C (4:25)

Surround yourself with great people. And this came to kind of a head to me a few weeks ago up in Atlanta. We had a dinner that night and at that dinner table were some pretty amazing people that have come into my life. And I just sat at the end of the table and I became very grateful as I would look at each one of their faces and I would think of the ways that they have helped me, the ways that they have made me better, the ways that they have made our organizations better. In fact, right to my left was a very good friend. And he said to me, I don't know, maybe he could read my thoughts as I was looking around the table. But he said, this room was filled with a lot of good people. And I said, you're right, it's filled with some great people. Now, the reason that I mentioned that is because that evening I was very aware. I was very grateful because I was very aware that the people sitting around that table had made me better than I actually am. And I was telling Mark Kroll, our CEO, the other day, we are literally at a harvest time of outstanding individuals that are saying they want to be part of our team. And that's why I want to talk to you about how did this happen? How have we been able to surround ourselves with great people? I'm going to share with you now, I'm going to share with you just now. How do you surround yourself with great people? Statement number one, have a great desire to become great. If you want to surround yourself with great people, it begins with desire. I know again, as a kid in my twenties, I knew one thing. I wanted to make a difference. I didn't know how I was going to make a difference. I didn't know when I was going to make a difference, but I knew I wanted to make a difference. I had this desire, this deep desire. Napoleon Hill, you know what he said? He said, the starting point of all achievement is desire. Back then, I was a pastor of a country church. Now, just stop here for a moment. Don't see me as I am today. See me as a young kid in a country church with about 100 people. It doesn't look like there's much future here. It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to achieve what I've achieved. But I had a great desire. And I read a book on America's largest churches, and there were 10 of them that were featured in this book, the Top 10 Growing Dynamic Congregations. And I called each one of those pastors, those 10 churches, and asked for an appointment with them, of which two said yes and eight said no. In fact, I was so desperate for an appointment, I told them I would give them $100. If you'll just meet with me, I'll give you $100 for 30 minutes. And that was a lot of money. I only made $4,800 that year. But I just had a passion to meet them. It was that desire. And I did meet with them, by the way. And I can promise you right now, it was life changing for me. I asked them questions. I only had 30 minutes. I had a tape recorder going, and I just took notes as fast as I could. So many times we don't go forward because we don't have the ideal situations, and we've got to quit doing that. In fact, just this week, I wrote this. In fact, I was talking to my assistant, Linda Eggers, and I made a statement, and I stopped. I said, oh, I got to write this down now, and I'm giving it to you by memory. And I've only said it a couple of times, so I hope I do it right here. But I was talking to Linda about vision, and I said, we need to act on the vision that we have so that we can obtain the vision we need. And the moment I said that, I thought, this is so true. I've got to act on the vision I have. And the vision that I have, it's not complete, it's not full, it's not even totally seen or understood. But you got to act on what you have so that you can get the vision that is yours, that is going to be bigger and better in the future. And that's what I did. I had this desire. This desire kept me in the gate. So when you want to surround yourself with great people, it begins with have a great desire. The second thing I would share with you is to go to where the great people are. You know, birds of a feather flock together. Great people flock together. So you got to find out where they are. And when you find out where they are, you got to go hang. And you say, well, you know, they won't know me. Of course they won't know me. I can still remember. I can still remember when I was a young pastor and my church was growing. But I had an invitation not to be a participant, but to attend an event called Exchange in Orlando, Florida, where the big boys were going to be participating. And I went there. And I went there because I wanted to get around great people. I wanted to see them. I wanted to maybe have a chance to even meet them, maybe, hey, maybe get a picture, I don't know. But I just knew that if. If I could put myself in an environment where great people are, wow, I could perhaps become even greater again. In my 20s, I wrote about a great environment, and how can I create a great environment for growth, for my life? Because I wasn't in an organization that had a culture of growth, and I wasn't part of a team that had done great things. So I wrote about what I thought a growth environment would look like and how I needed to create it for myself. I was looking at this the other day. I have it in my notes to share with you. But there are 10 things that you want to create for yourself to put yourself in a great growth environment. I want to give them to you quickly because I got a point. I want to illustrate. Number one, others are ahead of you. Number two, you're continually challenged. Three, your focus is forward. Four, the atmosphere is affirming. Five, you're off and out of your comfort zone. Six, you wake up excited. Seven, failure is not your enemy. Eight, others are growing. Number nine, people desire change. Ten, growth is modeled and expected. Now, those are the ten things that you want to create to have a growth environment. And I was looking at those the other day in light of surround yourself with great people. And it hit me five of the ten of these ideal situations to create a growth environment, Five of the ten, half of them are specifically about great people. Number one, others are ahead of you. Number four, the atmosphere is affirming. Number eight, others are growing. Number nine, people desire change. Number ten, growth is modeled and expected. And all of a sudden it hit me that surrounding yourself with great people, if you really want to do that, you got to go to where the great people are. They're not going to come to you in the beginning. You have to go to them. So if you really want to surround yourself with great people, have a desire to be great. That is the passion that you'll need. Go to where great people are. And number three, do what great people do. I like this. In other words, if you want to surround yourself with great people, get the habits of great people. Again, birds of a feather flock together. Now go Back to the $100 for a moment. I would ask them when I gave them that $100, what are you doing to build a great church? And after I would ask them that question and take those notes with my tape recorder, I. I would reflect and I'd say, now, how did they do that? And then I'd say, okay, now here's how they did it. I'm going to do this. I'm going to take action on it. We want to somehow have success without paying a price. We want to have success without it taking time or us having to be committed or be consistent for a period of years. We love that. I want to do what you're doing, but we don't like the I'd like to do what you do did. And if we don't do the did, we don't get the do. That's a fact. If you don't do the did, you're in deep doo doo. Okay, that's just a fact. Now, what am I talking About? I'm talking about if you really want to surround yourself with great people, you got to do what the great people do. And here's what I discover in kind of wrapping this up. When people hit what I call the success plateau, which is very, very common, why do they all of a sudden, I mean, they've done really well. All of a sudden they just kind of go flatline. What happens? I can tell you, you and I, we hit the success plateau when we stopped doing what we did. It's just that simple. When I stopped doing the things that made me successful, I will no longer be successful.

A (13:55)

Hey, podcast listeners, many of you listening right now would probably love the autonomy that comes with owning your own business or becoming a coach that helps other businesses succeed. Well, we have a phenomenal strategy where you are 100% in control of your own business, earning income on your own terms, and have access to, to the people, tools and resources you need to build a thriving leadership development business. When you become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team member, you join a global community of entrepreneurs led by our expert team of mentors and faculty, including John C. Maxwell. You'll also get one of the top leadership certifications in the world next to your name, giving you the boost you need to get started. Visit us online@maxwellleadership.com JoinTheTeam to find out more. Hey, welcome back, everybody. You know, John makes a statement here, and it's truly what we call our standout statement for this podcast episode. And it's this. If you want to surround yourself with great people, it begins with desire. And again, this is not desire to trade in yesterday's friend or to disregard relationships that are significant and meaningful to you. It is just a commitment that says, I am going to bring some people around me that are going to sharpen me. It's iron sharpening iron. It's lifting the level of the people that are speaking into your life. And Traci, I really am honored, I mean, truly honored to do this with you. I can remember multiple exchanges, multiple things to where you and I would grab a moment where everybody else was kind of experiencing something, and you and I would grab a moment and we would sharpen one another. And I'm truly a better leader because of you, because I surrounded myself with great people like you.

B (15:56)

Well, that is a very nice thing to say. I feel absolutely that way about you. I. Every moment that we could steal away and I could just pick your brain and have little moments where you poured into me, I felt that was a great honor. And so to have this time where you all think you're listening to a podcast, but it's really me just saying yes to this so that I could have a moment with Mark Cole to have him pour into me and you get to all listen. So I love this lesson. And I think that it is, I think it's a privilege that we all get to hear you break down what, what it is to hear from the master of people, John Maxwell, and to hear from you who has spent more time, arguably, than anyone else. Well, maybe Margaret Maxwell, on the planet with John and seeing up close and personal, how he leans into growth with personal relationships and with people and how he has pursued great people and relationships. And so I would just love to kick off this and talk about why is it that what causes people to really lean into growth, specifically in the area of relationships?

A (17:08)

Yeah, and I love the question, Traci, because it really is about growth. We're at the beginning of the year again. We bantered a little bit in the beginning of our show about it being 42 days into the year. I hope you guys have not lost your passion and your excitement about growing. It's funny. I watch our podcast downloads, the number of downloads that we have. I watch it because every one of you matter to me. And it's funny, just like the gym memberships about February that starts dipping. And so those of you that are here that just started this year with, I'm going to listen to a podcast that's going to challenge me and make me better, and you're still here. Way to go. You made it through January. This idea of growth and really seeing people as the opportunity to grow is very important to me. John talks today. We're talking about three things that he challenges us to do with to surround ourself with great people. I want to start, though, for me and tell you a mindset, a preparation that has to happen when you surround yourself with great people. Again, not to name drop, and I won't use any names, but the number of people of world renown that John Maxwell and I have been able to connect with over the last 10 years is mind blowing for me. Little kid from south of Atlanta, just not a whole lot of notoriety. And then to be able to have the pedigree of introductions and relationships that I've been able to have is staggering. But here's what I found to really apply these three principles this week. Next week, John's going to give you some more. There's three things I want to get you in the mindset of doing before you meet with the great people and one is to be prepared. What do you hope to get out of this meeting? A picture? Please don't say that. A moment to shake a hand? Please don't say that either. Every time you have the opportunity to get connected with people of greatness, be prepared. Secondly, always bring value. And thirdly, always take something away to apply every time you say, oh, Mark, it's just a football player that I used to watch. Still be prepared, still try to bring value, and still walk away with something. And here's why, Traci, it comes back to this. It really is all about growth. I believe that life is the sum of the decisions you've made to grow, the places you've gone to grow, and the people that you allow to speak into your growth. I believe that's the sum of your life. And if I could challenge all of you today, if I've watched anything, if I've watched John Maxwell do anything with consistency, it is to take advantage of the people that he's introduced to the greatness around him. And my challenge to you, my challenge to us, my challenge to you and I, Traci, is the exposure that we have to great people comes with a price tag. What are we going to do to better ourselves? To your point, to your question, how are we going to make sure we grow because of the introductions and the relationships of the people around us?

B (20:42)

Well, you talk about all of the people who. The great greatness that you and John have access to, including world leaders, including top CEOs of, you know, Fortune 500 companies and companies around the world, actually. How do you. How are you continuing to have access to these global leaders? Last count, it was like 21 or 22 heads of countries that were asking for, you know, a meeting with you and John. Someone even just reached out to me from saying that they had a connection with a head of a country. I won't mention the name of the country, saying, hey, Tracy, I don't know if you're the right person to connect me, but I would like to connect this head of this country with Mark and John. And I'm like, how is this coming to my phone? So that's one way that you're getting connected. But how is it that you and John are getting access to all of these heads of countries and having access to all these great people?

A (21:38)

Traci, you really honestly did touch on it. It is because of people like you. It's because of who you know that I should know. It's because of a Lifetime of adding value and doing things that increase the value of people. And when that becomes your reputation, that you have something to give that will make people better, people want to meet you. And the longer you do that, the more people that want to meet you and the better you do that, the greater the people are, the more accomplished the people are that wants to meet you. And so I've got to tell you, those of us that are just starting out our leadership journey, consistency compounds the way that we around here are meeting with these presidents, these prime ministers that Traci was just talking about is because of 50 years of continually adding value through servant based leadership that John Maxwell has done. That's 25 years I wasn't even around. I get to reap the benefit of somebody else's consistency. It's a leadership point. You want to help people that work alongside of you, that work for you, your kids get better. Be consistent today. Add value today and you'll take people on the journey with you. The second thing that I would tell you, Traci, as it relates to meeting with these people and John's going to get. John gets into that both in the lesson today and in the lesson next week, you got to travel, you got to go to where those people are. You got to put yourself in the place of where those people are. And you've got to do what great people do. Therefore, I will tell you, John and I just had this conversation. Oh, man. Over the holidays. So I guess about a month, month and a half ago, John and I just had this conversation that said, Mark, can you believe the number of people we were getting ready to go out and spend some time with? I think it's like six billionaires. And everybody else was really close. And he said, can you believe that? And I went, yes. And no, I can't believe it because I'm humbled by it. And I never want to take it for granted. But yes, I can believe it because we have positioned ourself to have something of value for people that have experienced a lot of success, but they want to know what significance is. And John, we've positioned ourselves. So what am I saying? It's not luck, guys. We are lucky. We are fortunate. We're blessed. Blessed. All that. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Only God. Only God. Yes, yes, yes. Let me tell you something. There has been a lot of preparation. There has been a lot of focus by John and then now our team to make sure that we're ready when we have audiences with kings, audiences with presidents, audiences with great business Leaders.

B (24:28)

Yeah. Being willing to go and put yourself in positions. And he talked a little bit about that. I can say. I can remember the first time I put myself in an uncomfortable position. You know, John will say, if you're the biggest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. And I can remember the first exchange that I went to, it was in. It was being held in the Virgin Islands. And John talks about an exchange that he went to, and it impacted him so much that he created his own exchanges. And for years I have attended that. And the first one that I went to, I just remember almost I should have checked myself if I had broken out into actual hives. But I felt like I was breaking out into hives to walk into that room because I knew I was about the smallest person. And I don't mean just short, because I am a short person, but the smallest person as a business person in that room. But I knew that if I wanted to grow to the next level, I needed to go into a room where there were what John called the big boys. But it was the big men and women in business and ministry and globally that I wanted to be in that room. And it's having the courage to walk into that room and believe more in the bigger vision. And I think he even said. Said that if you. If you. You need to act on the vision that I have so that I. I can obtain the vision that I need, I go into that room in order to put myself into bigger rooms and to grow into the next, bigger version of myself. And so we talked a little bit about meeting with all of the world leaders that you're, you know, meeting with. But the flip side of that question I would have for you is even in the position that you're in today, John talked about the places where he went to exchange. Where do you put yourself as the little guy today? Where. Where you put. Mix yourself in among big leaders, even today.

A (26:18)

Yeah. Thank you for that question. Let me, Let. Let me answer that question by highlighting something you said a while ago that was just brilliant. So you decided, I want to be close to people that I consider great, not because of their accomplishments or their stature, but because they're accomplishing something that you can put into your life and into your success trajectory or your significant trajectory. And so what did you do? You positioned yourself where they are, where do they go? And here's how. Ask yourself the question. The people that you look up to that are mentors of you, people that you want to emulate, how do they travel? Travel the same way, where do they travel? Go to the same places. Where are they hanging out? What are they doing? We'll talk about do in just a minute. Make sure you become a student of the person, not their accomplishments. Their accomplishments is going to be their accomplishments. Your accomplishments are going to be your accomplishments. But become a student of where they go, how they travel, why they travel, and what they do when they travel to those places and to their best, to the place of their accomplishment. Now back to your question. So what am I doing in 2026? This year I'm trying to answer the question of how to lead as a director, as a directional leader, not a directive leader. I've been a directive leader for many times. I tell people what to do, expect them to do it. I now am in a place to where I'm trying to develop my directional abilities as a leader, not my directive abilities as a leader. What that means is as I set the direction, I cast the vision of what where we're going. But I don't spend as much time telling people how to get there or even holding them accountable to how they are getting there. I just hold them accountable. Are they headed in that direct, right direction, and will we get to the set course or the set destination that we're going after? To do that, I've had to talk to some leaders that have came up through the ranks of an organization as a directive leader and then became the CEO, the directional leader. So this year, I'm surrounding myself with three greats. I could give you their names and every one of you would know every one of these leaders. They're in our ecosphere. They're friends with John, and they tolerate me. And I'm just teasing. I've become friends with them. But I've asked them, I need you to spend time with me this year, if you will. And I'm going to ask you a series of 10 questions about directional leadership. You know who I had craft help Me craft those 10 questions? John Maxwell. He's a mentor of mine. I have access to John, and if I didn't ask him to better my questions, it would have been a stewardship issue of being in proximity with somebody like John, but not allowing him to make me better. How many of us, we look for the moments to get around greatness. Traci, you came to exchange. I remember that first exchange. And somebody came up to John and I and said, john, Mark, you need to spend time with Traci Morrow. She's building an incredible business. She has done some incredible, remarkable things. That's went global with some media and she has a way to look at leadership that we don't currently understand. I remember that conversation very, very vividly. We spent time with you. It became an incredible relationship. Now you stand on stages with John all over the world. Now every month you're on a call with John, working beside him, teaching leadership. Now you're on the Maxwell Leadership Podcast. Why? You found out where your leader. You found out where the model was that you wanted to emulate and you invested in yourself to get into that room. Leaders, I don't just give you ideas throughout this year of events to come to. I give you invitation to come into proximity with people that can shape your life because they're only going to shape your life the closer you get to them. Surround yourself. Immerse yourself in environments where great people are.

B (30:38)

I appreciate you saying those nice things. I didn't know that someone came up to you and said that. That's thank you to whoever is out there who said such a thing about me. But what I want to highlight is when I showed up to that event, I didn't show up thinking, I hope they notice me. I hope they notice me. What I showed up with, I think the attitude and I think needs to be highlighted is, and I think John will touch on it in our next.