John Maxwell - Developing the Leader Within You

All of the following are from chapter eight, The Indispensable Quality of Leadership: VISION

p143

We see what we are prepared to see, not what is. Every successful leader understands this about people and asks three questions:

• What do others see?
• Why do they see it that way?
• How can I change their perceptions?

p144

Bobb Biehl, in his book Increasing Your Leadership Confidence, says, “Keep in mind the difference between a winner’s and a loser’s mentality. Winners focus on winning big—not just how to win, but how to win big. Losers, however, don't focus on losing; they just focus on getting by!”

Keep asking yourself, “Survival, success, or significance?” Are you striving to simply survive, are you dreaming about success, or are you really out to make a truly significant difference?

p149-150

Successful leaders see on three levels:

• Level 1. Perception: See what is now with the eyes of reality.
• Level 2. Probability: Seeing what will be with the eyes of discernment.
• Level 3. Possibility: Seeing what can be with the eyes of vision.

A futurist lives only on Level 3. A forecaster lives only on Level 2. A follower lives only on Level 1. A leader lives on Level 3, leads on Level 2, and listens on Level 1.

p151

Many visions aren’t realized because of strong, dogmatic people. To be absolutely certain about something, one must either know everything or nothing about it. Most of the time, the dogmatist knows nothing but conventionally says something.

p153

Some people can see a problem in every solution. Usually obstacles are the things you see when you take your eyes off the goal. Interestingly, some people think the ability to see problems is a mark of maturity. Not so. It’s the mark of a person without a vision. These people abort great visions by presenting problems without any solutions.

Cardinal John Henry Newman said that nothing would get done at all if a man waited until he could do something so well that no one could find fault with it.

p155

A prime function of a leader is to keep hope alive. Napoleon said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.”

p158

The successful Level 3 leader will see on three levels:

1. The Perceptible Level: What is now seen—the eyes of reality. A leader listens on this level.
2. The Probable Level: What will be seen—the eyes of discernment. A leader leads on this level.
3. The Possible Level: What can be seen—the eyes of vision. A leader lives on this level.