Talk by John C. Maxwell... Notes Part 2 of 2

[GoldenEagle]

Got to listen to one of my favorite authors this weekend on leadership John C. Maxwell at American Airlines Center at an Ambit Energy convention in Dallas, Tx. For clarification I'm not currently involved in Ambit but my friend who invited me is. I simply went there to listen to John C. Maxwell. These are the notes from the his talk. Wow! He's got some great insights.

 

God bless,

GE

 

 

John C. Maxwell Notes Ambit American Airlines Center Dallas, TX 9/14/2013

 

VI. On Dealing with Failure

A. Thoughts on Failure

 

I’m a little piece of a big puzzle. I'd rather be a little part (a contributor) of something big like Ambit Energy, than be a big part (in charge) of something small like the farmer's outhouse.

 

Have you tried to take the escalator to the top of the mountain of success? There are no shortcuts to success. Life is difficult. You can't take short cuts or quick ways to success.

 

To be successful takes longer than you think and it costs more than you want to pay.

 

Every dream must be built on a foundation of reality.

 

“The walking of man is falling forward” - Emerson

 

"Failing forward" is the ability to get back up after you've been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.
 

B. Further Thoughts on Failure

Don't buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They can't be. 

Don't allow the fire of adversity to make you a skeptic. Allow it to purify you.

 

Failure is not a one-time event; it's how you deal with life along the way. Until you breathe your last breath, you're still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.

 

Generally speaking, there are two kinds of learning: experience, which is gained from your own mistakes, and wisdom, which is learned from the mistakes of others. 

 

You are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective.

 

Generally speaking, there are two kinds of learning: experience, which is gained from your own mistakes, and wisdom, which is learned from the mistakes of others.

 

Seek advice, but make sure it's from someone who has successfully handled mistakes or adversities.

 

C. When to quit:

(1) Quit something you don't do well to start something you do well. (2) Quit something you're not passionate about to do something that fills you with passion.

(3) Quit something that doesn't make a difference to do something that does.

 

D. People will change when…

1 – hurt enough that they have to

2 – learn enough that they want to

3 – receive enough that they are able to

 

There should be a course in public schools on failure. It’s something we need to teach the next generation how to do deal with.

 

 

VII. Dakota Example

 

Dakota tribal saying "Man who finds himself riding a dead horse.. Should get off the saddle."

 

What Companies do...

 

-Buying a bigger whip

-Changing riders might help!

-Provide additional funding to increase the horse’s performance.

-Lets set up a committee to study the horse.

-This is the way we've always ridden horses...

-Here's an idea: let's harness several dead horses together!

-Another idea: Putting up a sign saying "The horse is not dead!"

-If nothing else works... Promoting dead horse to a management position

 

VIII. Suggestions for Life

 

1. Lead yourself - harder to be an example rather than tell a story. How can you help others if you can't even change yourself.

John: If I had to kick the person most responsible for my problems, I wouldn't be able to sit down for a week

 

You're never good the first time, so get over yourself.

 

2. Improvement forces us out of our conform zone

 

3. Never stop learning!

 

You should be getting better and improving. If you're not you are just stagnant. You become good at something by consistency, learning, hanging around others who are better than you.

 

If you're as good the 1st time as you are the 1,000 time, you're not improving

 

 

Young Man: “I want to do what you do.”

 

John: “I spent 5 years reading an hour a day at least learning about leadership for an hour a day. Would you like to do what I did so you can do what I do?”