Maxwell Leadership Podcast
Episode: Preparing is Caring
Host: John Maxwell, with Mark Cole and Chris
Date: April 8, 2026

Overview

This episode of the Maxwell Leadership Podcast dives into the concept that "preparing is caring," exploring how a leader’s preparation is a powerful demonstration of care for their team and audience. John Maxwell and his team discuss the traps of relying on talent alone, the difference between external validation and internal standards, and practical ways leaders can prepare with greater intentionality to foster transformational leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Link Between Preparation and Care

• Opening Challenge
  • Mark Cole sets the tone by asking listeners to consider:
    “How much do you care for the people you lead... and how much do you prepare yourself to lead them? Would that answer be equal?” (00:12)
• Main Idea: The effort you put into preparation is a direct reflection of how much you care about those you lead.

2. The Danger of “Winging It”

• John Maxwell’s Early Lesson
  • John recounts a formative experience as a young pastor where “winging it” with minimal sermon prep was tempting and readily accepted by his congregation.
  • Key insight:
    “If you’re gifted… you can wing it and get by. And the worst thing that can ever happen... is to wing it and get by with it… But if you work at it, you can get into the top 2%.” (04:54)
• Decision Point:
  • John made a lifelong commitment in his early twenties to always prepare diligently, shifting from a “wing it communicator” to a “workforce communicator.” (06:00)
• Discipline:
  • For 25 years, John wrote out all his sermons to develop discipline and skill—the visible result (“amazing phrasing”) is actually the fruit of hard work, not natural talent. (07:05)

3. The “Best Message” vs. the “Big Message”

• Definitions:

  • Best Message: What you prepare for a specific audience or occasion.
  • Big Message: The core of who you are as a communicator; the DNA that infuses all your content.

• The Four Fundamental Questions:
  John encourages all communicators to clarify their “big message” by asking:

  1. What do I want the audience to see?
  2. What do I want the audience to know?
  3. What do I want the audience to feel?
  4. What do I want the audience to do? (09:00)

• John Maxwell’s Example:

  • See: Your possibilities (“I'm a possibility communicator.”)
  • Know: You’re valued (“I value you as a person.”)
  • Feel: Empowered (“I want you to leave thinking, ‘I can do this!’”)
  • Do: Apply and multiply the teaching (“I add value to leaders who multiply value to others.”) (09:35)

4. Preparation in Everyday Leadership

• Personal Experiences:
  • Chris shares a story from Cambodia where he underprepared for a high-profile talk, realizing only afterward that he’d failed to go beyond a “Saturday night special”—emphasizing that others may not notice, but you and your inner circle always know when you fall short of your potential. (13:10 - 14:50)
• Repairing vs. Preparing:
  • Mark explains how a lack of preparation in a key meeting resulted in him spending more time repairing mistakes afterward than if he'd simply prepared in advance.
    “My hour meeting became two hours, and an hour and forty-five was repairing for the fact I did not prepare.” (15:06 - 16:45)

5. Setting Internal vs. External Standards

• Discussion:
  • The hosts explore the trap of chasing external applause instead of holding oneself to a higher internal standard.
  • Mark describes growing up in a high-expectation environment, learning to self-critique but struggling to enjoy success due to relentless self-improvement.
  • “I’m a lot more positive with the people that I lead than how I lead myself.” (20:49)
• Balance in Self-Critique:
  • Mark shares how he intentionally asked team members to focus on encouragement when feedback became overwhelmingly critical, to balance his inner negativity.
    “I said, I’m now putting in your job description: give me affirmation.” (23:40)
  • Chris, by contrast, seeks out critical feedback and swats away encouragement—highlighting the need for leaders to know themselves and seek the right kind of feedback for growth. (24:16)

6. Making Preparation Practical: Applying the Four Questions

• Meeting Preparation:
  • The four questions John presented aren't just for public speaking—they’re applicable to any leadership interaction, from team meetings to one-on-ones.
• Example:
  • Chris suggests before any meeting, ask: “What do I want my co-workers to know, see, feel, and do?” to increase intentionality and impact. (26:50)
• Continued Discipline:
  • Even after 13,000+ talks, John Maxwell still runs through his preparation checklist before engaging with an audience. (27:53)
• External Examples:
  • Mark notes Andy Stanley’s practice of preparing every message with different audience perspectives in mind—a habit that fine-tunes delivery by considering others’ mindsets and needs.

7. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• John Maxwell:
  “You cannot deliver what you have not developed.” (02:40)
• Mark Cole:
  “We’re either repairing or preparing—in meetings, in communication.” (16:45)
• Chris:
  “A little bit of preparation for every single meeting really goes a long way.” (17:48)
• John Maxwell:
  “The worst thing in life is to wing it and get by.” (05:10)
• Mark Cole:
  “How much do you care for your team? ... There’s a direct correlation to your preparing.” (30:38)

Notable Timestamps

• Opening & Theme Intro: (00:08 - 01:44)
• John’s Story: Gift vs. Discipline: (02:40 - 09:00)
• Best Message vs. Big Message: (09:00 - 11:01)
• Chris’s Cambodia Story: (13:10 - 14:50)
• Mark’s Example: Repairing Lack of Preparation: (15:06 - 16:45)
• Self-Critique & The Trap of External Validation: (18:16 - 24:37)
• Practical Application: Meetings & Four Questions: (26:50 - 27:53)
• Final Challenge & Wrap-Up: (29:49 - 32:34)

Actionable Takeaways

• Preparation is a direct measure of care for your team/audience; “winging it” is a disservice to both them and yourself.
• Identify your “big message” as a leader by clarifying what you want people to see, know, feel, and do because of your influence.
• Apply the four questions to every leadership interaction—not just big presentations—to increase your daily impact.
• Balance your self-critique: seek constructive feedback but ensure you also acknowledge and celebrate your wins.
• Self-awareness in your feedback needs is crucial—adjust your environment to get the right mix of encouragement and challenge.
• Disciplined preparation, not natural talent, creates lasting influence and credibility as a leader.

Final Message

Great leaders prepare because they care. Every meeting, conversation, and presentation is an opportunity to show respect, empower others, and add value. By building preparation into your routine—and by seeking out both critique and encouragement—you build the credibility and influence needed to lead others to positive change.

As John Maxwell says:
“I add value to leaders who multiply value to others.” (09:45)

For further resources or to join the Maxwell Leadership community, visit maxwellpodcast.com/prepare.