HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE THINK – JOHN C. MAXWELL

John C. Maxwell, a renowned author and leadership expert, delves into the minds of successful individuals to uncover what sets them apart. In “How Successful People Think,” Maxwell emphasizes the power of thinking and how it shapes our lives and careers. This book aims to provide practical and actionable insights into the thinking habits that drive success.

Maxwell said the importance of cultivating effective thinking patterns. He asserts that successful people are not necessarily more talented or fortunate than others; rather, they have developed superior thinking skills that enable them to make better decisions, solve problems efficiently, and capitalize on opportunities.

Maxwell provides practical advice, real-world examples, and thought-provoking exercises to help readers develop these types of thinking. He encourages readers to be intentional about their thought processes and to refine their thinking habits continuously.

“How Successful People Think” serves as a guide for anyone looking to improve their cognitive strategies and achieve greater success in their personal and professional lives. Maxwell’s insights offer a roadmap to thinking like a successful person and unlocking one’s full potential.

I. CULTIVATE BIG-PICTURE THINKING

Big-picture thinking helps everyone in any profession by encouraging a broader perspective and long-term vision. Jack Welch emphasized that customer relationships are more crucial than individual sales, and Donald Trump highlighted the importance of thinking big. This mindset brings maturity and perspective, enabling individuals to see and achieve more.

Key traits of big-picture thinkers include:

1. Continuous Learning: They constantly seek new knowledge and experiences.
2. Intentional Listening: They actively listen to experts to gain insights and learn new things.
3. Expansive Viewing: They strive to see the world beyond their immediate concerns and understand others’ perspectives.
4. Living Fully: They value the quality of life over mere longevity and aim to live fulfilling lives.

Benefits of big-picture thinking:

• Enhances Leadership: Leaders need to see and convey the vision, assess situations comprehensively, and seize the right opportunities.
• Keeps Focused: It helps align daily activities with long-term goals.
• Improves Relationships: Understanding others’ perspectives enhances human interactions.
• Promotes Teamwork: Knowing the whole picture helps team members work better together.
• Avoids Mundanity: It keeps people from getting bogged down by everyday tasks.
• Enables Exploration: It allows for breaking new ground and exploring uncharted territories.

To develop big-picture thinking:

• Embrace Ambiguity: Be comfortable with uncertainty and complexity.
• Learn from Experiences: Seek knowledge from both successes and failures.
• Seek Diverse Insights: Learn from a variety of people with different experiences.
• Expand Your World: Break away from the status quo and explore new possibilities.

Overall, big-picture thinking is about continually learning, listening, and expanding one’s perspective to lead a more fulfilling and successful life.

II. ENGAGE IN FOCUSED THINKING

Bertrand Russell emphasized that concentration is key to achieving difficult goals. Focused thinking helps remove distractions, providing clarity and power to tackle challenges.

Benefits of Focused Thinking:

• Harnesses Energy: Directing energy toward a specific goal, like improving a skill or solving a problem, requires focused thinking.
• Develops Ideas: Focus allows ideas to mature and improve, turning good ideas into great ones through perseverance.
• Brings Clarity: Having clear goals, like in golf, helps maintain focus and drive toward achievement.
• Elevates Performance: Greatness requires specializing and dedicating attention to developing specific skills.

Where to Focus Your Thinking:

• Prioritize areas that align with your strengths, provide high returns, and offer exceptional opportunities.
• Discover your gifts through self-awareness, feedback from others, and reflecting on past successes.
• Develop your dream by repeatedly focusing on areas of interest to uncover and pursue your passion.

Maintaining Focus:

• Remove Distractions: Prioritize tasks that offer the highest return and create a distraction-free environment.
• Make Time: Dedicate specific times for focused thinking, and avoiding multitasking to improve efficiency.
• Keep Focus Items Visible: Regularly review and revisit important items to maintain focus.
• Set Clear Goals: Define and write down goals to direct your attention and measure progress.
• Assess Progress: Regularly evaluate whether your focused thinking is bringing you closer to your goals.

Embracing Sacrifices:

• To excel in a few things, you must give up trying to do everything and everywhere.
• Choose a strong inner circle and delegate tasks effectively to maintain focus on what truly matters.
• Accept that you can’t be well-rounded; focus on areas that give the highest return and rely on others to fill gaps.

By dedicating your thinking to specific areas, prioritizing important tasks, and regularly assessing your progress, you can harness the power of focused thinking to achieve great things.

III. HARNESS CREATIVE THINKING

Creativity is a crucial asset in any job, according to Annette Moser-Wellman, author of The Five Faces of Genius. She believes that your creativity is more valuable than your title or output. Many people think creativity is about originality, but it often involves combining existing ideas. Even renowned artists built upon the work of their predecessors.

Characteristics of Creative Thinkers:

1. Value Ideas: Creative people generate many ideas and value them highly.
2. Explore Options: They love exploring various possibilities to stimulate their imagination.
3. Embrace Ambiguity: They are comfortable with uncertainty and enjoy exploring gaps.
4. Celebrate the Offbeat: Creativity often involves thinking outside the norm.
5. Connect the Unconnected: They make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas.
6. Don’t Fear Failure: They are not afraid to fail and understand that creativity involves risks.

Benefits of Creative Thinking:

1. Adds Value: Creativity helps you see things differently, adding value through new solutions.
2. Compounds Over Time: The more you use creativity, the more it grows.
3. Attracts Others: Creativity draws people to you and your ideas.
4. Enhances Learning: Creative thinking leads to continuous learning and finding new solutions.
5. Challenges the Status Quo: Creativity helps you improve your situation by challenging existing norms.

How to Cultivate Creativity:

1. Remove Creativity Killers: Avoid negative attitudes that stifle creativity.
2. Ask the Right Questions: Stimulate creativity by asking challenging and thought-provoking questions.
3. Create a Creative Environment: Encourage and reward creativity, trust team members, and promote dreams.
4. Spend Time with Creative People: Surround yourself with creative individuals to inspire and energize you.
5. Get Out of Your Box: Break out of self-imposed limitations by exploring new places and subjects.

Creativity can be nurtured in the right environment, even if it doesn’t come naturally at first.

IV. EMPLOY REALISTIC THINKING

Realistic thinking bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real-world challenges. Initially resistant to it, the author eventually realized its value for problem-solving and learning from mistakes. Here’s why realistic thinking is crucial:

1. Minimizes Risk: By anticipating consequences, you can plan for the worst-case scenarios and reduce potential risks.
2. Provides Direction: Realistic thinking helps in setting clear targets and developing actionable plans, improving efficiency and decision-making.
3. Catalyzes Change: Recognizing reality prompts necessary changes, leading to growth and improvement.
4. Offers Security: Planning for the worst builds confidence and reduces the likelihood of unpleasant surprises.
5. Builds Credibility: Leaders who think realistically gain trust as they effectively navigate challenges.
6. Creates a Solid Foundation: Realistic thinking grounds ideas in practicality, making them achievable.
7. Supports in Tough Times: It provides a fallback plan during difficulties, ensuring stability.
8. Helps Achieve Dreams: By understanding and addressing the challenges, realistic thinking paves the way for realizing goals.

Steps to Enhance Realistic Thinking

1. Value Truth: Embrace and face the truth, no matter how uncomfortable.
2. Do Your Homework: Gather accurate information and learn from others’ experiences.
3. Evaluate Pros and Cons: Thoroughly consider all aspects of a situation.
4. Consider Worst-Case Scenarios: Prepare for the worst to handle it effectively if it happens.
5. Align Resources with Goals: Ensure your resources are sufficient to meet your objectives.

To become a realistic thinker, one must appreciate truth, gather facts, evaluate pros and cons, consider worst-case scenarios, and align resources with goals.

V. UTILIZE STRATEGIC THINKING

When you think of “strategic thinking,” you might imagine business plans, marketing strategies, or historic military campaigns. However, strategic thinking isn’t limited to these areas; it can positively impact any part of life.

Plan Your Life, Live Your Plan

Most people plan their lives daily or weekly, but longer-term planning can be even more effective. By planning monthly, setting objectives, and allocating time for both work and fun, you can accomplish more and stay ahead.

Why Embrace Strategic Thinking?

1. Simplifies Complexity: Strategic thinking breaks down complex issues into manageable parts, making tasks easier to handle.
2. Prompts the Right Questions: It encourages asking important questions about direction, organization, finances, and progress.
3. Encourages Customization: Effective strategies are tailored to specific problems, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.
4. Prepares for the Future: It bridges the present and future, enhancing success potential.
5. Reduces Errors: Proper planning aligns actions with goals, reducing mistakes.
6. Builds Influence: Having a clear plan garners respect and followers in any field.

How to Develop Strategic Thinking

1. Break Down Issues: Divide problems into smaller parts to focus more effectively.
2. Ask Why Before How: Understand the reasons behind actions to open up possibilities.
3. Identify Real Issues and Objectives: Clearly define problems to find appropriate solutions.
4. Review Resources: Know what time, money, and assets are available.
5. Develop a Plan: Start with obvious elements to build momentum and creativity.
6. Place the Right People: Ensure team members are well-suited for their roles.
7. Repeat the Process: Continuously apply strategic thinking to major issues.

Maxwell House Coffee has successfully used strategic thinking for over 70 years by producing Kosher-certified coffee and distributing Haggada booklets during Passover, boosting sales and maintaining tradition. This demonstrates the power of strategic thinking in achieving long-term success.

VI. EXPLORE POSSIBILITY THINKING

Possibility thinking is the mindset that allows people to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks by believing in solutions. Here’s why you should embrace it:

1. Increases Your Possibilities: Believing in difficult tasks opens many doors. For example, George Lucas’ success with Star Wars led to new opportunities and revenue streams.
2. Draws Opportunities and People: Thinking big attracts big opportunities and people. To achieve big things, you need to think big.
3. Increases Others’ Possibilities: Big thinkers inspire others to think big too, creating a ripple effect of possibility.
4. Allows You to Dream Big Dreams: Embracing possibility thinking helps you dream bigger and achieve more.
5. Makes It Possible to Rise Above Average: Thinking something is possible allows you to achieve extraordinary results, as seen when less-experienced engineers solve a complex problem by believing it could be done.
6. Gives You Energy: Believing in your success energizes you. People invest time and effort in what they believe can succeed.
7. Keeps You from Giving Up: Possibility thinkers persist because they believe they can succeed, which is key to overcoming challenges.

Tips to Cultivate Possibility Thinking

1. Stop Focusing on Impossibilities: Avoid dwelling on what’s wrong and look for what’s right in any situation.
2. Stay Away from Negative “Experts”: Be cautious of experts who dismiss ideas as impossible. Believe in your own potential.
3. Look for Possibilities in Every Situation: Always search for positive possibilities, even in negative circumstances.
4. Dream One Size Bigger: Push yourself to dream bigger than you normally do, which encourages growth.
5. Question the Status Quo: Growth requires change, so don’t settle for the current state of things.
6. Find Inspiration from Great Achievers: Study and learn from successful people who embody possibility thinking.

Possibility thinking may not be popular, but it’s essential for success. If you believe you can do something, you are much more likely to achieve it.

VII. LEARN FROM REFLECTIVE THINKING

Reflective thinking is a rare but powerful practice in today’s fast-paced world. It’s about letting ideas simmer like a slow cooker, allowing deeper insights to emerge over time. While I’m naturally energetic and action-oriented, I’ve learned the immense value of reflection. It’s not just about learning from successes and mistakes but gaining true perspective. Reflecting on past experiences helps me appreciate them more deeply and make better decisions in the future.

1. True Perspective: Reflecting allows you to see experiences in context. It helps you evaluate timing and gain a new appreciation for things that might have gone unnoticed. It’s like helping children appreciate vacations by asking them what they liked and learned, guiding them to value experiences.
2. Emotional Integrity: It’s hard to have perspective in emotional moments. Reflective thinking lets you step back from intense emotions, see experiences with fresh eyes, and mature emotionally. This helps avoid carrying unnecessary emotional baggage.
3. Confident Decision-making: Reflecting on past decisions builds confidence. It streamlines future decision-making by providing mental road markers from previous experiences, enhancing intuition over time.
4. Clarifying the Big Picture: By reflecting, you can put ideas and experiences into a clearer context. It helps understand past events, their causes, and your responsibilities, guiding better future choices.
5. Turning Experience into Insight: Experience alone doesn’t add value; it’s the insights gained from reflection that make it valuable. Reflective thinking transforms experiences into wisdom, helping you learn and grow continuously.

To embrace reflective thinking:

• Set Aside Time: Make reflection a deliberate practice, despite its discomfort initially.
• Remove Distractions: Solitude is essential for effective reflection; eliminate distractions.
• Review Calendars/Journals: Use these tools not just for planning but also to reflect on your journey and progress.
• Ask the Right Questions: Frame reflective sessions around meaningful questions to mine deeper insights.
• Take Action: Act on insights gained from reflection to drive personal growth and change.

Ultimately, reflective thinking gives perspective, connects you with your journey, and provides guidance for the future. It’s a crucial tool for personal development that few things in life can match.

VIII. QUESTION POPULAR THINKING

John Maynard Keynes emphasized that breaking away from old ideas is often more challenging than generating new ones. This applies across different aspects of life, from business and religion to parenting and personal style. The book argues against blindly following popular trends, which can hinder deeper thinking and personal growth.

Challenges with Popular Thinking:

1. Lack of Critical Thought: Popular ideas often don’t require deep thinking; they’re accepted because they’re easy. This can be seen in stock market trends and other areas where people follow without question.
2. False Assurance: Following popular opinions can provide a false sense of security. History shows that many once-popular beliefs, like the Earth being the center of the universe, were proven wrong over time.
3. Resistance to Change: Popular thinking tends to resist change and innovation, favoring the status quo. This limits progress and prevents exploring better alternatives.
4. Mediocre Results: Popular ideas often lead to average outcomes because they don’t challenge conventional norms or strive for excellence.

Why Questioning Popular Thinking Matters:

• Encourages Critical Thought: Questioning popular ideas encourages deeper, more intentional thinking.
• Promotes Innovation: It opens the door to new ideas and approaches that can lead to significant improvements.
• Avoids Complacency: Challenges to popular thinking prevent complacency and encourage ongoing growth and adaptation.

How to Challenge Popular Thinking:

1. Think Independently: Instead of following the crowd, think about what truly makes sense and what aligns with your values and goals.
2. Embrace Diversity of Thought: Surround yourself with diverse perspectives to broaden your thinking and challenge conventional ideas.
3. Question Your Own Beliefs: Continually evaluate and challenge your thinking to avoid falling into patterns of complacency.
4. Try New Approaches: Innovation comes from trying new things and exploring different methods, even if they initially seem unconventional.
5. Embrace Discomfort: Rejecting popular thinking often means stepping out of your comfort zone. Embrace discomfort as a path to personal and professional growth.

By questioning popular thinking and embracing new perspectives, individuals can unlock their potential for innovation, growth, and achievement beyond what is conventionally accepted.

IX. BENEFIT FROM SHARED THINKING

Good thinkers and effective leaders recognize the immense value of shared thinking. Here’s a breakdown of why shared thinking is crucial and how to encourage it:

Benefits of Shared Thinking:

1. Speed and Efficiency: Collaborating with others accelerates learning and problem-solving. It’s like taking a shortcut to gain new skills or knowledge rather than figuring things out alone.
2. Innovation: The most groundbreaking ideas often emerge from collaboration rather than solitary reflection. Working together allows for diverse perspectives to blend, fostering creativity and innovation.
3. Maturity and Experience: Everyone has blind spots, but shared thinking allows individuals to compensate for each other’s weaknesses and build on collective experience. This diversity of experience leads to greater maturity in decision-making.
4. Strength in Unity: Just as two horses pulling together can move more weight than each could alone, shared thinking harnesses collective strength to achieve more impactful results.
5. Greater Returns: Collaborative efforts generate compounding benefits beyond what solo efforts can achieve. This not only enhances personal growth but also strengthens relationships and fosters a better working environment.
6. Essential for Great Thinking: Every great idea stems from multiple good ideas. Shared thinking ensures that ideas are refined and enhanced through collective input, leading to higher-quality outcomes.

Encouraging Shared Thinking:

1. Value Others’ Ideas: Embrace the notion that everyone’s ideas have value. This requires emotional security and respect for others’ perspectives, enabling a more open and inclusive environment for sharing thoughts.
2. Move from Competition to Cooperation: Focus on cooperation rather than competition. Encourage a culture where individuals work together to build on each other’s ideas rather than seeking personal accolades.
3. Have a Clear Agenda: When gathering for shared thinking, ensure there’s a clear purpose and expected outcome. This structure facilitates productive discussions and keeps everyone focused on achieving goals.
4. Select the Right Participants: Choose people who bring diverse expertise, maturity, and a collaborative mindset to the table. This selection process ensures that discussions are rich with insights and perspectives.
5. Recognize and Compensate Collaboration: In organizational settings, reward and recognize individuals who contribute effectively to shared thinking. This reinforces the value of collaborative efforts and encourages more participation.

By promoting shared thinking, leaders can harness the collective wisdom and creativity of their teams, leading to more innovative solutions, stronger relationships, and enhanced personal and professional growth.

X. PRACTICE UNSELFISH THINKING

Unselfish thinking is a transformative mindset that can redefine success and enrich your life in profound ways.

Benefits of Unselfish Thinking:

1. Personal Fulfillment: Helping others brings deep satisfaction and contentment. It allows you to live without regrets and fosters a sense of purpose and joy in contributing positively to others’ lives.
2. Adds Value to Others: True success, as defined by Bessie Anderson Stanley, involves leaving the world better than you found it and enriching the lives of others through your actions and contributions.
3. Encourages Other Virtues: Unselfish thinking fosters virtues like gratitude, love, respect, and patience. By focusing on the needs of others, you cultivate a more compassionate and virtuous character.
4. Increases Quality of Life: Generosity and empathy enhance your appreciation for life’s higher values. Giving to those in need not only enriches their lives but also brings perspective and fulfillment to your own.
5. Part of Something Greater: Being unselfish connects you to a greater purpose beyond personal gain. Companies like Merck exemplify this by prioritizing service to humanity over profits, thereby making a significant impact on society.
6. Creates a Legacy: Investing in others and contributing to their well-being allows you to leave a lasting legacy that continues to positively influence others even after you’re gone.

How to Cultivate Unselfish Thinking:

1. Put Others First: Shift focus from self-centered desires to the needs of others. Practice humility and consider the interests of others as important as your own.
2. Expose Yourself to Needs: Engage with situations where you can directly see and address the needs of others, whether through volunteering, donations, or professional services.
3. Give Quietly or Anonymously: Learn the true essence of giving by doing so without expecting recognition or rewards. This selfless approach to giving brings unique spiritual and emotional benefits.
4. Invest in People Intentionally: The highest form of unselfish thinking involves investing in others’ personal growth and well-being. Prioritize relationships and seek mutual benefits where everyone wins.
5. Check Your Motives: Continually evaluate your intentions to ensure they align with selflessness rather than hidden agendas or personal gain. Maintain integrity in your actions and motivations.

In essence, embracing unselfish thinking not only enhances personal fulfillment but also creates a positive ripple effect in the lives of others and contributes to a more compassionate and harmonious society. It’s about making a deliberate choice to prioritize others’ well-being and leave a meaningful legacy of service and compassion.

XI. RELY ON BOTTOM-LINE THINKING

The concept of the “bottom line” is typically associated with financial business success, but it extends beyond profits. It’s about identifying the ultimate measure of success for any organization or endeavor. If you were to gauge your family’s success, for instance, it wouldn’t solely be based on finances. Similarly, for non-profits or volunteer organizations, success isn’t measured in dollars but in the impact they make.

Frances Hesselbein’s experience with the Girl Scouts illustrates this broader perspective on the bottom line. When she took over as CEO, she redefined their mission: helping each girl reach her highest potential. This clarity enabled her to develop strategies and restructure the organization effectively. She focused on making the Girl Scouts more relevant to modern times, increasing minority participation, and expanding opportunities.

The benefits of bottom-line thinking are manifold:

1. Clarity: It provides clear benchmarks and outcomes, ensuring every action aligns with larger goals.
2. Assessment: Helps in evaluating performance against the mission or goals consistently.
3. Decision-making: Simplifies decision-making by prioritizing actions that contribute directly to the bottom line.
4. Morale: Success boosts morale and motivation within teams or organizations.
5. Long-term Success: Thinking in terms of the bottom line ensures sustainable success by maintaining focus on the ultimate objectives.

To embrace bottom-line thinking effectively:

• Identify the Real Bottom Line: Clearly define what success looks like for your organization or initiative.
• Align Strategies: Develop strategies that directly contribute to achieving the bottom line.
• Engage Teams: Ensure everyone understands and supports the bottom line, aligning their efforts accordingly.
• Consistency: Make bottom-line thinking a consistent practice, monitoring progress and adjusting strategies as needed.

In essence, bottom-line thinking isn’t just about financial gains; it’s about defining and achieving meaningful objectives that drive success and fulfillment across various sectors of life and business.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, John C. Maxwell emphasizes that success begins with thinking. He underscores the importance of adopting a mindset that is open, creative, and disciplined. Maxwell encourages readers to cultivate habits that promote effective thinking, such as seeking diverse perspectives, embracing uncertainty as an opportunity for growth, and consistently challenging one’s assumptions. By adopting these practices, individuals can not only enhance their effectiveness but also contribute more meaningfully to their teams and organizations. Ultimately, Maxwell suggests that success is not merely about what you do, but how you think about what you do—a principle that can lead to enduring achievement and fulfillment in both professional and personal spheres of life.