John C. Maxwell
Born 1947 · Age 78
American author, leadership speaker, and pastor; prolific author of leadership books and founder of multiple leadership organizations (INJOY/The John Maxwell Company, EQUIP, The John Maxwell Team).
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Life & Career Timeline
Family moved to Ohio (as an infant)
Maxwell's father left Ford to enter the pastorate; the family moved to Ohio while John was still a baby (Horatio Alger profile).
Born in Garden City, Michigan
John Calvin Maxwell was born in Garden City, Michigan, son of Melvin Maxwell (a pastor).
Worked college jobs to pay tuition
While in college worked at a hardware store, in a meat locker, and as a recruiter for his college (earned scholarship for final two years).
Graduated BA (Circleville Bible College / Ohio Christian University)
Completed bachelor's degree (Circleville Bible College, later Ohio Christian University) in 1969.
Took first pastorate in Hillham, Indiana
Accepted a small rural pastorate with an average attendance <30 and a starting salary of $80 per week.
Married Margaret Porter
Married his longtime sweetheart Margaret (listed June 14, 1969).
Grew Hillham congregation to ~300
Within about three years led the tiny Hillham church from under 30 to more than 300 in attendance.
Published first book 'Think on These Things'
First book published (Think on These Things) — began publishing career that would become prolific.
Became senior pastor of Skyline Church (San Diego)
Became senior pastor at Skyline; would serve for 14 years and grow the congregation substantially (sources indicate tenure roughly 1981–1995).
Published 'Your Attitude: Key to Success'
One of early books on attitude and success (listed 1984 bibliography).
Founded INJOY (INJOY Ministries)
Founded INJOY, a leadership development company to distribute leadership resources to pastors and leaders (Encyclopedia/Contemporary Authors lists INJOY founder 1985).
Published 'Be All You Can Be!'
Published a widely circulated leadership/self-improvement title (1987).
Earned Master of Divinity (Azusa Pacific University)
Completed a Master of Divinity degree at Azusa Pacific (encyclopedia lists 1989).
Published 'Developing the Leader Within You' and earned Doctor of Ministry (Fuller)
Published what became a signature title (Developing the Leader Within You, 1993) and completed Doctor of Ministry (D.Min./D.D. listed 1993).
Stepped down from Skyline and went full-time to speaking/writing
Left 14-year senior pastor role in 1995 to focus on writing, speaking, and leadership resources.
INJOY renamed / evolved into The John Maxwell Company (approx.)
INJOY expanded inventory and the business community market; sources state INJOY was later renamed The John Maxwell Company (renaming timeline circa mid/late 1990s–2000s).
Founded EQUIP (nonprofit with brother Larry)
Launched EQUIP, a nonprofit leadership-training organization focused on developing leaders globally (Horatio/other bios indicate mid‑1990s founding).
Near-fatal heart attack
Suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 1998 which Maxwell describes as a pivotal life event that renewed his sense of purpose.
Published 'The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership'
Released one of his most famous leadership books (1998), which became a global bestseller and cornerstone of his teaching.
Published 'The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader'
Published another widely cited leadership title (1999).
Published 'Failing Forward' and 'The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day'
Two notable publications in 2000 that reinforced his themes on learning from failure and daily leadership practices.
Published 'The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork'
Released a major book focused on teamwork and team leadership (2001).
Published 'Thinking for a Change'
Published Thinking for a Change (2003), addressing patterns of successful thinking and decision-making.
Joined Christ Fellowship (Palm Beach Gardens) as teaching pastor
Returned to congregational ministry in 2004 as a teaching pastor at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Named Amazon Hall of Fame Top 25 Author (Amazon 10th anniversary recognition)
Recognized as a Hall of Fame Top‑25 author in connection with Amazon.com's tenth anniversary recognition (source notes this honor).
Published 'Today Matters' and 'Winning with People'
Released Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow's Success (2004) and Winning with People (2004).
The John Maxwell Company and business expansion milestone (approx.)
Business continued to expand its offerings for corporate leaders; INJOY/John Maxwell Company becomes a recognized brand in leadership training (timeline overlap mid‑2000s).
Reported milestone: ~12 million books sold (circa 2008 article)
A UH article and other profiles around 2008 referenced earlier totals (the Wikipedia page cited an article claiming more than 12 million book sales).
Began guest pastor role at Crystal Cathedral (shown on Hour of Power)
Began serving as a guest pastor at the Crystal Cathedral; his messages were broadcast on the Hour of Power program.
Arrested at Palm Beach International Airport for concealed weapon
Arrested March 12, 2009 for attempting to board a plane with a concealed handgun in his briefcase; charged and released on bond; later publicly commented on the mistake.
Keynote: National Agents Alliance (public speaking engagement)
Served as a keynote speaker for National Agents Alliance in 2010 (ToolsHero notes this speaking engagement).
Published 'Everyone Communicates, Few Connect'
Released Everyone Communicates, Few Connect (2010), a book on communication and influence for leaders.
Launched The John Maxwell Team (co‑founders Paul Martinelli & Scott Fay)
Launched an international coaching certification company to train coaches in Maxwell's content; grows into a significant certified‑coaches network.
Published multiple leadership titles (2013 releases)
Published titles such as Sometimes You Win—Sometimes You Learn and others in 2013 as part of ongoing publishing output.
Published 'The Maxwell Leadership Bible' (NIV edition)
A specialized Maxwell-branded NIV leadership Bible released (ToolsHero lists 2014 edition).
Named top leadership/management expert by Inc. / American Management Association recognition
Recognized by Inc. magazine and cited by other organizations in 2014 as a top leadership/management expert; cited as influential by Business Insider and AMA in that period.
Received Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership (Luminary Leadership Network)
Awarded the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership (Luminary Leadership Network) in 2014.
Launched The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation
EQUIP expanded its mandate into transformational leadership and launched The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation to drive global leadership roundtables and transformation (Horatio Alger source).
MaxwellTeam / coaching network growth milestone (~13,000 certified coaches reported)
Various profiles cite the Maxwell ecosystem as comprising thousands of trained/certified coaches (ToolsHero reports ~13,000 coaches in the team ecosystem by mid‑late 2010s).
Published 'Developing the Leader Within You 2.0'
Released an updated version of his classic title (Developing the Leader Within You 2.0) in 2018 (HarperCollins).
EQUIP milestone: trained over 6 million leaders since 1996 (reported)
EQUIP reported having trained more than 6 million leaders in nearly every UN-recognized nation (organization milestone reported in Horatio Alger profile).
Received Horatio Alger Award (Class of 2019)
Honored as a Horatio Alger Award recipient (Class of 2019) in recognition of his life and work.
John Maxwell Team milestone: certified 21,000+ coaches in 150 countries (reported)
By ~2019 John and his coaching faculty had trained and certified more than 21,000 people in 150 countries (Horatio profile summary of team growth).
Books sales milestone: reported >31 million copies sold worldwide
Profiles (Horatio Alger and other bios) state Maxwell has produced 100+ books with more than 31 million copies sold worldwide (statement aggregated in late‑2010s profiles).
Published 'Leadershift' (Feb 2019, HarperCollins)
Released 'Leadershift: 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace' with HarperCollins in February 2019.
Ongoing role: teaching pastor / international speaker and author (ongoing)
Continues to serve as a teaching pastor (Christ Fellowship) and travels/speaks globally to Fortune 500 companies, associations, and governments; ongoing expansion of coaching and nonprofit initiatives.
Biographical recognitions & enduring influence (summary milestone)
By mid‑2020s Maxwell remains frequently cited in profiles as a top leadership expert, with decades of books, large coaching networks, and global nonprofit training impact.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what John C. Maxwell and others achieved at these notable ages:
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