Hello friends! I’ve been away from this platform for a while – between our VBS, vacation and gearing up for fall, things have kept me away but it feels great to be back! I’ve missed you!
Today, I attended Day 1 of Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended but I’ve always enjoyed it. The speakers have always been dynamic and have left me with many leadership principles that I apply today.
If you weren’t able to attend, you can read some of the things that stood out to me from today’s speakers (I will share my personal takeaways and action steps in the coming weeks):
Session One: Bill Hybels (@BillHybels) “Hard-Fought Leadership Lessons”
1. Leaders are gifted by God to see things that other people don’t.
- Your culture will only be as healthy as the senior leader wants it to be.
- People join organizations – they leave managers.
- The kindest form of management is the truth. (Jack Welch)
- Everybody wins when a leader gets better.
**3 key points of evaluation – What do you need to:
- Start – What do you need to do to move ahead?
- Stop – What isn’t working? Do you need to modify it or eliminate it altogether?
- Continue – How can you motivate and inspire your team to continue doing what’s working?
2. Great leadership, by definition, is relentlessly developmental.
**5 ways to develop new leaders:
- Put them in high-challenge roles.
- Place them on a short-term task force (allows you to “test drive” a leader before putting them in a high-capacity role)
- Provide real-time feedback
- Provide coaching and mentoring
- Encourage them to attend classroom courses and seminars
3. Find & develop leaders with a legacy mindset.
- Look for people who aren’t just interested in ladder-climbers – look for people who can stay the long-term.
- Legacy leaders leave something beautiful behind when their hourglass is empty.
- What legacy will you leave behind?
4. Endurance
- The grander the vision, the greater the price tag.
- Pursue solitude to hear God in unrushed ways.
- Humble yourself and ask for help if you need it.
Session Two (Part 1): Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) “Defining Leadership”
- Leadership is the same, no matter the context.
- What unlocks potential? Leadership. Leaders unlock the potential in others.
Leadership is NOT:
- Management – leadership is about changing the order of things.
- About position and power
- Set the framework and then set your team free.
The 20/20 rule:
- 20% of the people in most organization are change warriors.
- 20% of people are not going forward and become resistant.
- 60% are skeptics.
- Change never happens unless the 60% are moved.
Session Two (Part 2): Jeffrey Immelt “Positioning Your Organization for the Future”
Fact: General Electric (GE) invests one billion dollars each year for leadership development.
- Hold regular times for leadership development.
- Eliminate fear in the workplace. Make coming to the workplace enjoyable for your employees.
Session Three (Part 1): Susan Cain (@susancain) “Quiet: Challenging the Extrovert Ideal”
Fact: One-half to one-third of people are introverts.
- There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all environment.
Encouraging an introvert’s creativity:
- Stop the madness for constant group work.
- Forget networking. Focus on service.
- Restore quiet to your culture.
Encouraging an introvert’s leadership:
- Groom an ‘unlikely’ leader.
- Find your complement.
- Find a role model.
Session Three (Part 2): Bryan Loritts (@bcloritts) “Instigating Change through Personal Sacrifice”
- The blessings of God are not meant to be hoarded; they’re meant to be shared.
- Our vision as leaders have got to go beyond what will perish.
Session Four: Patrick Lencioni (@patricklencioni) “The Most Dangerous Mistakes Leaders Make”
**When we do these 3 things, we not only hurt our leadership – we hurt people. What do these three things have in common? PRIDE!
1. Becoming a leader for the wrong reasons – notoriety, fame, power, money, etc.
- The only payoff for leadership is eternal.
2. Failing to embrace vulnerability.
- When we do this, we destroy trust with those we lead.
- People don’t want us to be perfect – they want us to be human.
- Admit when you need help.
- Admit the challenges.
3. Making leadership too important.
- Our identity as a leader can become what we strive for.
I can’t wait to continue the learning tomorrow! Join the conversation throughout the Summit on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram using the official Summit hashtag #GLS14.
If you attended the Summit, what were your key takeaways? Share them below!