering consequences with others. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Though every act of sin is forgivable, the effects of some sins are not erasable. ~Charles R. Swindoll

While you may feel all alone, you are not alone. God sees you. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Lessons that we need to learn often come through the person we're married to, if we're not too stupid to hear what he or she is saying. ~Charles R. Swindoll

He didn't understand the situation, but he knew the righteous character of his God, and he believed the promise He had made. ~Charles R. Swindoll

When you release your treasures to the Lord, He will honor your risk by giving you something or someone far more valuable than what you release. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Because of our fallen nature, we tend to rely upon God's gifts for happiness and forget to trust the Giver. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God established marriage as a sheer journey of faith. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The bond of marriage creates opportunities for mutual spiritual growth unlike any other relationship. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God established marriage to make new generations of faithful men and women ~Charles R. Swindoll

Five guidelines for people seeking a mate today:
1. Hear and heed the counsel of godly parents.
2. Saturate the entire process in prayer.
3. Look for qualities that reveal true character.
4. Proceed cautiously; Think deeply. First impressions can be deceiving.
5. Determine if there is a mutual interest in spiritual things. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Rebekah committed herself to a life of faith, not knowing where it might lead or what she might find along the way. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Many die long before they draw their last breath. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Do your given while you're living, then you're knowing where it's going! ~Charles R. Swindoll

Each morning you wake up with a fresh opportunity to live that day well, to see your next 24 hours as a series of choices. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Faithfully remember that each day offers opportunities for staying young at heart. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Diligently refused to give up. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Abraham’s many imperfections reveal that he was a man with a nature like ours, yet more than half the world has judged him great. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Great rewards await if you obey without knowing all the details. It's a principle God wants each of His followers to experience. Learning to trust Him is like making a journey step after step. Faith builds upon faith. When we trust, we receive unexpected blessings. This strengthens our confidence and inspires us to trust God again as we take another step. It isn't complicated, but it goes against our nature. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Trusting God never fails to satisfy. The rewards along the way are exhilarating. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The only valid reason for anyone to make more than they need is to give away the surplus. God graciously provides an overabundance for one purpose: so that we might share it. So . . . share it! ~Charles R. Swindoll

Take care to hear the people who love you, and give consideration to their opinions, but always examine the counsel you receive under the white-hot lightning of scripture. Make your decision a matter of prayer, and resist the urge to believe what you're told and rush ahead. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Wherever God leads, follow. Be sure your decision is based on God's leading. Our journey of faith requires us to go where we should be and do what we should be doing. If we don't - if we reject God's leading - we forfeit his best and accept mediocrity. That's never a good trade. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Whatever God promises, believe. Never doubt in the dark what God gave you in the light. God's promises are given for you to believe, not merely to quote. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Whenever God test, trust. A test usually makes us feel vulnerable. We get weak. We begin to panic. We try to find safety in the familiar. We avoid taking risks. But tests of faith call for boldness. You may have heard it said that, “God never gives us more than we can handle.” That's absolutely wrong! He frequently challenges us to trust Him more by giving us far more than we can handle on our own. He wants us to turn to Him in desperation and ask for His assistance. He's always willing to help, but He wants us to recognize our need and to want Him. ~Charles R. Swindoll

However God blesses, share. How easy it is for us to receive God's blessings yet fail to balance receiving would giving. Resolve to become a generous person. I will warn you, however, that giving generously requires faith - trust that the Almighty will look after your needs. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Wherever God leads, follow.
Whatever God promises, believe.
Whenever God test, trust.
However God blesses, share. ~Charles R. Swindoll

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The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity by Robert L. Caslen Jr.

 

The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity by Robert L. Caslen Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If this is not the best leadership book I have ever read than it is very near the top. Both authors are from West Point and apply many principles from that school. Lt. General Robert L. Caslen, Jr. (Ret) was the 59th Superintendent of West Point and Dr. Michael D. Matthews the professor of Psychology at West Point. It was very hard to get quotes from the book, because the authors explained things in detail and even suggested ways to make improvement in one's company and in one's on life. I HIGHLY recommend this book for everyone. I hope the quotes below will strengthen your leadership. The very last "quote" which is an example of a creed somewhat sums up the book. 

I am aware that a man of real merit is never seen in so favorable a light as seen through the medium of adversity. The clouds that surround him are shades that set off his good qualities. ~Alexander Hamilton

A study of more than 12,000 adults in the United States and Germany revealed that the character strengths of love, hope, curiosity, zest, and (particularly) gratitude were linked to high life satisfaction. ~Caslen, Matthews

Seligman and Peterson classify 24 character strengths into six overarching categories called moral virtues. These six moral virtues, with their associated character strengths, are:

• wisdom and knowledge (creativity, curiosity, open mindedness, love of learning, perspective)

• courage (bravery, persistence, integrity, zest)

• justice (teamwork, fairness, leadership)

• humanity (capacity to the love, kindness, social intelligence) 

• temperance (forgiveness, humility, prudence, self- regulation)

• transcendence (appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope/optimism, humor, spirituality).

We each have a unique profile of character strengths. This helps define who we are as individuals.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, that he who conquers that fear. ~Nelson Mandela

Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish. ~Anne Bradstreet

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking promotes profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. ~Lao-Tzu

One of the most powerful strengths of the heart is the capacity to give and receive thanks in life. The greatest thing about gratitude is that practicing it may bring greater positive benefits for you than it does for the recipient of thanks. ~Caslen, Matthews

I came to believe that a leader isn't good because they are right; they're good because they're willing to learn and to trust. ~ Stanley McChrystal

Culture does not change because we desire to change it. Culture changes when the organization is transformed; the culture reflects the realities of people working together every day. ~ Francis Hesselbein, former CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA

Patrick Sweeney, retired from the army and now the director of Wake Forest universities allegiances Center for leadership and character, created a conceptual model that captures how high- performing organizations maintain excellence in the face of purple personal turbulence and curator failures. The individual- relationship- organization- contacts (I Roc) model describes the complex relationships are nine organizations, individuals, and the context in which they operate, and how these relationships influence trust and sustain high performance. The following chart summarizes the IR OC model.

INDIVIDUAL CREDIBILITY

• Competence

• Character

• Caring

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER

• Respect and concern

• Open communications

• Cooperative interdependence

• Trust and empower others

ORGANIZATION SETS THE CLIMATE

• Shared values, beliefs, norms, and goals (culture)

• Structure, practices, policies, and procedures

CONTACTS INFLUENCES ALL

• Dependencies and needs

• Organizational systems

In determining “the right people,” the good-to-great companies place greater weight on character attributes then on specific educational background, practical skills, specialized knowledge, or work experience. ~ Jim Collins

Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character. ~Heracleitus

That which does not kill us only makes us stronger. ~ Frederick Nitschke

Outcomes of adversity:

• Resilience-this occurs when, following a period of adversity, a person's adjustment returns to baseline.

• Disorder-this occurs when adversity results in a negative change in adjustment, and the individual does not recover over time.

• Invulnerability-this occurs when the person endures the adverse event with no apparent change.

• Growth-this occurs when a person becomes stronger emotionally, builds better social relationships, or develops stronger character strengths as a result of a challenging experience. ~Caslen, Matthews

And ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Organizational hazards to character:

1. Consumer need and suitability are not guiding product lifestyle practices. In simple terms this means that organizations that place sales over actual customer needs are prone to misconduct. The university that is more concerned with new buildings or winning sports championships than with the education of the students is an example.

2. Failing to have a balanced scorecard for your human resource decisions. This means that important personnel decisions that are driven by short-term or narrow performance indicators result in misconduct.

3. Individuals and leadership are not responsible or held to account for misconduct.

4. Failing to identify and manage conflicts of interest. There must be outside checks and balances to guard against misconduct.

5. Complex, disconnected, or growth-at-all-cost business models. Complexity breeds confusion, which can be followed by a focus on the wrong goals and objectives. A bigger is better philosophy enables focusing on short term gains, achieved at any cost including compromise of character, over long term success.

6. Manual and complicated processes and procedures. Making the job too hard leads to shortcuts. Excessive bureaucracy causes people to take shortcuts that may compromise their ethics.

7. Weak systems for monitoring and surveillance. Leaders must ensure that fair and objective systems are in place to track adherence to ethical guidelines. Failure to do so allows the perception that unethical actions will go undetected and unpunished.

8. Disparate subcultures or a problematic prevailing culture. Organizations may foster positive character, such as Johnson and Johnson, or allow unprincipled behavior to be the norm, such as the Army rugby team. Leaders must take positive and constant action to establish and maintain a positive organizational climate. This may be the most important thing a leader does. Such a strong and positive culture may migrate against other risk factors in the Character Risk Model. ~ An article by the Deloitte Center for Regulatory Strategy

Competing at the highest level is not about winning. It's about preparation, courage, understanding and nurturing people, and heart. Winning is the result. ~Joe Torre 

An example of a personal creed taken from Johnson and Johnson's credo and the creed of the West Point Corps of Cadets:

As a leader of our organization, I am first committed to our clients and customers, to provide them with a high- quality, reasonably priced product that is safe and secure, and that is the best in the market.

My next responsibility is to our employees, who work with us throughout our entire organization. All are valued members, who will work in a safe and secure environment and will find fulfillment in their jobs. I will ensure their work environment is supportive to their imagination, creativity, innovation, and growth. I will empower and develop them to the limits of their potential, ensure that they have great opportunities for advancement and satisfaction, and ensure their compensation is competitive with the best in the nation. I'm committed to their development as lifelong employees and future leaders of our organization.

My organization is emboldened by the values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal moral courage. These are the values that are embraced and that drive everything I do, both with my organization and in my life. I am a man or woman of great integrity, who will live a private life with the same values I will live in my public life. I will live these values not only at work, but also at home and in everything I do.

I am responsible to be a strong partner with my community, supporting my local government and my local organizations, and ensuring that I am a good citizen who supports good works, and charities, and my fair share of taxes. I will be a good steward of the environment I am privileged to use. 

I will serve our clients and our customers, maintaining the honor of our organization, living above the common level of life, having the courage to choose the harder right over the easier wrong. I will live both my public life and my private life with honor and integrity.

I am a member of an organization of excellence and will pursue excellence in our product, and our customers, and our employees, and in all we do.

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The Leader’s Greatest Return by John C. Maxwell

 

The Leader's Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders by John C. Maxwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love being inspired by John C. Maxwell. You will love the quotes below. Let them challenge you to not only be a great leader but to build other leaders through you. Enjoy:

I don’t promise you it will be easy. I do promise you it will be worthwhile. ~Art Williams

If you desire to fulfill a bold vision or do something great, you have to let go of a microwave mindset for leadership. ~John C. Maxwell

People too often overvalue their dream and undervalue their team. . . . A big dream with a bad team is a nightmare. ~John C. Maxwell

For a leader who develops leaders, there's something scarier and much more important than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability. ~John C. Maxwell

I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down. ~Abraham Lincoln

Great leaders help people have a larger vision of themselves. ~ Mark Sanborn

We will do everything in our power to measure up to the spoken belief we have received. ~John C. Maxwell

Encouragement is oxygen to the soul for the leader, and if you're a leader who wants to develop other leaders, you need to encourage them and help them breathe. ~John C. Maxwell

Attitude is a choice, and at the heart of a good attitude is willing willingness -willingness to learn, to improve, to serve, to think of others, to add value, to do the right thing, to make sacrifices for the team. Leadership skill may come from the head, but leadership attitude comes from the heart. ~John C. Maxwell

Good leaders want more for the people they lead then they won't from them. ~John C. Maxwell

At Delta, we hire for attitude but train for aptitude. Always start with attitude. Bring people on the team that the other members will enjoy working with. ~Ed Bastian

The formation of our character creates predictability to our leadership. Predictability, dependability, and consistency: these three qualities ensure that our leadership is reliable and motivates people to place their confidence in us. Our effectiveness as leaders is built on trust. ~Gayle Beebe

Character is about managing your life well, so you can lead others well. ~John C. Maxwell

Talent is always conscious of its own abundance and does not object to sharing. ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

The vision gap is the space between what we are doing and what we could do period builders are impatient to close that gap. ~John C. Maxwell

People often say, “I'll know it when I see it.” That's not a good strategy. I say, “know it and you'll see it!” ~John C. Maxwell

A company’s culture is the expression of the values of the people within the organization. It is the sum of the behavior of the people, not a reflection of what you wanted to be. People do what people see - and they keep doing it. What people do on an ongoing, habitual basis creates culture. ~John C. Maxwell

Knowledge isn't the key to success. Applying knowledge is. ~John C. Maxwell

Leadership is more caught than taught. ~John C. Maxwell

If someone is always at the head of the class, he or she is in the wrong class. ~John C. Maxwell

The only way for any person to learn leadership is to lead. Leading isn't a theoretical exercise. ~John C. Maxwell

Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. ~John C. Maxwell

Good leadership requires a perspective shift from it's all about me to it's all about others. ~John C. Maxwell

If you will sweat with your people, they can handle the heat. ~John C. Maxwell

Ten ways to make connections with people:
• Most people are insecure. Give them confidence.
• Most people want to feel special. Compliment them.
• Most people want a bright future. Give them hope.
• Most people need to be understood. Listen to them.
• Most people want direction. Walk with them.
• Most people are selfish. Speak to their needs first.
• Most people get emotionally low. Encourage them.
• Most people want to be included. Ask their opinion.
• Most people want success. Help them win.
• Most people want to be appreciated. Give them credit. ~John C. Maxwell

Always ask questions. Here's what questions do:
• Create a space for open conversation
• Place value on others and their opinions
• Help people know one another better
• Invite everyone to participate
• Clear up assumptions
• Causes people to think
• Gather conversation ~John C. Maxwell

Leadership isn't controlled - it's influence . ~John C. Maxwell

You do not want to control people's responses. You want to influence their thinking and actions. ~John C. Maxwell

Front-end questions set the agenda, while back-end questions maximize the agenda. Front-end questions encourage preparation, while back-end questions encourage reflection. ~John C. Maxwell

What others have to say to you really must remain more important than what you have to say to them. Why? Because the higher leaders rise, the farther they get from the front lines, and the more they have to depend on what others tell them to know what's really going on. Listening is still the best way to gather information, to learn, to understand people, and to connect with them. ~John C. Maxwell

A suffering person does not need a lecture; he needs a listener. ~Billy Graham

Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable. ~David Augsburger

Listening draws people to you, which works much better than trying to push your leadership on them. Empathy builds trust. ~John C. Maxwell

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing-that's why we recommend it daily. ~Zig Ziglar

Good leaders inspire others only to the extent that they inspire themselves. ~John C. Maxwell

THE SEVEN MOTIVATIONS OF LEADERS:
1. Purpose - Leaders Want To Do What They Were Created To Do.
2. Autonomy - Leaders Want The Freedom To Control Their Lives.
3. Relationships - Leaders Want To Do Things With Other People.
4. Progress - Leaders Want To Experience Personal And Professional Growth.
5. Mastery - Leaders Want To Excel At Their Work.
6. Recognition - Leaders Want Others To Appreciate Their Accomplishments.
7. Money - Leaders Want To Be Financially Secure. ~John C. Maxwell

The partnership principal: working together increases the odds of winning together. ~John C. Maxwell

Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better. ~Pat Riley

People don't determine their future. They determined their habits, which determined their future. ~John C. Maxwell

The best way to set your people up for success is:
Believe in them.
Encourage them.
Show them.
Train them. ~John C. Maxwell

Survival of the fittest is not the same as survival of the best. Leaving leadership development up to chance is foolish. ~ Morgan McCall

The function of leadership isn't together more followers. It’s to produce more leaders. ~John C. Maxwell

Five-step plan for equipping:
• I model.
• I mentor.
• I monitor.
• I motivate.
• I multiply. ~John C. Maxwell

Next level equipping:
• I'll do it.
• I do it and you are with me.
• You do it and I am with you.
• You do it.
• You do it and someone else is with you. ~John C. Maxwell

Being An Example Others Want To Follow. Here's what you need to be asking yourself:
Learning:“What am I learning?”
Experiencing: “What am I experiencing?”
Applying: “What am I applying?”
Developing: “Who am I developing?” ~John C. Maxwell

Telling others to do what you haven't done yourself isn't equipping. It's bossing. ~John C. Maxwell

The position doesn't make the leader; the leader makes the position. ~John C. Maxwell

It's very difficult for people to rise up if their leader refuses to put the wind of empowerment under their wings. ~John C. Maxwell

Only secure leaders get power to others. ~John C. Maxwell

The greatest leaders aren't necessarily the ones who do the greatest things. They are the ones who empower others to do great things. ~John C. Maxwell

If we start with the attitude that different viewpoints are additive rather than competitive, we become more effective because our ideas or decisions or honed and tempered by that discourse . ~ Ed Catmull

Leadership is like swimming. It can't be learned by reading about it. Leaders become leaders by practicing. ~John C. Maxwell

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. ~George S Patton

The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated. ~William James

Advice from John Wooden's father:
1. Be true to yourself.
2. Help others.
3. Make every day your masterpiece.
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.

In talking to the top executive coaches who worked for the John Maxwell company, they've told me that poor self-awareness is the number one problem they see in leaders. ~John C. Maxwell

A dream is a compelling vision you see in your heart that is too big to accomplish without the help of others. ~Chris Hodges

Area	“We” Needs	“Me” Needs
Purpose	I am really enthusiastic about the mission of my company.	At work, I clearly understand what is expected of me.
Excellence	In my team, I am surrounded by people who share my values.	I have a chance to use my strengths every day at work.
Support	My teammates have my back.	I know I will be recognized for excellent work.
Future	I have great confidence in my company's future.	in my work, I'm always challenged to grow.

If you have a dream and no team - the dream is impossible.
If you have a dream and a bad team - the dream is a nightmare.
If you have a dream and are building a team - the dream is possible.
If you have a dream and a good leadership team- the dream is inevitable. ~John C. Maxwell

Members of trusting teams:
• Admit weaknesses and mistakes
• Ask for help
• Accept questions and input about their areas of responsibility
• Give one another the benefit of the doubt before arriving at a negative conclusion
• Take risk and offering feedback and assistance
• Appreciate and tap into one another’s skills and experiences
• Focus time and energy on important issues, not politics
• Offer and accept apologies without hesitation
• Look forward to meetings and other opportunities to work as a group ~ Pat Lencioni

Growth plans for members of my leadership team:
Give them a growth environment.
Recognize each person's growth needs.
Open up opportunities for them to grow.
Walk with them in challenging times.
Teach them to learn from every experience.
Help them add value to their teammates. ~John C. Maxwell

In teamwork, silence isn't golden, it's deadly. ~Mark Sanborn

When people get to weigh in on their development, they more readily buy into owning their personal growth progress. ~John C. Maxwell

I think if you truly understand the meaning of mentoring, you understand it as important as parenting; in fact, it is just like parenting. As my father often said, “there is nothing you know that you haven't learned from someone else.” Everything in the world has been passed down. Every piece of knowledge is something that has already been shared by someone else. If you understand it as I do, mentoring becomes your true legacy. It is the greatest inheritance you can give to others. It is why you get up every day- to teach and be taught. ~John Wooden

Quotes and what John Maxwell learned from people throughout his life:
Having a great attitude is a choice. He taught me that attitude is the difference maker. ~Melvin Maxwell (John Maxwell’s father – Consistency)

There's power in proximity. He taught me to get close to the people who can make you better. ~Elmer Towns (Faithfulness)

Go to places that inspire you. He gave me the idea of visiting presidential libraries, and I've been to all of them. ~Lon Woodrum (Reflectiveness)

Be the first to see potential in others. He saw the potential in me when I was 25, and I've never looked back. ~Bob Kline (Duty)

Expand your influence beyond your personal touch. He encouraged me to start writing books. ~Les Parrott (Creativity)

Be a rancher, not just a shepherd. He challenged me to not just feed the sheep I had, but to build and make room to reach other sheep. ~Jerry Falwell (Faith)

Become your mentee’s champion. He was more than a mentor; he was a sponsor who put his reputation on the line for me so I could take risks and live outside the box. ~ Tom Phillippe (Humility)

Carry the baton with excellence. He asked me to be a successor and handed the leadership baton to me for the organization he founded and led for 31 years. I worked to carry it out with excellence for 14 years and then handed it off to the next leader. ~Orval Butcher (Joy)

“Who luck” is the best luck a person can have. Chuck introduced me to the leaders much bigger and better than me, and they accepted and helped me. ~Chuck Swindoll (Possibilities)

Everything rises and falls on leadership. He mentored me from a distance through his book, Spiritual Leadership, which lit my fire to lead; I was able to meet him 20 years later to express my gratitude. ~J. Oswald Sanders (Fulfillment)

The gift is greater than the person. He taught me that I should be grateful for the amazing gifts God gave me, but to remember that I'm flawed, not amazing; that awareness grounded me. ~Fred Smith (Perspective)

Develop different streams of income. A talented businessman, he instructed me to create passive income that would work for me when I wasn't working. ~Larry Maxwell (John Maxwell’s brother – Focus)

Have a vision for the world. He wanted to change the world, and every time I was with him, he expanded my vision and purpose. ~ Bill Bright (Vision)

Help others get what they want, and they will help you get what you want. His statement prompted me to change the way I saw and practiced leadership, and I loved him for it. ~ Zig Ziglar (Reciprocity)

Take your message to the business world. He encouraged me to include the business market when I wrote my books, at 31 million books later, we're still helping people. ~Sealy Yates (Opportunity)

Will the reader turn the page? Les coached me in how to write and make my written message more compelling. ~ Les Stobbe (Servanthood)

Make every day your masterpiece. He modeled his philosophy last Friday and was my greatest mentor; my book Today Matters was inspired by him. ~John Wooden (Intentionality)

Mentorship is both caught and talk. The catching part of mentorship is totally dependent upon the credibility of the person mentoring you. ~John C. Maxwell

The underlying purpose of mentoring is not for people to act differently but rather to become different. ~ Dale Bronner

The difference between coaching and mentoring: ~John C. Maxwell

Coaching	Mentoring
Skill centered	Life Centered
Formal setting	Informal setting
More structured	Less structured
Directive	Advisory
Short- term	Long- term
narrow in scope	broader in scope
Drives the agenda	Receive the agenda
Positional	Relational
Skill awareness	Self- awareness
Trains	Develops
Do something	Be something
Transactional	Transformational

Mentors do not seek to create a new person; they simply seek to help a person become a better version of himself. ~John Wooden

Mentoring is discipling another person. It involves discerning where they are, knowing where they are supposed to go, and giving them what they need to get there. ~John C. Maxwell

Good mentors don't hesitate to have difficult conversations with the people they mentor. They deal with the “elephants” in the room even when others won't. ~John C. Maxwell

The greater an individual’s leadership ability, the greater the success or impact he or she can make ~John C. Maxwell

The only thing limiting the future of any organization is the number of good leaders with the develops. ~John C. Maxwell

I strive to model the six C's of of reproducing a culture. You should too.
• CHARACTER - BE IT. Everything starts with strong character. That's not something you can just talk about; it's something that has to be at the core of who you are. You have to live it every day. You must maintain integrity, treat others with respect, desire the best for people, and go out of your way to help them.
• CLARITY - SHOW IT. You have to spend time developing leaders yourself. You need to be personally involved, and your team needs to see you doing it so that you understand how it's done and how important it is.
• COMMUNICATION - SAY IT. You have to constantly talk about leadership development, so it becomes part of the common language in everyday conversation.
• CONTRIBUTION - OWN IT. If you're the leader the buck stops with you. You need to own your responsibility for developing leaders, and others will too. And when others step up and say, “I'll own this,” the entire team gets stronger.
• CONSISTENTLY - DO IT. The development of leaders is never once and done. Is something that needs cultivating every day. Why? Because the need for more and better leaders never ends.
• CELEBRATION - EMBRACE IT. When the development of leaders is recognized, rewarded, and celebrated continually, it becomes elevated in the organization and woven into the culture. Every leader aspires to become part of it and join in. ~John C. Maxwell

Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day. What you promised today must be renewed and re-decided tomorrow and each day that stretches out before you. ~Arthur Gordon

David Ogilvy, founder of the giant advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather, used to give each new manager in his organization a Russian doll. The doll contained five progressively smaller dolls. A message inside the smallest one read: “If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, Ogilvy and Mather will become a company of giants.” Commit to finding, hiring, and developing giants. ~Dennis Waitley

Winning companies when because they have good leaders who nurture the development of other leaders at all levels of the organization. ~Noel Tichy

Every day every leader you work with should ask, “Am I using my gifts for myself or others?” ~John C. Maxwell

When you begin developing leaders, the most important thing you can do is let them know what you're thinking and why. ~John C. Maxwell

The 80/ 20 rule:
• 20% of the workers produce 80% of the product
• 20% of the Salesforce close 80% of the sales
• 20% of the products return 80% of the revenue
• 20% of the population possesses 80% of the wealth
• 20% of the teams in the league win 80% of the championships

Accumulative advantage: what begins as a small advantage gets bigger over time. ~James Clear

Intentional living turns good intentions into good actions. ~John C. Maxwell

If the vision is right, the right leaders will show up. ~John C. Maxwell

A good leader will always have those around him who are better at particular task than he is. This is the hallmark of leadership. Never be afraid to hire or manage people who are better at certain jobs than you are. They can only make your organization stronger. ~John C. Maxwell  

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