Today’s blog post is an excerpt from The Maxwell Daily Reader. I loved compiling this book, with the goal of offering the reader one leadership principle per day for an entire year. Each one-page entry is drawn from one of my earlier (pre-2007) books, and is designed to be put into practice right after reading.
An added bonus: Besides providing a wide variety of leadership lessons, The Maxwell Daily Reader offers a good survey of my writing up until 2007.
What follows is the entry for today’s date: August 21.
Put Others First in Your Thinking
When you meet people, is your first thought about what they’ll think of you or how you can make them feel more comfortable? At work, do you try to make your coworkers or employees look good, or are you more concerned about making sure that you receive your share of the credit? When you interact with family members, whose best interests do you have in mind? Your answers show where your heart is. To add value to others, you need to start putting others ahead of yourself in your mind and heart. If you can do it there, you will be able to put them first in your actions.
But how can anyone add value to others if he doesn’t know what they care about? Listen to people. Ask them what matters to them. And observe them. If you can discover how people spend their time and money, you’ll know what they value.
Once you know what matters to them, do your best to meet their needs with excellence and generosity. Offer your best with no thought toward what you might receive in return. President Calvin Coolidge believed that “no enterprise can exist for itself alone. It ministers to some great need, it performs some great service, not for itself, but for others; or failing therein it ceases to be profitable and ceases to exist.”
(from Failing Forward)
Put others ahead of you in your mind and heart today.
13 responses so far ↓
1 adam cruickshank // Aug 21, 2009 at 1:43 am
This is something that I know that God has been convicting me of – putting other people first. As leaders our number one task is to serve not to seek to be served – I really pray that I would be able to apply this article into my ministry environment (which is made easier by the practical advice in the article). Thanks you John for inspiring and challenging us leaders again and again.
2 Sunny Cain // Aug 21, 2009 at 2:33 am
Thank you so much for your wisdom here John! The Lord has been working in my life on these very same principles, and I am so thankful God’s hand of wisdom in you! He is brilliant…and absolutely working through you. I had to re-post this on my blog because it is incredible…I hope you don’t mind!
3 Jim Foreman // Aug 21, 2009 at 9:04 am
John – Thanks for sharing this. When I heard you at Catalyst a few years ago you talk about adding value and it is something I added to a prayer list and pray that I would do each day.
I have a strange question for you – Are you on facebook – because there is a John Maxwell on facebook and I am afraid it is not you. There are all kinds of personal comments being made to that John Maxwell and if someone is faking being you it is sad. Just wondering.
4 Sandi Benz // Aug 21, 2009 at 10:26 am
Early in the 1900′s William Booth ( Founder of the Salvation Army) prepared a telegram to be sent out to all Salvationists across the world. With the cost being so high he could only afford to send out one word. The word he carefully chose to speak to all Salvationists was one that would be carried forever as a signature for the Salvation Army mission. That word send out across the world was “Others”, and still the founder’s message lives on.
5 Friday Links Roundup: Pass Along Edition « The Faughn Family of Four // Aug 21, 2009 at 11:33 am
[...] 3. John Maxwell posted a brief section of his wonderful book Failing Forward. This is one worth filing away. Enjoy “Put Others First.” [...]
6 lois mwende // Aug 22, 2009 at 3:10 am
wow..looking away from yourself..to help the other person is foundamental thank for puting this forward…
7 TC Robinson // Aug 22, 2009 at 4:37 am
Thanks for this reminder.
8 Poniendo al otro como primer lugar en nuestro pensamiento y actuar. « Liderarte.com // Aug 22, 2009 at 3:10 pm
[...] lugar en nuestro pensamiento y actuar. Tomando como base el post del 21 de Agosto en el blog de John Maxwell y con aportes adicionales, dejamos un pensamiento para reflexionar y poner en práctica. Cuando te [...]
9 Michele Benson // Aug 22, 2009 at 4:43 pm
This is something I learned and you would think I wouldn’t have had to learn it, that I was already doing it. But after joining a fabulous company Arbonne International, I truly did not get what it meant to put other peoples needs before yours. It’s not about me it’s about what I can do to make their life better. People just want to know someone cares and will take the time to listen. Remember we are here to do what we can and I hope one day when I meet my heavenly Father he’ll say “well done my good and faithfull servant”
10 Sibitiwe Pereira // Aug 24, 2009 at 4:10 am
In our society we have moved away from looking at others to a point where we self-centred, even our churches operate as individual entities, I believe that we need to unify and be one so that it will be easier for us to look away from self to others.
11 people-power // Aug 24, 2009 at 9:07 pm
A great reminder, other people focused, (this is so good I couldn’t have planned it better myself, an inside joke) and not just when things are going good. In tough times as well, all great communicators have one thing in common the willingness to confront others with their hearts first. So glad the weather is good did you injoy your swim and did you have fun in legoland, I know you did. Have a great sleep.
12 people-power // Aug 25, 2009 at 11:37 am
Just read your twitter, pilates is an excellent way to increase flexibility, strengh and to, it promotes balance. A good choice, all the best to the two of you. I will to, be starting again to work-out at Shapes. Uniqueness followed by discipline and the drive to develop it will give you that home-run you are looking for, so true. Have a good work-out. I think this is my favorite Maximum Impact lesson so far, I do need to listen to it again so I don’t miss anything. You do really need to hear your message more than once, I make this my monthly message and before the next one is issued, I think I could help you teach it lol. Injoy your day.
13 San // Aug 28, 2009 at 12:38 pm
This is something many people preach but don’t practice. It is a great thing to give and not expect anything in return. Thanks for the reminder. Stay blessed. :0)