Top 11 Leadership Challenges

August 9, 2009 in Leadership with 14 Comments

I had a great couple of days at the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek earlier this week. The notes for all the sessions are available in previous posts. Here are my top 11 leadership challenges from all the sessions. These are my favorite challenges from each speaker.

  1. “Sometimes the comfortable thing to do isn’t the right thing to do.” -Tony Blair
  2. “What I really find hard to take is lifeless ceremony.” -Bono
  3. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” -David Gergen quoting unknown person
  4. “In God’s economy, vision should move from the fringes to the middle.” -Dave Gibbons
  5. “When an organization misses the future, it’s not because it was unknown–it was because it’s inpalatable.” -Gary Hamel
  6. “When you find the bright spot, study it and clone it.” -Dan Heath
  7. “When I listen to God slowly, he speaks more frequently.” -Bill Hybels
  8. “People consider it compassionate not to be honest with people. It’s not. That’s disrespectful.” -Carly Fiorina on dealing with poor performance
  9. “People who believe the Gospel are utterly different.” -Tim Keller
  10. “There is no country in the world that has developed through handouts.” -Andrew Rugasira
  11. “What’s your cause? Does it move you to tears? What is it that moves you passionately?” -Wess Stafford

What were your favorite lines from the Summit? How did the experience change you as a leader?

14 Responses to “Top 11 Leadership Challenges”

  1. Marc Millan August 9, 2009 at 9:14 pm #

    Thanks for your coverage and this great recap list. A few really stood out..
    Wes Stafford ” You allow the people who hurt to live rent free in your heart if you don’t forgive”
    Bono ” What I find hard to take is lifeless ceremony”
    David Gibbons ” God uses the pain in your life so that people can connect to you”

  2. Adam August 9, 2009 at 11:12 pm #

    It was an awesome summit.. thanks for the compilation of epic quotes :)

  3. guy m williams August 9, 2009 at 11:50 pm #

    Thanks for the list. Nailed just about all of my favorite lines from the Summit.

    I also liked the phrase from Tony Blair, “irreducible core,” referring to the principles one absolutely has to stand by.

  4. Brian August 10, 2009 at 7:14 am #

    According to my notes, David Gergen was quoting Patty Stonecipher, who formerly led the Gates Foundation, when he said “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

  5. Joseph Louthan August 11, 2009 at 6:57 pm #

    That is why Tim Keller is my boy.

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