Motivation to the Max by John Hillman   People perk up and listen when Dr. John C. Maxwell speaks.   In 2002, the 56-year-old former pastor instructed over 350,000 individuals in organizations ranging from Aflac Insurance and Wal-Mart to the Green Bay Packers and the University of Southern California on leadership, teamwork, and creative thinking.   "John Maxwell is a gifted communicator," says Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Reeves. "He takes all his years of leadership experiences and observations and distills them into simple, practical, relevant advice that hits home with everyone who's ever made a tough management decision."   Maxwell's early background gave little indication, however, that he would author more than 30 books generating sales of over seven million copies. Nor would many of his first congregation envision his Atlanta-based organization, the INJOY Group, employ over 150 people and produce a vast array of motivational products including audio and videotapes, newsletters, books and conferences.   Raised in Circleville, Ohio, his father served as a pastor and president of Circleville Bible College. After deciding to enter the ministry at age 17, Maxwell graduated from the school in 1969 and became a pastor in the small town of Hillham, Indiana.   "Knowing that someday I would be a preacher is one my earliest childhood memories. I even played 'church' as other children played 'school,' " he says. Maxwell accepted Jesus as his saviour and invited Him into his heart at age three.   During his tenure as a pastor, Maxwell realized the importance of leadership in developing an effective ministry. In 1985, he founded INJOY, an organization to develop leadership among his fellow pastors. Four years later, Maxwell began devoting full-time efforts to heading INJOY and expanding its role to serve the business and professional sector.   The former pastor gained national prominence with his 1998 release, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (Thomas Nelson). The book topped the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Business Week, and Wall Street Journal and has sold over one million copies. Since then, three additional works, Failing Forward (Thomas Nelson, 2000), Developing the Leader Within You (Thomas Nelson, 2000), and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork (Thomas Nelson, 2001) have also charted on the national scene and made Maxwell a household name, especially in corporate circles.   "I had a gut feeling, and I know it was God putting an impression in my heart," Skaggs said about his change in direction to bluegrass. "God uses simple things to confound the wise, and by returning to the simple things, everything we did fell into place."   In a 2001 interview with Publishers Weekly he admitted, "I have wanted for a long time to be a crossover author and touch the business and secular communities."   Although Maxwell draws many references from the realms of politics, business, entertainment and sports, he looks to the life of Jesus Christ as the ultimate leadership example. He also cites a personal relationship with God as an integral element to successful living.   "The keys to success are knowing your purpose in life, growing to your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others," he says. "Through my faith, I have discovered my purpose and gifting, and since Christ's ministry was about sowing seeds in others, I am compelled to do so as well."   In March 2003, the Leadership Ministries of Campus Crusade for Christ teamed with several corporate sponsors including Bank of Montreal for a one-day Leadership Summit in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, featuring Maxwell as the keynote speaker. The event concluded with an optional segment entitled "Biblical Principles of Leadership."   Steve Savage, the regional director of Leadership Ministries, stated. "John Maxwell raised the bar for the church community, not only because of his creditability and notoriety, but also because he connected with business leaders and professionals."   In his latest book, Thinking For A Change (Warner Books, 2003), Maxwell opens discussions on how individuals should think differently about their lives, their families, and their world. He stresses the need to step out of the proverbial box and gain new perspectives on the future. The first step to achieving this revised mode of thinking involves removing what Maxwell terms "creativity killers."   "Creativity killers can be things you tell yourself such as 'I'm not a creative person' or things other people tell you such as 'It can't be done,' " he says. "If you have a great idea, don't let anyone talk you out it, including yourself.   "Many people think creative thinking is original thinking when actually most creative thoughts are composites of other thoughts a person has discovered along the way," Maxwell adds. "That is why it's so important to be a continual learner and listen and read about the ideas of others. You never know what may set off a spark of creativity in yourself."   Although personal leadership and creative thinking both contribute to success, Maxwell urges individuals to look toward God as the ultimate leader and learn from His example. The process begins with a decision to accept Christ as one's personal saviour.   "Like all good leaders, God took initiative yet He never forced His leadership on anyone," Maxwell says. "However, we tend to go our own way instead of following God's leadership."   "If you can become the leader you ought to be on the inside, you will be able to become the leader you want to be on the outside," he continues. "People will want to follow you. When that happens and through God's help, you'll be able to tackle anything in this world." Do you want to feel Jesus' guidance in you life? Click here to find out how. [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs][Event Calendar] [Lifestyles] [Family Focus] [Juke Box] [Cover to Cover] [Movieguide][Casting the Net] [Viewpoints] [General Info] [Rates & Sizes][Marketplace/Classifieds] [Volunteer Ops] [Writing Guidelines] [Contact Us] [Subscribe][Archives] [Good News] [About Us][Links]