Leadership bytes

This past week a group of leaders from our church attended the Leadership Summit (Willow Creek Community Church) at a satellite venue in VA Beach. As a leader I'm always looking for solid and challenging teaching on how to be better at it. This conference did not let me down.

Among those speaking were leaders from the corporate, church and other non-profit sectors. Here are a few of the "bytes" I jotted down. Some were the speakers' own thought; some were quoted by the speakers; some are my thoughts from listening to them.

• Write down your own leadership axioms.
• Create a clash of ideas.
• Get the right people around the table.
• Leadership that matters to God comes forward when the calling seems hopeless, scary or hard.
• Jesus didn't come to make us safe - He came to make us brave.
• Follow your compass not your clock.
• If you're looking to lead a life of impact then do something to influence children.
• For a while the leader may have to raise the level of personal investment to sustain the vision.
• Leaders cultivate the soil so that people can grow.
• Soil gets messy. You'll get your hands dirty.
• Fruit happens by staying connected to the Vine.
• God brings revelation. Revelation brings revolution.
• In God's eyes being qualified isn't as important as being crucified.
• If you have "it" doesn't mean you're going to keep "it" (whatever "it" is!)
• A leader/shepherd's job is not to pander to the flock but to lead them.
• Just show up in the morning; get your orders for the day and execute in obedience.
• If as a leader I'm not in good shape (physical, emotional, spiritual) I'm hurting the entire organization.
• If we're going to be good at what we do we must be strategic at what we do.
• Every leader knows a time when the dream almost died.
• Callings are holy things; precious commodities. Carry out your calling even if you don't feel the presence of God.

Lots to chew on. I look forward to doing some debriefing with our leaders soon.