The View from the Summit - Part One

Summit: "the highest point or part."

When you are at the summit, you have a different perspective. You can see farther and you can see the big picture unfolding. Like the coach who sits in the press box, you can see the plays unfolding. The view provides a perspective that the coach on the sidelines doesn’t have.

Last week I had the opportunity to go to the Summit: The Global Leadership Summit sponsored by Willow Creek Community Church. Being at the Summit, I have some new perspectives on leadership and I will be sharing those insights and my reflections with you.

Session 1: Bill Hybels

Leaders move people from Here to There.
There is a preferred future that releases passion. This is the promise on the other side and provides a purpose for the temporary, yet painful, discomfort of making deep change. The point of beginning for deep change is not to make there seem wonderful, but to make here sound awful.

The change process begins by creating a sense of urgency that will overcome the sources of complacency. The leader’s role is to create a sense of “Holy Discontent” with the current situation.

While going there may be risky, staying here is even more risky.

We can’t stay here!

It takes Fantastic People to move from Here to There.
The greatest joy of leadership is assembling a team of fantastic people. They have character, competence, chemistry and fantastic people fit the culture of the organization. When there is a fit, people flourish.

Mile Markers and Celebrations.
Deep change may take 18-36 months. Leaders need to keep people on the journey. There is excitement at the beginning of the journey and great anticipation as we approach the end, but in the middle people hope wains. The mean-time between here and there is mean. Vision leaks. People forget how bad the past was and cannot yet see the promise of the future.

Therefore, leaders need to generate, plan for, and celebrate short-terms wins that provide hope that we will get there.

Whispers from God.

We don’t get from here to there without hearing from God in the process

John 10:27: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

I hear from God primarily through his Word. But I also hear directly from His Spirit. He puts thoughts in my mind that are not my thoughts.

Do you think God speaks? If you felt God was transmitting to you, how concerned would you be about the quality of your antenna?

“The smartest moves I have ever made as a leader didn’t come from my own wisdom, but from whispers from God.”

Can you say: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9)

Will you do everything in your power to hear and heed His voice?