452: How to Motivate Leaders, with John Maxwell

Jan 27, 2020

Join John Maxwell, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and leadership development expert, as he shares his insights on motivating leaders. He discusses the difference between motivating followers and leaders, highlighting seven key motivations, including purpose and autonomy. Maxwell emphasizes that successful leaders focus on recognizing and nurturing others' strengths. He also reflects on the importance of continuous growth and the idea that authentic motivation often goes beyond financial rewards, rooted in purpose and service.

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ADVICE

Motivating Individuals

Find what motivates each person individually.
Ask permission to lead them according to their motivational strengths.

ADVICE

Serving Your Team

Ask "What's the best way I can serve you?" to understand individual needs.
Develop a plan to meet those needs, empowering individuals and increasing buy-in.

ANECDOTE

Evolution of Leadership

John Maxwell reflects on his leadership journey, acknowledging significant changes over 50 years.
He shifted from directing from the mountaintop to asking questions and understanding individual motivations.

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John Maxwell: The Leader’s Greatest Return John Maxwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, and speaker who has sold more than thirty-one million books in fifty languages. He has been identified as the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association and the most influential leadership expert in the world by Business Insider and Inc. magazine. He is the founder of The John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell Team, EQUIP, and the John Maxwell Leadership Foundation, organizations that have trained millions of leaders from every country of the world. He is the author of the new book The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders*. In this conversation, John and I discuss his work to develop leaders and the distinctions between motivating followers and motivating leaders. We also explore the seven key motivations of leaders that John has uncovered. Key Points Successful people have discovered what they are good at. Successful leaders discover what other people are good at. “I didn’t have any sudden big hits early in my career. I wasn’t a home run hitter. My secret was to get up to bat every day and just try to get on base consistently.” -John Maxwell “You can have everything in life you want if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.” -Zig Ziglar The Seven Motivations of Leaders: Purpose: leaders want to do what they were created to do. Autonomy: leaders want the freedom to control their lives. Relationships: leaders want to do things with others. Progress: leaders want to experience personal and professional growth. Mastery: leaders want to excel at their work. Recognition: leaders want others to appreciate their accomplishments. Money: leaders want to be financially secure. Resources Mentioned The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders* by John Maxwell Book Notes Download my highlights from The Leader’s Greatest Return in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Ten Steps to Create a Recognition Program, with Michelle Smith (episode 80) Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223) The Scientific Secrets of Daily Scheduling, with Daniel Pink (episode 332) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.