11 Keys to Excellence
by John Maxwell
– Excellence is not an event, it’s a process, it’s a discipline.
– The Message that you will be asked to give in 20 years is being prepared right now… most people do not understand this truth.
– Most people wait until the last minute to prepare a message or give a speech — prepare now.
– Excel things to go beyond average.
1. Value Excellence • Do not compare to how others are doing, know what you are capable of doing.
• Are you cheating other people?
• People recognize good strong effort wherever you are and whatever you do.
• When we try to take shortcuts on people, we end up short cutting and cheating ourselves.
• Do your very best by putting all of your effort into it. 2. Never settle for Average.
• A race horse that can run one-second faster than other horses is worth a lot more than every other horse.
• Mediocre literally means halfway up a stony mountain.
• People that strive for excellence instead of melancholy are above average.
3. Pay attention to Details
• A small leak will sink a great ship.
4. Developed a Deep Commitment to Excellence
• Your goal is not to be better than anyone else, just be the best you can be and you will become better than others.
• We many times are tempted to have a just-get-by attitude.
5. Possess Ethics and integrity
• You can never replace honesty and integrity.
6. Show Genuine Respect for Others
• Excellence becomes a lifestyle when we learn to show respect to and for others.
• You cannot respect another you secretly think is a nobody.
7. Go the 2nd Mile
• If you do little jobs well, the big ones tend to take care of themselves.
• Rebecca, in the Bible, stood out because she did not just offer water to Abrahams servant, she offered water to both him as well as to his camels.
• We often ask what we are going to get out of something instead of stating what we are going to give towards something.
8. Demonstrate Consistency
9. Never Stop Improving
10. Always Give 100%
11. Make Excellence a Lifestyle