Ten (or Eleven) Things to Implement in Leadership This Year

I scored a free ticket to the local simulcast of the Willow Creek Leadership Summit held on the campus of St. Pauls Baptist Church.

I was going to "live blog" the event, but for a number of reasons didn't.

So instead of detailing the notes from each speaker (a few others did that here, here and here), following Kem Meyer's lead, I'm putting down my top ten (okay, eleven) takeaways (in no particular order), the things I want to live into in the next year.

Bill Hybels

1. Make your decision in a trial way and then walk around to see if life and peace and exhiliration come...if not, you can still make a different decision.

2. If it goes well, thank everyone. If it goes poorly, blame no one and take full responsibility.

Gary Haugen

(everything Gary said was pure gold. He should actually have his one top ten list). He is doing incredible work through the International Justice Mission.)

3. Just because I am leading and people are following doesn't mean I'm leading in things that matter to God. Are Jesus and I interested in the same things?

4. What is God's plan--in the face of immeasurable suffering--for showing the world that he is good? We are the plan.

5. He gave staggering stats about injustices in the world and then said: We can hear these stats and feel bolted to our seats. (doing something about this) can seem hopeless, scary and hard--but this is where leadership matters the most. People will pretty much take care of themselves when things are happy, safe, and easy.

6. He challenged us to avoid "the mediocrity of safe bets" and not live in a "Christian cul-de-sac" but to "take our strengths on a more demanding climb."

Bill George

7. 21st Century leaders empower. To empower means to help them unleash their power, not follow me!

8. Bill Hybels interviewed Bill after his talk and asked him: Why do leaders fail? Bill George: They failed to lead themselves--they weren't well-grounded--they weren't themselves.

Bill Hybels

(his closing session focused on the life of Mother Theresa--how a "pint-sized nun from nowhere"--became a world-shaping leader. He said it was because she gave God "carte-blanche yieldedness."

Her vows: "to refuse him nothing" "If God imparts himself fully to us, should we give him only a part of ourselves?" "Do his bidding without delay."

9. Commenting on 2 Chronicles 16:9 - Strength and power comes on them and tremendous resources are unleashed by God.

10. I meet many leaders who want to lead a bigger deal more than they want more of God.

11. If you were God for a day--seeing everyone--wouldn't you pick someone whose heart was completely surrendered to you? And wouldn't you take great joy in elevating someone who was a nobody? So if you were God for a day, would you pick you for more power and influence?