John C. Maxwell, Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones. Thomas Nelson, 2007.
Referenced in:
- Leadership Development Through Failure and Setback
- John Maxwell Library — Inspiring Leadership
- Empowering Leadership
Brief Intro to Maxwell
John Maxwell is perhaps the most widely-read author on leadership and life-effectiveness today. LifeandLeadership.com cross-lists Maxwell’s writings under different categories:
- Inspiring Leadership — Maxwell is a strong leader in his own right, and equips people to exercise leadership that brings out the best in others.
- Leadership and Life-Effectiveness — In a manner similar to many authors in the success genre, Maxwell presents his insights in terms of what it means to lead a more productive life.
Each of his volumes makes a solid contribution to literature on these subjects, but with so many titles, it is often hard to know where to start. The LifeandLeadership.com Ministry Resource Guide on the John Maxwell Leadership Library may help readers understand the unique value of each of his works, and how each relates to the others.
Observations on Failing Forward
In Maxwell’s typical motivational, no-nonsense, hard-hitting style, he provides sound principles based on real-life examples from people who have used failures to launch them into greater successes. Failure is common for leaders, and is a necessary part of life formation. Fifteen chapters describe and illustrate as many steps for failing forward, with a reflection exercise at the end chapter. The steps are:
- Realize there is one major difference between average people and achieving people.
- Learn a new definition of failure.
- Remove the “you” from failure.
- Take action and reduce your fear.
- Change your response to failure by accepting responsibility.
- Don’t let the failure from outside get inside you.
- Say good-bye to yesterday.
- Change yourself, and your world changes.
- Get over yourself and start giving yourself.
- Find the benefit in every bad experience.
- If at first you do succeed, try something harder.
- Learn from a bad experience and make it a good experience.
- Work on the weakness that weakens you.
- Understand there’s not much difference between failure and success.
- Get up, get over it, get going.
This is one of my favorite books by Maxwell. I read it during one of the lowest moments in my life, and was encouraged to keep going and come out stronger. I highly recommend it.
From the Publisher
The major difference between achieving people and average people is their perception of and response to failure. John C. Maxwell covers the top reasons people fail and shows how to master fear instead of being mastered by it. Listeners will discover that positive benefits can accompany negative experiences-if you have the right attitude. Chock full of action suggestions and real-life stories, Failing Forward will help men and women move beyond mistakes to fulfill their potential and achieve success.
About the Author
In 1985, John Maxwell founded The INJOY Group, a collection of three distinct companies that employ 200 people and provide resources and services that help people reach their personal and leadership potential. In addition to building a successful organization, John has authored more than thirty books, including the New York Times best sellers The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and Failing Forward.
Called the nation’s foremost expert on leadership, John was born in central Ohio five and a half decades ago. He credits his excellent leadership instincts and his early leadership training to his father, Melvin Maxwell, whom he followed into the ministry. For over twenty-five years, John led churches in Indiana, Ohio, and California.
In 1995, John began dedicating himself full-time to writing, speaking, and consulting. Each year he speaks live to more than 350,000 people. Known as a dynamic communicator, he is in high demand on the topic of leadership, and he speaks to many American corporations and entrepreneurial organizations. He also is a popular speaker for churches, non-profits, sports organizations, and television programs. In addition, he dedicates time each year to teaching leadership internationally.
John has earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees and has also received five honorary doctorates. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife of over thirty years and enjoys spending time with his two grown children and his grandchildren.
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