Don't let your blind spots stay your blind spots. In this week's episode, John Maxwell continues his lesson on the most common blind spots that derail leaders—and how awareness unlocks your influence and potential.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow unpack the practical steps you can take to apply these principles in your own leadership.

Key takeaways:

• Insecurity causes a leader to think only of themselves, and the very essence of leadership is others.
• Pride is concerned about who's right. Humility is concerned about what's right.
• Character doesn't make you a leader, but it protects you as a leader.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Be Aware of Your Blind Spots (Part 2) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/BeAware and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the 21 Laws of Leadership online course for 20% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders (and submit call-in questions!) in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

How to Make Your Future Bigger than Your Past Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

What you don't know could be hurting your leadership. In this week's episode, John unpacks why blind spots are inevitable in leadership—and how their unseen impact can shape every decision you make.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow provide practical strategies and real-life stories to help you recognize and address your own leadership blind spots, starting today.

Key takeaways:

• We don't see others as they are; we see others as we are.

• The first person we must examine is ourselves.

• Followers are inward focused; leaders are outward focused.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Be Aware of Your Blind Spots (Part 1) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/BeAware and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the 15 Laws of Growth online course for 80% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders (and submit call-in questions!) in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Up-level your leadership for life at Live2Lead

How Self-Awareness Sets Great Leaders Apart Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

Good leaders ask great questions—so this week, in our (first-ever!) call-in episode of the Maxwell Leadership Podcast, Mark Cole answers your real-world leadership questions. Find out how to stay influential (especially in an age of AI), tackle people problems behind data indicators, and persevere when opportunities seem elusive.

Key takeaways:

• The most powerful tools in a leader's arsenal—relationship, trust, discernment, and values—can never be outsourced.

• Strong teams are built by leaders who confront problems head-on instead of avoiding them.

• Leadership is measured by influence, not position.

Have questions for a future call-in episode? Join our Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community here to submit your question!

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

How do great leaders keep success from breeding entitlement? In this week's episode, John Maxwell teaches why revisiting where you came from—and cultivating gratitude—creates the stable foundation every leader needs to rise higher.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede discuss real-life strategies to help you anchor your leadership in authentic gratitude and apply John's insights today.

Key takeaways:

• To balance an entitlement mindset, put gratitude beside it.

• You always need to go back and visit where you came from.

• You never want to forget all the people and all the places that made you who you are today.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Success and Gratitude: Why Great Leaders Revisit Where They Came From Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Revisit and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the Change Your World online course for 66% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders (and submit call-in questions!) in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Succession: A Leader's Lasting Value Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

Anne Frank said, "None has ever become poor by giving." In this week's episode, John Maxwell unpacks the three types of generosity that set extraordinary leaders apart and reveal the true path to influential leadership.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow share practical strategies for weaving generosity into your leadership journey, equipping you to start making a bigger impact today.

Key takeaways:

• A clenched fist gives nothing but is also unable to receive anything.

• If you sow a lot of seeds, the harvest takes care of itself.

• If you don't give away what you've got now, you won't give away what you're going to get later.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Leaders Who Get the Most Give the Most Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Give and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

This episode is sponsored by BELAY:

Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.

To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, The Freedom Framework. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the 15 Laws of Growth online course for 80% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Discover John Maxwell's faith-oriented nonprofit work

Learn more about John Maxwell's leadership foundation

What Serving Others Has Taught Me Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

What separates leaders who keep expanding their impact from those who quietly plateau? In this week's episode, John Maxwell continues revealing the promises and pitfalls on the path to continual, intentional growth.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson share how to recognize your growth zone and offer strategies you can use to keep advancing in your leadership journey.

Key takeaways:

• Don't be a know-it-all. Be a learn-it-all.

• You don't coast to greatness.

• Everything you want but don't have, and everything you need but don't have, is outside your comfort zone.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Growth Guarantee (Part 2) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Guarantee and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the 15 Laws of Growth online course for 80% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Break through your limitations with Stan Lewis' guide to clarity, confidence, and courageous action

Why So Many Leaders Stop Growing Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

Growth isn't automatic, but it can be guaranteed. In this week's episode, the first in a two-part series, John reveals his personal blueprint for guaranteed growth and the three simple disciplines that set extraordinary leaders apart.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson offer strategies to help you turn intentional growth into a daily habit, no matter where you're starting.

Key takeaways:

• You can't learn anything while you're talking.

• Sustained thinking will change your life.

• Your growth must be intentional.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Growth Guarantee (Part 1) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Guarantee and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the Every Day with Purpose online course for 75% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Rise with strength, clarity, and purpose with Kelvin Henry's guide to resilience

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

This week on the Maxwell Leadership Podcast, find out what an ice cube can teach you about patience and results. Today, John Maxwell finishes up his two-part lesson on the compounding power of daily action, reflection, and intentional growth on the path to lasting leadership success.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede dive into real-world strategies and personal stories to help you immediately implement John's teaching.

Key takeaways:

• Your first step is your most important step.

• Success is a series of steps, not one giant leap.

• If you can't get happy where you are, you can't get happy where you're going.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the What People Misunderstand About Success (Part 2) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Misunderstand and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the 21 Laws of Leadership online course for 20% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Why So Many Leaders Stop Growing Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

The real measure of success isn't the recognition you receive, but the daily choices no one sees. In this week's episode—the first in a two-part series—John unpacks the misunderstood foundations of success and reveals why consistency, not accolades, is the true driver of extraordinary results.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede share practical strategies for applying John's success journey to your own leadership and team impact.

Key takeaways:

• Desire is the seed of every great accomplishment.

• The greatest way to make progress is to move forward.

• You get perfect as you take the steps; you don't get perfect to take the steps.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the What People Misunderstand About Success (Part 1) Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Misunderstand and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

This episode is sponsored by BELAY:

Leaders, stop trying to do it all yourself. The best leaders know their limits, operate out of their strengths, and set others up for success. Find freedom with BELAY — pairing you with vetted U.S. virtual assistants so you can focus on what matters.

To help you get started, BELAY is offering Maxwell Leadership listeners a free download of their resource, The Difficult Conversation Playbook. Just text MAXWELL to 55123 for FREE access.

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the Every Day with Purpose online course for 75% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Better Days Are Ahead of You Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

Are you leading a life of real impact, or just working hard to perfect your image? In this week's episode, John Maxwell teaches how embracing authenticity over appearance is a central pillar for meaningful leadership and lasting success.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Robinson share practical strategies to help you bring authenticity to the forefront of your leadership—on your team, at home, and beyond.

Key takeaways:

• The way to balance and stabilize an image issue is authenticity.

• You lose your authenticity when you try to hold onto things that you no longer believe, accept, or think.

• "Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position." — Mahatma Gandhi

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Are You Leading a Good Life or Just Maintaining a Good Image? Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Image and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the 15 Laws of Growth online course for 80% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

Learn more about leadership, love, and excellence from Marcus Buckingham

The Qualities of an Authentic Leader Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

Are you letting your success create distance between you and your team? In this episode, John Maxwell unpacks why leadership success can easily lead to isolation—and what you can do to resist it. Discover how making friends (not just fans) helps you stay relatable, authentic, and influential.

After his lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede dive into real-life strategies to help you put connection at the heart of your leadership journey.

Key Takeaways

• Success can isolate, but connection is the cure. Intentional relationships keep leaders grounded and approachable.

• Service trumps titles. The more you value and serve those around you, the greater trust and real influence you build.

• Shrink the gap with authenticity: practice humility, seek honest feedback, and be present with your people.

Our BONUS resource for this episode is the Good Leaders Make Friends, Not Fans Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John's teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Friends and clicking "Download the Bonus Resource."

Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today!

References:

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Get the Change Your World online course for 66% off

Apply this week's episode with other growth-minded leaders in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Social Community

What Serving Others Has Taught Me Podcast Episode

How Serving Others Unlocks Self-Discovery Podcast Episode

Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team