Leadership Summit Notes

In case you weren’t able to participate in the Leadership Summit this past week, here are all my notes from the sessions I was able to engage. I also included a personal reaction for each speaker.

• Bill Hybels – The concept of leaders first explaining why “we can’t stay here” is simple but so true. People won’t engage a new vision, unless they feel the tension and the urgency to move beyond the comfort of the status quo.
• Jim Collins – I wish churches embraced this philosophy: “Do we have all of our key seats filled with fantastic people? If the answer is no, we must resist growth until that happens.”
• Tony Dungy – “I wasn’t there to be their boss. I was there to help the players get better.” Leadership is not about telling people what to do.
• Adam Hamilton – Every leader in ministry will eventually have to deal with this issue. I recommend you purchase the DVD and hold on to it for the wisdom you will need when this crisis happens.
• Andy Stanley – Great perspective on managing tensions rather than trying to solve all of them. Though, I don’t think I’d go so far as he did to say that, “If it’s a problem that keeps resurfacing, it’s a tension to be managed.” Many times that’s the case. Other times, we may just be delaying a decision that needs to be made.
• Terri Kelly – Her statement about the limits of coaching and mentoring when it only flows through the top leader was profound. It should provoke us to consider how much weight we put on the Sunday message versus group and mentoring relationships for discipleship in the church.
• Dan Pink – Dan comes at the topic of motivation and drive from a scientific research perspective, but there are so many parallels to what Scripture has to say about equipping God’s people to use their gifts to do the work of God.
• T.D. Jakes – Disagreed with his statement about leaders not being able to develop close relationships with people on their staff. It can work, and it can be healthy. Obviously, though, it depends on the personality of the leader.

What were your big takeaways or new questions?