What I Learned at Global Leadership Summit 2017

One of the things I love about serving with Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies is the great value P31 places on learning and growing as leaders.  This year, I had the honor of attending the Global Leadership Summit along with the #P31OBS Executive Team.

At the end of the first day, Andy Stanley slayed it with a completely fresh message full of ideas that make me think of things in new ways. The over-riding theme for me is being open … open to new people, open to new ideas, open to new dreams. And being open in all areas of my life … as a leader, as an employee, as a wife and a mother.

What I learned at the Global Leadership Summit 2017.

He said “WOW ideas to life.  Don’t HOW them to death” and this was very interesting to me.  I’m always asking how, but not from a negative stand point that leads to a “it can’t be done” answer.  I’m asking how as in “let’s figure out how to make it happen.”  Being the empowering how person for your wow-dreaming friends and co-workers makes wow come to life.I spent much of the second day thinking about how I lead teams, both at work and in my volunteer roles.  I realized that I’ve quit dreaming new dreams.  Several speakers directly mentioned taking time on a frequent, regular basis to reflect on what I’m doing, my goals, my ideas, my dreams and my fears.One outcome for me will be to ruthlessly guard that pause in my busyness to be still, think and listen.

This is not my daily quiet time with God, although I expect that God will speak to me during this time.

It’s not my routine Bible study time, although I likely will seek counsel in God’s word.

It’s not my weekly planning time, although I’m sure I will come up with new things I want to accomplish.

This will be time of self-examination, to let my mind think the things I’m afraid to think. But not let those things paralyze me or sway me from my dreams.  It’s time to explore and capture new ideas for myself and those I serve with. Time to dig deep for courage and confidence in God’s magnificent plan for me.  I expect it to be a time that is at once empowering and humbling, comforting and overwhelming, lofty and practical. I’m excited to get started!

Here are some other thoughts that stuck with me throughout the summit:

Bill Hybels, Founder & Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church

In an era of divisiveness and disrespect, the solution has to begin with me …. how I behave and how I expect those under me to behave.  Respect Everyone Always.  Everyone made by God has intrinsic value, so people of faith don’t get to choose who they respect.

I must set the example of how to differ with others without demonizing others.

Tolerance is for cowards.  Move into the uncomfortable territory and understand each other.

God always orchestrates the circumstances for our good.  He writes a customized story for our lives and invites us into it.

Sheryl Sandbeg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook

Girls aren’t called leaders – they are called bossy.  We can’t become what we can’t see.

Hire big – people with unbelievable skills, and the people you will need in the future.

Resilience is our ability to overcome hardship.  It is a muscle.  Exercise it to grow it.

Joy is the key to post-traumatic growth.  You deserve moments of joy.

Marcus Lemonis, Star of The Profit; CEO, Camping World and Good Sam

Business and life is about creating a connection and is based on your ability to be vulnerable.

As leaders, it is our responsibility to steward our people.  It is our duty to make sure everyone is successful.

Give a fat kid who attempted suicide a chance, even if you don’t know that’s his story.

 

Fredrik Haren, Author, Business Creativity Expert

Definition of an idea:  One person takes two formerly-known things and combines them in a new way.

Creativity has never been more important than now because of the speed of innovation.

Do creative things as a leader and it will inspire others to be creative.

 

Bryan Stevenson, Founder & Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative

Get close to the people we are serving. They have to believe we are with them.

Stay hopeful.  Hopelessness is the enemy of justice and effective leadership.

It takes courage to stay hopeful in the face of daunting situations.

I do what I do because I am broken, too.  The broken teach us the power of mercy.  Only the broken know the power of redemption. In brokenness, we begin to lead.

Andy Stanley, Leadership Author, Communicator, Pastor

Doing an autopsy on your success will teach you how to avoid failure.

Somebody somewhere is messing with the rules to the prevailing model and pioneering new approaches.

Our responsibility as leaders is to create organizational cultures that recognize rather than resist uniquely better.

The moment you start criticizing is the moment you stop learning.  The moment you stop learning is the moment you stop leading. When you stop leading, the natural leaders in your organization are going to go somewhere else.

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Your greatest contribution to the world may not be something you do, but someone you raise.

Laszlo Bock, Senior Advisor – Google

 

If you treat people with trust and respect, they will repay you by being more value to the organization. People are basically good and armed with information and trust, they will do the right thing.

Have a rule in your head that you will only hire someone who can do something better than you.  Hire someone you can learn from.

Give people more freedom than you are comfortable with.

Juliet Funt, CEO, WhiteSpace at Work

We are too busy to become less busy.

Never rush the cooking of a great idea.

When the thieves of productivity start to steal your time, defeat them by asking the questions:

  • Is there anything I can let go of?
  • Where is “good enough”, good enough?
  • What do I truly need to know?
  • What deserves my attention?

 

 

Marcus Buckingham, Best-selling author

Your job as a leader is to figure out what happens on the best teams so you can build more of them.

People can’t rate other people.  61% of performance rating reflects the rater, not the ratee.

Most people don’t want feedback.  They want coaching attention.  Help them get better.

Every week, have a strengths-based check-in about near-term work.  What are your priorities this week?  How can I help?  If you aren’t interested in doing that, don’t lead.

The purpose of work should be to discover the things that you love.

Sam Adeyemi, Founder & Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre in Nigeria

As leader, you don’t attract who you want.  You attract who you are.

God makes champions of ordinary people, and we can too.

The transformation that will happen in their lives is the test of your leadership.

Real and sustainable change in people’s lives begins with a change in their sense of identity.

To change your followers from the inside out, change what they see and hear.

Training creates consistency in knowledge and skills across the organization.  Is your training program capable of creating the leaders you see in your vision?

If you are stranded at one level, your followers will be stranded as well.

Immaculee Ilibagiza, Advocate for Peace and Forgiveness

Whatever our Lord tells us, He is right.

Complaining and looking back doesn’t help.  Work with what you have.

Go out every day and do something God would approve. Do your part.

Angela Duckworth, Professor and best-selling author

You will lose the skills you worked hard to gain if you no longer practice them.

Somebody in your life needs to love you so much that they let you quit on a good day, but not a bad one.

GARY HAUGEN Founder & CEO, International Justice Mission

Fear destroys the love that inspires the dream and replaces it with a preoccupation of self.

No great dream has been built on the fear of what might go wrong, it’s built on the thought of what might go right.

Courage, like fear, is contagious.


Which of these ideas made you stop and think? What could inspire you to dream in brighter colors and pursue courageously?



Tired from trying to share your God-inspired message while working your full time job?

Do you wonder if it’s worth it, or even possible, to build a ministry or business on the side?

I have good news for you. It is possible. It is worth it. You can do it.

That’s why I’m glad to share with you the four-part Honor System, to help you honor all the work God has given you to do. These are the hard-earned lessons I’ve taken away from chasing after my dreams and maintaining the career that supports my family.

Grab it here!

 

Sharing with Susan B. Mead at #DanceWithJesus

2 thoughts on “What I Learned at Global Leadership Summit 2017”

  1. Christa, you’ve shared a treasure trove here. I love watching The Profit with my husband for ideas, since he has a small business. I also enjoy listening to Andy Stanley. Thanks for sharing these insights. I’m bookmarking your page to read when I have more time to digest the rich truths.

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