Maxwell Leadership® Blog
Ignite your potential to lead powerful, positive change through values-based leadership with easy-to-act-on lessons from our team of seasoned leaders.
The 5 Characteristics of Communication That Connects
By John C. Maxwell | June 2, 2022
When people ask me what I’ve experienced personally over the last few years, my answer is simple: I’m leadership sad. Why? Because I’m watching leaders live beneath their possibilities by dividing rather than uniting others. The mode of operation for any leader should be to bring people together, not divide them. Great leaders divide their enemies and unite their friends....
- All
- Build A Business
- Current News
- Thought Leaders
- Transform your organization
- Your Personal Growth
- All
- 15 Laws of Growth
- 17 Laws of Teamwork
- 2019
- 2020
- 21 Laws of Leadership
- 21 Qualities of a Leader
- 30-second rule
- 360 degree leader
- 5 Levels
- 5 levels Coaching
- 5 Levels of Leadership
- abilities
- ability
- Abraham Lincoln
- Abundance
- accept
- acceptance
- accidental
- accomplishment
- accomplishments
- accountability
- Achieve
- achievement
- action
- Action Bias
- Adapt
- add value
- Adding Value
- adjustment
- adjustments
- admission
- Adrienne Bankert
- advancement
- Advantage
- adversity
- advice
- affirmation
- AFLAC
- Agility
- Alan Mullaly
- Amazon
- ambition
- Answers
- anticipation
- anxiety
- apartheid
- application
- appreciate
- appreciation
- approval
- Ask
- Asking
- Asking Questions
- assessment
- assistance
- Assistant
- assumption
- assumptions
- atmosphere
- Atomic Habits
- attention
- attentiveness
- attitude
- attraction
- audience
- authenticity
- authority
- availability
- Average
- awareness
- baal
- balance
- barriers
- basketball
- belief
- benefit
- Berkshire Hathaway
- bill cosby
- Birthday
- blame
- Blogs
- boldness
- book review
- Books
- boundaries
- breaker
- breakthrough
- bridge building
- bridges
- bucket list
- build
- Burn-out
- Business
- Business Ethics
- Busy
- Calendar
- Calling
- Candor
- capacity
- Care
- caring
- Carly Fiorina
- celebrate
- celebration
- CEOs
- challenge
- challenges
- championship
- Change
- Change Management
- Change Your World
- Change Your World Book
- Character
- chartbreaker
- Chase Elliott
- cheat
- cheerleaders
- chemistry
- chick-fil-a
- Choice
- Choices
- christ fellowship
- christmas
- circumstances
- clarity
- closer
- coaching
- coalition
- cohesiveness
- Collaboration
- commandments
- commitment
- communicate
- Communication
- Community
- Comparison
- compassion
- Competence
- competing
- competition
- complement
- completing
- completion
- complexity
- compliment
- composure
- compounding
- concentration
- concept
- conditions
- conduct
- confidence
- Conflict
- Conflict Management
- Conflict Resolution
- confrontation
- connect
- connectedness
- connecting
- Connection
- connections
- connectivity
- connector
- conquer
- consequences
- conservation
- Consistency
- continuity
- contribution
- control
- Conversation
- conviction
- core values
- Corona Virus
- Coronavirus
- corporate
- cost
- counsel
- courage
- COVID-19
- COVID19
- Craig Groeschel
- create
- creating
- creativity
- Creativity/Innovation
- credibility
- crisis
- Crisis Leadership
- criticism
- critics
- cultivating
- Culture
- Curiosity
- curiousity
- daily grind
- daily growth
- Daniel Amos
- Dave Hollis
- dave ramsey
- deal with it
- decision
- Decision Making
- decisions
- dedication
- defining
- defining moment
- definition
- delegate
- Delegation
- Delegation/Empowerment
- dependable
- designate
- destruction
- determination
- develop
- developing leaders
- developing the leader within you
- Developing the Leader Within You 2.0
- developing the leaders around you
- Development
- develpoment
- devotion
- Difference Maker
- differences
- Difficult Decisions
- difficult people
- Difficult Times
- difficulties
- difficulty
- Dignity
- dilemma
- dillusion
- direction
- directional
- disappointment
- discipline
- discouragement
- discovery
- distance
- distortion
- Distraction
- diversity
- diy
- doctorate
- Don Yaeger
- doubt
- Download
- Dr. Melvin Maxwell
- dream
- dreaming
- dreams
- Economy
- effective
- effectiveness
- efficiency
- effort
- ego
- emotional
- emotions
- empathy
- employee
- Employee Engagement
- empower
- empowerment
- encouragement
- encouraging
- endings
- energy
- Engagement
- enouragement
- entitlement
- entrepreneur
- environment
- Equality
- equip
- equipping
- Equity
- ESPYs
- Ethics
- Evaluated Experience
- evaluation
- event
- example
- excel
- excellence
- exchange
- excitement
- Excuses
- execution
- Executive Assistant
- Executive Leadership
- exercise
- expansion
- expectation
- expectations
- expense
- experience
- experiences
- expertise
- exposure
- Failing Forward
- failure
- faith
- family
- faq
- father
- favor
- fear
- feedback
- fight
- final four
- Find Your Way
- finish
- finisher
- finishing
- first step
- flexibility
- flexible
- fly
- focus
- Focus Shift
- followers
- football
- Forbes
- forget
- forgiveness
- forward
- forward motion
- foundation
- foward motion
- Free Download
- Free Resources
- freedom
- Future
- gain
- generation
- generosity
- Gerard Adams
- Gift Giving
- gifts
- Girl Stop Apologizing
- giving
- Goal Setting
- goals
- good leaders ask great questions
- Good Values
- gossip
- grace
- gratitude
- Great Questions
- greatness
- Grief
- groundbreaker
- grow
- growing
- Growth
- Growth Journey
- Growth Plan
- guidance
- guide
- guilt
- habits
- hallmarks
- HarperCollins
- harvest
- health
- healthy
- hearing
- heartbreak
- Hendrick Automotive
- Hendrick Motorsports
- high road
- Highlands College
- highlights
- Hindsight
- Hiring
- history
- Holidays
- homework
- honesty
- honor
- hope
- hopes
- How Successful People Think
- huddle
- Human Resources
- humble
- humility
- hyundai
- ideas
- identification
- identify
- identity
- ignorance
- IMC
- impact
- Impact Shift
- importance
- impressions
- improvement
- Inc.com
- inclusion
- indispensable
- Influence
- initiative
- inner circle
- innovation
- innovative
- insecurity
- insight
- inspection
- inspiration
- instruction
- integrity
- intentional
- intentional living
- intentionality
- interesting
- International Maxwell Certification
- interview
- intuition
- invest
- investing
- investment
- investors
- irrefutable laws
- irresistible
- israel
- jackie robinson
- James Clear
- Jeff Bezos
- job
- John Maxwell
- John Maxwell Company
- John Maxwell Corporate Solutions
- John Maxwell Executive Leadership Podcast
- John Maxwell Leadership Podcast
- john maxwell team
- John Wooden
- Jon Acuff
- journey
- joy
- judgment
- Kat Cole
- Kim Phillips
- Kimberly Weisul
- kind
- Kindness
- know
- knowledge
- Kodak
- land
- language
- laughter
- law
- Law of the Lid
- Law of the Scoreboard
- laws
- lead
- leader
- Leader Core
- Leaders
- Leaders of Hope
- Leadershift
- Leadership
- Leadership Development
- Leadership Tests
- Leadership Toolbox
- Leadership Tools
- Leadership When It Matters Most
- Leading
- leading down
- Leading During a Crisis
- Leading Through Change
- Learning
- Legacy
- lesson
- lessons
- Life
- lincoln
- listen
- listener
- Listening
- live2lead
- Live2Lead 2020
- Live2Lead Virtual
- Living
- longevity
- loser
- loss
- losses
- love
- loyalty
- make a difference
- maker
- making a difference
- management
- managing
- manipulative
- Maps
- margin of error
- Mark Cole
- martin luther king jr.
- maturity
- maximize
- Maximum Impact Mentoring
- maxwell leadership assessment
- Maxwell Leadership Virtual Summit
- Maxwell Podcast
- mcdonald's
- Meaning
- Meetings
- Melvin Maxwell
- mementos
- memorable
- memories
- Mental Health
- mental toughness
- mentor
- mentoring
- Mentors
- middle
- millionaire
- MIM
- Mindset
- Minute with Maxwell
- mirror
- Mission
- mistakes
- Mister Rogers
- mlb
- mobile
- model
- modesty
- momentum
- moral authority
- Morals
- motivation
- motivational
- motive
- motives
- movement
- Movements
- multi-tasking
- multiply
- Multiplying Influence
- nasa
- NASCAR
- need
- negative
- negligence
- nelson mandela
- networking
- New Year
- Next Generation
- nick vukicic
- North Gwinnett Co-Op
- objectivity
- observation
- office
- Ohio Christian University
- open-mindedness
- opportunities
- Opportunitiy
- opportunity
- optimism
- Options
- organization
- Others
- overcome
- overcoming
- ownership
- pain
- panic
- parallel
- Partnership
- Passion
- passive
- Path
- patience
- patient
- patterns
- Payoffs
- People
- People Development
- people skills
- Perfection
- Perfectionism
- Performance
- permission
- perseverance
- persistence
- personal development
- Personal Development Plan
- personal growth
- Personality Assessments
- personaly growth
- Perspective
- Perspective Thinking
- persuasive
- persuasiveness
- pinnacle
- plan ahead
- planning
- plateau
- platform
- players
- Podcasts
- Polarization
- portrait
- position
- positive
- Positive Attitude
- Positive Thinking
- Positive Values
- possibilities
- Possibility
- potential
- poverty
- power
- practice
- practices
- practicing
- prayer
- preparation
- preparing
- presence
- pressure
- pretenders
- prevail
- price
- pride
- principle
- principles
- priorites
- priorities
- Priorities/Time Management
- prioritize
- proactive
- proactivity
- problem
- problem solving
- problems
- process
- proclamation
- procrastination
- production
- productivity
- progress
- promise
- provision
- Publishing
- purpose
- purposeful
- pursue
- Put Your Dream to the Test
- qualities
- quality
- Questions
- Rachel Hollis
- Racing
- rap
- reaction
- reactive
- Reading
- reality
- realization
- reap
- recognition
- reconciliation
- Recruting
- reengineering
- reflection
- reflective thinking
- rehearse
- rejection
- relationship
- Relationships
- reliability
- reminders
- repair
- repairing
- repetition
- Reproducing Leaders
- reputation
- resilience
- resistance
- resourcefulness
- Resources
- respect
- response
- responsibility
- rest
- restitution
- restoration
- results
- retirement
- reverse
- review
- reward
- Richard Chancy
- Rick Hendrick
- rightpath
- risk
- risk-taking
- rivalry
- Road Map
- Rob Hoskins
- Rob Mendez
- robben island
- role models
- Roundtables
- rule of 5
- sacrifice
- Safety
- satisfaction
- schedule
- scientific
- Scoreboard
- Seasons
- secure
- security
- Seeds
- self belief
- self preservation
- Self-Awareness
- self-confidence
- self-discipline
- self-evaluation
- self-improvement
- Self-Leadership
- self-management
- self-worth
- Servant Leader
- servant leadership
- servanthood
- serve
- Service
- serving
- serving others
- setbacks
- shape
- Sharing
- shepherding
- Shift
- signal
- Signifcance
- significance
- Silo Mentality
- Silos
- similarities
- Simon Sinek
- simplicity
- simulcast
- skills
- Social Media
- solution
- solutions
- sooner
- Sowing Seeds
- spiritual principles
- st. patrick
- stamina
- standards
- Steve Harvey
- stickier
- Stock Car Racing
- stop
- stories
- strategic
- Strategy
- Strength Statements
- strengths
- stretch
- strong
- Success
- Succession
- superior
- support
- surrounding
- suspicion
- sustainability
- Sweet Spot
- system
- systems
- Takeaways
- takers
- talent
- talent is never enough
- talents
- teachability
- Teachable
- Teachable Spirit
- teaching
- team
- team building
- Team Growth
- Team Leadership
- teammates
- Teams
- Teamwork
- temper
- tenacity
- Tension
- test
- Testing
- Texting
- thankfulness
- thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving Day
- the difference maker
- The Infinite Game
- The John Maxwell Leadership Podcast
- The John Maxwell Team
- The Leader's Greatest Return
- the maxwell leadership bible
- think
- Think On These Things
- thinking
- Thinking Habits
- Thinking Patterns
- thoughts
- tiger woods
- tim tebow
- time
- Time Management
- timing
- tips
- today matters
- togetherness
- Tom Golisano
- Tomorrow
- Tools
- tough
- Traction
- Trade Offs
- traders
- tragedy
- training
- Transform-a-thon
- Transformathon
- transformation
- Transformation Movement
- Transformation Tables
- transformational
- transformational leadership
- Transfromation
- transition
- trends
- trust
- trusting
- trustworthy
- truth
- u2
- Uncertain
- Uncertainty
- uniqueness
- unity
- unscripted
- urgency
- value
- values
- Valuing People
- Veterans
- Veterans Day
- Veterans Day 2019
- victory
- Videos
- views
- Virtual Leadership Summit
- vision
- visionary
- volunteering
- waiting
- wallet
- warning signs
- Warren Buffet
- watchfulness
- webcast
- willingness
- windbreaker
- wingman
- winner
- winning
- winning with people
- Winston Churchill
- wisdom
- Word for the Year
- words
- Work Life Balance
- World Mental Health Day
- world relay
- worry
- write
- writing
- Year End Review
- Yes
- YouTube
- Zig Ziglar
By Maxwell Leadership | June 11, 2011
When Plans Don’t Go According to the Script, Keep Planning
Subscribe to the Maxwell Leadership Podcast and receive leadership development resources and more!