John C. Maxwell

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "John C. Maxwell" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article includes inline citations, but they are not properly formatted. Please improve this article by correcting them. (August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

John C. Maxwell
Maxwell in 2018
Born	John Calvin Maxwell[citation needed] (1947-02-20) February 20, 1947 (age 78)[citation needed] Garden City, Michigan[citation needed]
Occupation	Author, pastor, professional speaker[citation needed]
Period	1979–present[citation needed]
Subject	Leadership
Literary movement	Personal Development
Website
johnmaxwell.com

John C. Maxwell (born February 20, 1947^{[citation needed]}) is an American author, speaker, and pastor who has written books primarily focused on leadership. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Some of his books have been on the New York Times Best Seller list.^{[1][2][verification needed][better source needed]}

This section about a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "John C. Maxwell" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

John Calvin Maxwell was born in Garden City, Michigan, in 1947.^{[citation needed][3]} His father was in ministry.^{[citation needed]} Maxwell completed a bachelor's degree at Circleville Bible College in 1969,^{[citation needed]} a Master of Divinity degree at Azusa Pacific University,^{[citation needed]} and a Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary.^{[citation needed]}

This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This section needs expansion with: a standard chronological development, derived from published independent news and scholarly sources, of the positions Maxwell has held throughout his career, with further introduction of the career elements of his speaking and writing. You can help by adding to it. (August 2025) This section about a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "John C. Maxwell" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

An evangelical Christian, Maxwell followed his father into ministry.^{[citation needed]} He is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church.^{[citation needed]}

Since the 1970s, Maxwell has led churches in Indiana, Ohio, California, and Florida.^{[4][verification needed]}

Indiana Wesleyan University

He was the senior pastor of Skyline Church for 14 years, leaving in 1995.^{[citation needed]} In 2004, he returned to congregational ministry at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he is currently a teaching pastor.^{[citation needed]} On November 16, 2008, he began working as a guest pastor at Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California.^{[citation needed]}

Maxwell returned to preach at the Crystal Cathedral several times and his messages were shown on the Hour of Power television program.^{[citation needed]}

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The following are some of the published works by the title subject:^{[according to whom?][original research?]}

• There's No Such Thing as Business Ethics (There's Only ONE RULE for Making Decisions), Warner Business Books 2003
• The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, Center Street – 2012
• The 5 Levels of Leadership, Center Street – 2011
• Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently, Thomas Nelson –2010
• Put Your Dream to the Test, Thomas Nelson – March 2009
• Leadership Gold: Lessons I've Learned from a Lifetime of Leading, Thomas Nelson – March 2008
• The 360° Leader, Thomas Nelson, January 2006 – One of Executive Book Summaries 30 Best Business Books in 2003
• Winning With People, Thomas Nelson, December 2004 – One of Executive Book Summaries 30 Best Business Books in 2005
• 25 Ways to win with People companion to Winning with People
• Today Matters, Warner Books, April 2004
• Thinking For a Change, Warner Business Books, March 2003
• Your Road Map for Success, Thomas Nelson, March 2002 (Orig. titled: The Success Journey, Thomas Nelson, 1997)
• The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, Thomas Nelson, August 2001
• Failing Forward: Turning Your Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success, Thomas Nelson, 2000
• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Thomas Nelson, 1998
• Developing the Leaders Around You, Thomas Nelson, 1995 (Repackaged 2003)
• SUCCESS One Day at a Time, Thomas Nelson, 2000 (Repackaged 2007)
• Developing the Leader Within You, Thomas Nelson, 1993 (Repackaged 2001)
• Be a People Person, Cook Communications (Originally Chariot-Victor Books, 1989)
• Be All You Can Be, Cook Communications (Originally Chariot-Victor Books, 1987)
• Make Today Count, Center Street, First Center Street Edition: June 2008
• How Successful People Think (originally published as Thinking for a Change), Center Street, First Center Street Edition: June 2009
• Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters, Center Street, 2015
• Developing the Leader Within You 2.0, HarperCollins, 2018

In March 2022, Maxwell visited the pro-life "Conference for Life and Family" organized by Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei, accused of corruption and authoritarian policies.^[5] During his visit, Maxwell praised Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras,^{[citation needed]} who had been criticized for her persecution of anti-corruption officials and named by the U.S. State Department on a list of corrupt and anti-democratic actors in the region.^{[6][dead link][non-primary source needed]} Maxwell called Porras "a rockstar" and "a leader amongst leaders".^[7]

As of this date,^[when?]Maxwell resides in South Florida,^[where?] with his wife, Margaret.^{[citation needed]}

On March 12, 2009, Maxwell was arrested at Palm Beach International Airport for trying to board a plane with a concealed weapon. According to the report, the TSA screener noticed a handgun displayed inside Maxwell's briefcase. Maxwell told TSA officials that the gun was recently given to him as a gift and that he had simply forgotten to take it out of the briefcase. He was charged with possession of a concealed weapon while attempting to board an airplane and was released from jail on bond, while awaiting trial. Maxwell addressed the incident on his personal website, calling it "one of the stupidest things" he has ever done.^{[8][dead link][9][dead link][needs update]}

• JohnMaxwell.com