The 5 Best Things I learned from John Maxwell

I was privileged to attend the John Maxwell Leadership Summit today. It was quite pricey but the value of what I took away from it cannot be counted. It turns out that the guy is a huge Krispy Kreme fan and now wants to become a Filipino citizen because he learned that you can get free donuts here while waiting in line. hahaha.

(btw, for all the ARTISTS out there, I recommend that you find (and read) this book: Talent is Never Enough)

1) Finding YOUR PURPOSE in life is the key to success and happiness.
Finding it takes time and is a combination of learning what you are uniquely gifted in and being passionate about developing that gift to the maximum.

2) Stop working on your WEAKNESSES.
What's the point of improving yourself from a 2 to a 4 in a certain area? When you can be more productive by taking your 7 and making it a 9. Nobody wants to pay for average. People will always want the exceptional. So focus on improving what you already are best at.

3) Making good decisions is NOT ENOUGH.
It's how you manage that decision each and everyday after you've made it. Managing the decision is what makes the difference between a forgotten New Year's resolution and a major life change.

4) The Best Leaders are the BEST LISTENERS.
What gets us in trouble w/ other people most of the time is that we assume what they are thinking and feeling instead of taking the time to listen to them and really find out.

5) Surround yourself with what you ARE NOT.
The people closest to us should be strongest in what we are weakest in. People say opposites attract, but more than that it is about leading others in what we are good at and following them in what they are better at.