Global Leadership Summit: My Takeaways

On August 8 and 9, I had the wonderful opportunity to once again attend the Global Leadership Summit, a vision of Pastor Bill Hybels and the Willow Creek Association. These two days of instruction, encouragement - and even rebuke - were game-changers.

Over the next few days, I'll share a few quotes from several speakers, so you don't have to just take my word for it. Today I'll begin with...

Pastor Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church

Pastor Bill Hybels opened the first morning, challenging leaders to be courageous, as God encouraged Joshua to be in Joshua 1:9. Courage, Bill said, must be paired with vision. 

And what is vision?

"Vision is a picture of the future that creates passion in people."

Have you ever experienced passion that had its genesis in someone else's vision? Better yet... has God ever given YOU a vision that created passion in others? It's an amazing thing.

Yet Bill had a warning about vision. Vision can be thrilling in its inception, but challenging to live out. Vision requires courage. And because it requires courage...

"A lot of visions are aborted in the hearts of leaders."

Think of the life-changing initiatives that have been aborted in the hearts of leaders. The non-profits that have been aborted. The companies that have been aborted. The schools that have been aborted. The churches that have been aborted.

Do you have a vision that just needs a little courage to propel it forward? Don't allow fear to snuff out your vision. Or should I say, don't allow fear to snuff out God's vision within you.

There's one more point from Bill's session that my husband Anthony and I have repeated often. 

"People join organizations. They leave managers."

When Bill spoke these words, all Anthony and I could do was nod our heads in agreement. This is so true! When people join churches, non-profits organizations, even companies, they often do so out of a commitment to the organization's mission and work. 

However, when these good folks decide to leave, it is often because of a manager, a CEO, an executive director, or worse -- a pastor.

So what's the answer, according to Pastor Hybels? Relationship. Pouring into others. Nurturing relationship with them. Affirming that they are seen and they are loved.

It's that simple.

It's that complicated.

Come on, Children of God. Let's lead courageously!

Love,

Carla