Maxwell Leadership Podcast: "How to Develop Leaders" (February 12, 2025)

Host: John Maxwell
Co-hosts: Mark Cole, Chris Goede

Episode Overview

This episode of the Maxwell Leadership Podcast is dedicated to a foundational question in leadership: How do we develop leaders? John Maxwell shares his lifelong insights and practical strategies for leader development, focusing on how multiplying leaders—not just followers—transforms organizations, families, and legacies. After John’s teaching segment, Mark Cole and Chris Goede provide actionable steps and real-world perspectives, bringing depth and warmth to the principles discussed.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Multiplying Power of Developing Leaders

• John Maxwell’s Core Principle:
  “If you can create and develop other leaders, trust me on this, you're gonna be very, very successful.” (03:03)
• Leadership multiplication vs. addition: Followers add, but developing leaders multiplies influence.
• Organizations and communities grow exponentially when they focus on raising up new leaders, not just managing followers.

2. Four Essentials for Developing Leaders

John Maxwell outlines his four-part framework for leader development:

A. It Takes a Leader to Know a Leader

• Leaders recognize potential in others—like attracts like.
• “The best way for you to develop leaders is to be able to spot or find discovery potential leaders... it takes a leader to know a leader to find a leader.” (03:20)

B. It Takes a Leader to Show a Leader

• Leaders must model the behavior and skills they wish to see, not just instruct.
• Law of Respect: Higher-level leaders naturally want to follow those stronger or more skilled than themselves.
• “People do what people see, not what people hear... There’s no credibility, there’s no moral authority in that type of leadership.” (05:20)

C. It Takes a Leader to Grow a Leader

• Leaders can only give what they themselves possess.
• Ongoing personal growth is crucial if you wish to elevate others.

D. Leaders Know the Value of Developing Other Leaders

• Great leaders prioritize leader development over follower management for exponential growth.
• Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule): Pour 80% of your development into the top 20% of your people for maximum return. Let those leaders, in turn, train others. (08:06)
• “If you would spend 80% on the top 20%, that 20% would give you an 80% return on everything you needed.” (08:40)

3. Practical Applications & Perspectives

Spotting Potential Leaders

• Mark Cole:

  • Start with belief: Place “a 10 on everyone’s head”—believe in people’s leadership potential first, before looking for faults. (14:13)
  • Recognize that our unconscious biases and past experiences often get in the way of seeing leadership potential in those close to us, especially at home.

• Key Leadership Attributes to Look For:

  • Hunger to learn (teachable spirit)
  • Passion to grow
  • Value relationships over “solo performance”
  • Servant’s heart and others-orientation
  • Ability to get things done (production) (17:08-18:06)

• Chris Goede adds:

  • Initiative
  • Resilience
  • Willingness to learn and take risks
  • Positive influence and collaborative production (18:27-19:17)

Modeling & Developing Leaders

• Consistent Sharing:
  • Make development intentional: Maintain lists (e.g., on your phone or device) of people you are actively developing, with notes and insights for each. (21:24)
  • Model learning and growth—regularly share what you’re learning and how it applies to others' growth.
  • Intentional leader development shouldn’t be left to chance or reactionary reminders; instead, proactively plan how you add value and hold leaders accountable.

4. The Value of Leader Development: Culture & Legacy

• Leadership development isn’t just about performance—it shapes culture and builds a legacy.

• Perspective, People Skills, and Production:

  • When identifying leaders for new challenges, seek those who:
    1. Grasp the big picture (Perspective) (28:01)
    2. Build relationships and move people (People Skills)
    3. Produce results and influence outcomes (Production) (30:21)
  • “Perspective without people skills will just let you take a walk by yourself. Perspective with people skills will let you take people with you.” (30:20)

• Chris Goede connects this to John Maxwell’s Five Levels of Leadership:

  • Level 1: Title / Position (Perspective)
  • Level 2: Permission (People skills)
  • Level 3: Production
  • Level 4 & 5: People development & Legacy

• Quote (Chris Goede):

  • “Leadership multipliers leave legacies, not just teams.” (26:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You cannot give what you do not have." — John Maxwell (05:19)
• "If you really want to create other leaders: It takes a leader to know a leader. It takes a leader to show a leader. It takes a leader to grow a leader. And finally, leaders know and value what happens when you develop other leaders." — John Maxwell (09:51)
• "We mystify...how do I develop leaders? By doing levels 1, 2, and 3...when you do that, well, level four doesn’t become mystified, it becomes natural." — Mark Cole (33:47)
• "Belief starts the finding. If you don’t believe that leadership potential is in every person you’re leading, you’ve missed the first obvious step." — Mark Cole (16:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:03 – John Maxwell’s introduction: Why developing leaders is essential
• 05:19 – "You cannot give what you do not have": Importance of modeling and growing first
• 08:06-09:50 – The Pareto Principle and strategy for pouring into top talents
• 13:55 – Mark & Chris: How do you spot and select potential leaders?
• 17:08 – Mark’s five core leadership indicators
• 18:27–19:17 – Chris’s complementary leadership attributes
• 21:24 – Proactive leader development: Keeping lists, setting intentionality, and example of using technology to keep track of leader growth
• 28:01–30:21 – The three criteria for developing leaders for new challenges: Perspective, People Skills, Production
• 33:47 – Final thoughts: De-mystifying leader development through consistent practice of the basics

Flow, Tone, and Takeaways

The episode maintains John Maxwell’s warm-but-direct style, balancing deeply encouraging beliefs (“Put a 10 on everybody’s head!”) with pragmatic, sometimes hard-hitting realities (“You cannot give what you do not have.”). Mark and Chris’s application segment is colloquial, sometimes humorous, but always practical, demystifying leadership development and centering on daily, actionable behaviors—useful for CEOs, parents, and emerging leaders alike.

Summary Table: Four Essentials for Developing Leaders

| Principle | Description | Timestamp | |------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Know a Leader | Spot potential; like attracts like | 03:20 | | Show a Leader | Model and set example; earn respect | 05:20 | | Grow a Leader | Can only give what you possess; development requires growth | 05:19 | | Value Leaders | Prioritize leader development; pour into your top 20% for multiplication, not just addition | 08:06-09:50|

For further growth:

• Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast (Recommended by Mark Cole)
• Digital Product: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (special promo discussed at the end)

Takeaway:
Great leaders multiply by investing intentionally in others, modeling the behaviors they want to see, and always believing in undiscovered potential—everywhere. As Maxwell’s team says: Everyone deserves to be led well.