Biography

Photo of John C. Maxwell

John C. Maxwell is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, coach and speaker who has sold more than 24 million books in 50 languages. Often called the country's No. 1 leadership authority, Maxwell was identified as the most popular leadership expert in the world by Inc. magazine in 2014. And he has been voted the top leadership professional six years in a row on LeadershipGurus.net.

He is the founder of The John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell Team and EQUIP, a nonprofit organization that has trained more than 5 million leaders in 180 countries. Each year Maxwell speaks to Fortune 500 companies, presidents of nations and many of the world's top business leaders.

After growing up in Michigan, Maxwell attended Ohio Christian University and then received a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. He was a pastor for more than 30 years before devoting himself full time to speaking and writing.

Three of Maxwell's books — "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership," "Developing the Leader Within You" and "The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader" — have each sold over 1 million copies. Other notable books by Maxwell include:

  • "The 360 Degree Leader"
  • "Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn"
  • "Winning with People"
  • "How Successful People Think"
  • "The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork"
  • "Failing Forward"
  • "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect"
  • "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth"

Maxwell's leadership philosophy is: "Everything rises and falls on leadership."

According to his website, he says: "With so much hinging upon this philosophy, I've made it my life's passion to develop leaders at all levels. I believe in you and the power of your influence to create a legacy within your sphere of influence that will leave behind an army of leaders who get the importance of strong leadership."

For more information, visit Maxwellleadership.com and follow him at Twitter.com/JohnCMaxwell.