It's said that a wise person learns from his mistakes. A wiser one learns from others' mistakes. But the wisest person of all learns from others's successes.
John C. MaxwellRead
Achievement comes to someone when he is able to do great things for himself. Success comes when he empowers followers to do great things with him. Significance comes when he develops leaders to do great things for him. But a legacy is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great things without him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True leadership is measured not just by personal achievement, but by empowering others and creating a lasting impact through them.
In this quote, John C. Maxwell highlights the progression of personal achievement to legacy in leadership. He emphasizes that while individual success is important, the true measure of a leader is their ability to empower others, develop future leaders, and ultimately establish an organization that thrives independently of them, creating a lasting legacy.
Themes
LeadershipLegacySuccessEmpowermentGreatness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about teamwork, this quote can illustrate the importance of empowering others.
More from John C. Maxwell
All quotes →Courage and initiative come when you understand your purpose in life.
John C. MaxwellRead
Integrity is important in building relationships. And is the foundation upon which many other qualities for success are built, such as respect, dignity, and trust.
John C. MaxwellRead
Attitude is the first quality that marks the successful man. If he has a positive attitude and is a positive thinker, who likes challenges and difficult situations, then he has half his success achieved.
John C. MaxwellRead
Big-picture thinkers broaden their outlook by striving to learn from every experience. They don't rest on their successes, they learn from them.
John C. MaxwellRead
In most cases, those who want power probably shouldn't have it, those who enjoy it probably do so for the wrong reasons, and those who want most to hold on to it don't understand that it's only temporary.
John C. MaxwellRead
Similar quotes
You need to plan the way a fire department plans: it cannot anticipate where the next fire will be, so it has to shape an energetic and efficient team that is capable of responding to the unanticipated as well as to any ordinary event.
Andy GroveRead
But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys.
Lebron JamesRead
A nation' s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own, and not in what it can borrow from others.
Indira GandhiRead
I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.
Abraham LincolnRead
Next generation leaders are those who would rather challenge what needs to change and pay the price than remain silent and die on the inside
Andy StanleyRead
Everyone must understand that you can't demand solidarity when there's a problem and shirk your duties when there are solutions.
Francois HollandeRead