Podcast Summary: Maxwell Leadership Podcast

Episode: A Leader Sees More and Before (Part 1)
Date: October 8, 2025
Host: John Maxwell with Chris Goede & Mark Cole

Overview

This episode explores the foundational leadership insight that "a leader sees more and before" others do. John Maxwell teaches two core disciplines for developing this ability: cultivating an abundance mindset (overcoming scarcity) and adopting the cycle of success (test, fail, learn, improve, re-enter). Co-hosts Chris Goede and Mark Cole reflect on how these principles shape their own leadership journeys, providing practical strategies and examples for listeners seeking to become more visionary, adaptive leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Leaders as Visionaries: “See More and Before”

John Maxwell underscores that what distinguishes leaders is not position, but vision. True leaders "see more than others see, and they see before others see."
- “You have never known a leader that had no vision. Nobody says, ‘That leader has no vision at all. That’s why I love them.’” (John Maxwell, 02:10)
A valid vision is something you’re passionate about today, not merely an abstract goal for the future.
Impatience of leaders: When you really see it, you want to move quickly—leaders act when others are still catching up.

2. Discipline #1: Thinking in “More, More and More Before”

Cultivate Abundance, Not Scarcity

Many people naturally think “less, less”; effective leaders discipline themselves to see "more, more and more before."
Two crucial words to reach this level of thinking: creativity and flexibility.
- Creativity: Belief that there is always an answer.
- Flexibility: Belief that there is more than one answer.
"Creativity says there is always an answer. Flexibility says there is more than one answer." (John Maxwell, 05:51)
Best can be better: Don’t rest on “best,” use it as a foundation to build on for even greater achievements.

“Best becomes a problem when you think it’s best—then you want to mount it, have a trophy, have a celebration... Beyond best is something better than best.” (John Maxwell, 07:25)

3. Discipline #2: The Cycle to Success

Process for “More, More and More Before”

John teaches a five-step cycle for leaders wanting greater vision and results:
1. Test
2. Fail
3. Learn
4. Improve
5. Re-enter
“You test more and then you fail more... you learn more, you improve more... and then you get back up and re-enter.” (John Maxwell, 09:29)
The willingness to repeat this process fosters continual growth and expansive vision.
Application example: Mark Cole shares a story about pushing his teams to rethink and improve the Global Youth Initiative, refusing to settle and always expecting a better plan for the future.

“I was getting ready to announce, hey, we’ve got 2.2 million, let’s get it to 2.5... but in 2026, I expect a better plan.” (Mark Cole, 34:54)

4. Behind the Leadership Curtain: Chris Goede & Mark Cole Reflect

Real-World Application

Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset: Mark explains it’s a learned discipline not just a personality trait.

“It’s a discipline. You know, I used to think it was a gift. It’s a discipline.” (Mark Cole, 20:41)
Modeling Abundance: John Maxwell’s quick solution-finding and abundance-first thinking inspires and “lifts the lid” for his team.

“What I love about John is I can now anticipate…he models abundance, and that changes how we all tackle big decisions.” (Mark Cole, 22:57)
Creativity & Flexibility in Action: Mark describes developing adaptability between scarcity and abundance modes, especially when partnering with John or handling different leadership roles.

“In some settings you’re going to have to become adaptive…for the last ten years, I was more realistic or scarcity [oriented] because that’s what John and I’s partnership needed.” (Mark Cole, 27:53)
Learned Skill, Not Born Talent: You don’t have to be a CEO to start applying these lessons. Seeing more and before is a muscle leaders can build through practice and consistent behaviors.

“These are learned behaviors…not only after today and hearing from Mark, but also next week you’re going to have a roadmap.” (Chris Goede, 19:18)

5. Setting and Raising Lids: From Good to Great

Mark shares a coaching story on moving from “good” to “great” organizational cultures, illustrating how vision must keep evolving.

“Your vision now…is 10x what it was 18 months ago. How do you get there?...Know your bent, know your time, and know the organization’s need—and align that.” (Chris Goede and Mark Cole, 31:59–32:41)
Matching personal abilities, organizational needs, and timing creates certainty and clarity for teams.

“The organization needs me to start exercising this muscle…The future demands that we get here so that we can continue the impact.” (Mark Cole, 33:08)

6. Listener Q&A

Addressed how leaders with ADD/ADHD can harness discipline for growth.
- Key suggestions include joining ADHD communities, understanding one’s attention patterns, and seeking professional help when needed.
“John says much of his best thinking has been done by others and this is true for the ADHD community as well.” (Advice from Brianna, team member, 38:15)

Notable Quotes & Moments

John Maxwell (Vision and Leadership):

“Leaders see more than others see, and see before others see.” (03:16)
Abundance Mindset in Decision-Making (Mark Cole):

“Leaders that want your team to begin to think abundance—it begins when you display or demonstrate abundance.” (22:57)
Iterative Growth and Vision:

“Don’t rest on the best… there is no finish line.” (John Maxwell, 07:25)

Timestamps for Segments

[02:10] — John Maxwell defines vision and the unique role of a leader
[05:51] — Creativity and flexibility as building blocks to abundance thinking
[09:29] — The five-step cycle of success
[20:41] — Discipline vs. talent in abundance thinking (Mark Cole)
[22:57] — Demonstrating abundance in team decisions
[27:53] — Adapting between scarcity and abundance as a leader
[31:59] — Good to great cultures, the “lid” metaphor, and evolving vision
[34:54] — Applying the cycle of success in major initiatives
[38:15] — Tips for leaders with ADD/ADHD

Conclusion & Teaser for Next Episode

Chris and Mark close by underscoring these leadership mindsets are accessible and developable for all, not just top executives. Next week, John Maxwell will continue with three more components for seeing “more and before” as a leader.

“You don’t have to be the CEO to live this out. This is a learned skill.” (Chris Goede, 24:46)

Tools/Resources:
Bonus materials and app information can be found at maxwellpodcast.com/moreandbefore.

For Listeners:

Consider: Where are you operating with scarcity vs. abundance?
Practice: Apply the “test, fail, learn, improve, re-enter” cycle in your next team initiative.
Tune in next week for the next stage in visionary leadership development.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Foreign.

B (0:08)

Welcome to the Maxwell Leadership Podcast. If you are the last person in the room to know something, in other words, everybody in the room knows you, knows the idea before you, or if you're the first person. Today, Chris Goede and I are going to help you talk about, learn how to, and begin to see more and more and more, more before. Chris, we've heard John talk about this a couple of times.

A (0:30)

I think this is the reason you and I are able to. To work here. This is simplicity at its best, right? More and more or less. Less. You're going to hear that from John. I'm like, oh, well, there's no wonder why we're still sitting here. And we've heard it before because we can understand those words.

B (0:42)

Yeah. And, and I remember the first time. It's, it's several years now, but I remember when John first started teaching this concept of how he sees more and more and more before, or he sees more and before is what he would say. And then he said, hey, but I'm going to take it to the next level. I'm going to go more and more and more before, which means there's a natural state of leadership. I just see things before others and I see things more. But John today is going to get into the science of seeing more and before by going more, more and more before. Hey, podcast family, we recently just engaged you in an assessment, said, hey, talk to us, tell us what we can do. By the way, they're sending in questions more regularly now, which we love. You're giving us comments, you're giving us feedback. This assessment let us know what we all know. We want more John Maxwell. And so you'll see today, we're going to give you more access to John. In the coming episodes, we're going to give you more access to John and John's content. So grab a pen and a paper, by the way, if you want to watch this on YouTube, if you want to download the bonus resource, you can go to maxwellpodcast.com forward/more and before. John today is going to teach us two components of disciplining yourself to see more and more and more before. Next episode will be part two, and John will give us three more. Three more points. Here we go. Here is John Maxwell.

C (2:10)

You have never known a leader that had no vision. You've never heard at one time where a person says, you know why I love the leader that we have? That leader absolutely has no vision at all. My God. Doesn't know where he's going, doesn't know what she's doing. Kind of like Mr. Magoo of life. No, we follow many times the leader, because what he or she is seeing in the future, they're seeing something. They're seeing a picture. A picture of the future that brings a passion today because that's really what vision is. Vision's what I would like to be tomorrow, but I'm passionate about it today. If there's no passion today, it's not a valid vision for tomorrow. So I see it clearly and I feel it burning within me. It's something that I want to do. It's somewhere I wanna go. It's something that I want to accomplish in my life. And what I've discovered is this. I've discovered that there's one thing that all leaders have in common and only one. And I mean, it's regardless of country culture, because I travel the world and I'm in all kind of settings. And there's one. When somebody says, what's the one common denominator of a leader? I'm gonna give it to you right now because there's one. It always shows up on a leader's life. And here's what it is. Leaders, they see more than others see, and they see before others see. So when you see a leader, trust me on this, they see more. They see a bigger picture than they see before. They not only see a bigger picture, but they see it quicker than anyone else. Let me explain it this way. If you're around a table of eight of you and you're talking about something in the leadership form and everybody else sees it before you see it, you are not the leader of the pack. Okay? You got a lot of developing to do. Because I can tell you, you get around a leader, they see more. They just see a bigger picture. You got this picture, they see this picture. You get around the leader, they've already caught on. In fact, they're already moving out of the room. They're wanting to pursue the vision, and you're trying to figure out what it is. One of the things about leaders is when they see it so quickly, they have an impatience about it. Let's get going. Let's get rolling. I mean, what are we talking about? What are we waiting for? So here's the question. If a leader sees more than others sees and sees before others see, then I can develop myself until I can see more. The question is, how do I begin to see more and more? How do I begin to see a bigger picture? And not only can I see more before, if I can Develop myself. I can also see more before. So I want to talk to you about how do you see more, more? How do I increase my more more? How do I increase my more before? Number one, I want you to know that there is more, more and more before out there. In other words, the first thing I wanna do is I wanna work with your thinking. Let's talk about how you think, how I think. Because what I want you to know is in your life, there is more, more for you than what you have right now. And in your life, there is more before you than you ever had in your life. I want you, in other words, to think. Think abundance, not scarcity. See, a lot of people, they don't think more, more, they think less. Less. So I just want you to know that before you in front of you. And you may say, well, you know, I'm in kind of at a juncture in my life and I'm not even really quite sure where I'm going next. And it's a little transition period. It's okay. It's okay. Let me just say something to you. Here's what I know. Here's what I know about life. Here's what I know about you. There's more and more for you, and there's more before you. And I want you to know that because I know that for sure. And I want you to think of two words right now. And these two words will just help clear all of this up for you. The first word is creativity. And the second word is flexibility. Because the moment that you really not only understand, but you begin to embrace and live out these two words, you begin to enter into the more, more and more before world that I want for creativity. What creativity really says is this, that there is always an answer. You show me a creative person and I'm gonna tell you, at the core of their creativity is not some kind of genius or some kind of a way that they can think out of the box. We put a lot of talent to creativity, and it's a high talent. But what I want you to understand about creative people is at the core of a creative person, you is this. They believe there is always an answer. That's what keeps them creative. Think about it. If you don't think there's an answer, how creative are you gonna be? How long are you gonna hang with that idea? How long are you gonna try to work it and percolate it and create it and make it something bigger? So creative people, they believe there is always an answer. So they already think if I really work hard and use my mind and I get creative. There's something out there that I haven't discovered there. Now look at the word flexibility. The word flexibility says there is more than one answer. I love this. There's more than one answer. And so when I start this life, I've got to understand that, wow, there's not only an answer, but when I get the answer, that's not the only answer. I was asked the other day, john, you seem to be constantly striving to improve yourself. How do you handle best? And I say, well, every day I try to do my best. And at the end of the day, if I did my best, I said, boy, I did my best, and I'm glad. I like best. But tomorrow, best is the foundation I build off of. Best can get better. You see, best becomes a problem. When you think it's best, then you want to mount it and have a trophy, have a celebration and take pictures. You see, what you gotta understand about best is best is best. If you're giving your best right now. So we like best, but you gotta understand beyond best is something better than best. And so you don't rest on the best. You don't rest on the best because you understand you can improve it. You can always get a little bit better. You can always excel a little bit more. You can always push it a little further. You can always climb a little bit higher. Best is one. And so when I run into people and they say, this is as good as it's ever gonna get, I wanna walk in their life and say, my name's John. And if it's as good as it's ever gonna get, I feel very sorry for you. No, you understand that best can get better and more can get more. And I want you just to understand. Creativity says there's always an answer. Flexibility says there's more than one answer. So when I think I have found it, when I think I have succeeded, when I think that I have really grabbed this, what I want you to know is I'm not there yet. There is no finish line. The second thing I want to share with you is this. If you want more and more, and you want more before you have to develop a process to find more and more, there's a way to do this. There's a process that you have to go through to get more, more and more before. It's one thing for me to talk to you about, have abundance, thinking, and have a passion for something bigger than what you are. Okay? Okay. But that can get Kind of. That can get a little mystical. You're saying I gotta get my hands on something. Do you have a system? Do you have a process? Yes, I do. Thank you very much. But here's the process, because there is a process and this just really works. Five steps. If you really want to get more, more and more before, here are the five. And you just. These are what I call the cycle to success. And here's the way it works. Test, fail, learn, improve, reenter. You see, when you want more, more and more before, guess what you do? You test more, you test more. The person gets more and more, they test more, the person gets less, less. They quit testing, they quit trying, they quit throwing it out there. And if you want to have more and more, you gotta fail more. This is the way this works. You test more and then you fail more. And then you, hey, you learn more and you improve more. And by the way, let me say something that improved that. Step four is a huge step. Learn something. Are you with me? And then when you get back up, guess what? It missed you and you're on your way. So you test, you fail, you learn, you improve, and then you re. Enter. I've practiced this. Listen to me very carefully. I don't care how stinking good you are right now, you are not where you could be. There's more and more. And there's more before in front of you.