John Maxwell’s 5-Step Cycle of Success

This past week, John Maxwell was one of the many speakers for the Thrive Conference originating from Roseville, CA.  He discussed several topics including how to best lead in a COVID-19 world. As usual, John’s thoughts were insightful and brilliant.

The section I felt was most impactful was the learning process leaders should go through during times of crisis.  Using his book Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace is the basis for his thoughts, John explained his 5-Step Cycle of Success.  I felt this information was so important I want to share it with you.

BTW, if you have not purchased Leadershift, you can do so by clicking HERE or the image provided.

The following are 13 introductory comments before John introduces the Cycle of Success:

1. People ask me what I’m doing during this time and I smile and say, ‘I’m making lemonade (out of lemons).’
2. A crisis gives us a lot of lemons.
3. There are no two good days, or two consecutive easy days, in a leader’s life.. because we deal with conflict and issues. Almost every day in a leader’s life we get handed a lemon.
4. In a crisis we don’t just have one lemon coming after us, we have a whole bowl.
5. We’re getting so many lemons and I’m making so much lemonade I’m thinking about going into the lemonade business.
6. A crisis moves us… Every person in America is out of their comfort zone.
7. The best leaders are agile and flexible and in a moment’s notice are able to move.
8. The difference between a good coach and a great coach is the great coaches are really good at adjusting.
9. Being adaptive is the ability to read a situation and then respond.
10. To Leadershift successfully we need to Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn.  We have to be very fluid in our thinking.
11. A recent Harvard Business Review study said a bachelor’s degree now has a five-year life span.
12. 50 years ago 10 years was a long-range plan, 5 years was a mid-range plan, and 2 years was a short-range plan.  Today, 2 years is a ridiculously long-range plan.
13. A journey is you pass a place and may never see it again or return.  But on a cycle, you need to do the 5 things on the Cycle of Success we do.

The following is John Maxwell’s 5-Step Cycle Of Success:

1. Test – We are constantly asking is there a better way to do this?  We are on an adventure to be out front and not afraid to try new things.  Take risks.
2. Failure – The more you test, the more you fail.  There’s never been a better time to test than right now.  COVID-19 allows you to test almost anything right now.  We learn to fail forward.  Winston Churchill says, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
3. Learn – This is the value of failure if you have a teachable spirit.  The value of failure is we learn new things.
4. Improve – Learning is over-rated for head-knowledge.  Learning is only valuable when we improve from it.
5. Re-enter – You only re-enter when you improve.  Why do you re-enter?  So you can then test, fail, learn, and improve and then re-enter again.

Where are you at on this process?  What do you need to do to go the next step in the cycle?

My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase.  If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you!  By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you.  This book is not to be read alone.  Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence.  Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.