Global Leadership Summit 2013: Session 1 – Bill Hybels

We are incurable learners.

Joshua 1 – be strong and courageous

What is going to be so bad that I’ll need all this courage?

Leadership demands a non-stop flow of fortitude from day 1 until the leader’s last day. Leadership is not for the feign of heart.

Nelson Mandela is a great example of courageous leadership.

Ending apartheid was a cause he said he was fully willing to die for.

Courage correlates to every single component of leadership.

Courage is critical to vision.

Vision is the most potent weapon in a leader’s arsenal.

Vision is a picture of the future that creates passion in people.

God made you a leader to move people from here to there.

We believed in women in leadership from day one at Willow.

Description of Willow Creek Care Center: http://willowcreekcarecenter.org

Why anyone would keep fully capable women from serving in the church is beyond me.

Every significant leadership choice that God births in you will require courage.

Every moment will encounter people who will resist moving. Others will have a wait and see group that will just require time. Every vision tests the metal of every leader.

What do many leaders do when they get a vision from God? They abort the vision secretly. They deem it too risky.

Throughout history, our gracious God has sent exciting vision to leaders all throughout the world. Vision that would launch new businesses, end human trafficking, end racial injustice only to have those visions snuffed out by a leader who thought the cost too high or the chance of failure too great.

Many of you have an extremely cool vision hidden inside you today. The only thing holding back is you lack courage.

God made us leaders not to sit and suck air, but to step out in faith and move people to “there.” Don’t go to your grave with cool visions shriveling up inside of you. Don’t be that leader.

You need to step out in faith even when you are vibrating with fear.

Visions are holy commodities that come from our trustworthy God. Don’t kill them off in a late night fits of cowardliness. Get on your knees and pray like Joshua. Then get off your knees and walk in faith toward that vision.

Courage is required to define current reality.

Max Dupree – “The leader’s job is define the current reality.”

Seasoned leaders need to be able to find a way to signal to everyone that they are in “Code Red” situation.

Sometimes we get a sleepy and stagnant. In this case, the leader needs to set a fire, a little arson is required. We need to break out of the status quo quagmire.

Everyone knows what is like to be in an organization that is rocking. Leaders need to pour fuel on that fire.

Often the most difficult aspect of this lecture has been for a leader to identify where their organization is at the moment.

Your whole team knows the reality of your organization. They are waiting for you to work up the courage to identify it yourself and step up to lead them out of it.

Whatever you are leading right now, what is your current reality?

Courage is required to build a fantastic culture.

The Best Christian Workplace based on 5.0  scoring system (3.75 = toxic, 4.0 = healthy, 4.25 = flourishing): http://www.bcwinstitute.com/

First results for Willow came back at 3.82. Processed results and we decided we would do whatever was required to get our staff to healthy place. Took same survey a year later, we were up 3.95. By third year, 4.07. You could tell it around the church and around the water fountains. The next year, 4.25. Just a few months ago, 4.33.

People join organizations. They leave managers.

We are just concerned about building the staff culture as we are about building the church.

Whose job is it to drive the improvements needed? The senior pastor or CEO has to drive staff culture.

Staff cultures will only be as healthy as the CEO or Senior Pastor wants it to be. Delegating this to HR is the kiss of death. People will only take this as serious as the senior leader takes.

Enormous courage will be required for you to improve your staff’s health.

There are culture builders and culture busters. We are no longer going to pay people to bruise and bust our culture.

You will not believe how much better performing a healthy staff will perform over an unhealthy culture.

Only 30% of people are actively engaged in their jobs.

When people are in the same boat, you need to make sure they are rowing the same direction.

How healthy is your staff culture? Do you know? If you have not been willing to measure it, can you at least just acknowledge that it is fear keeping you from doing that?

Courage is required for the establishment and enforcement of values.

The more I use social media, the hungrier I get for real face-to-face interaction, the hungrier I get for what the Bible calls true community.

Social media provides the illusion of community, just not the real thing.

There is a time to cast vision and there is a time to establish an inviable value.

The change from vision to value requires something to flip in the leader’s heart.

More about Willow Section Communities: http://willowcreek.org/section-communities

Aleader can’t wait until every last person “gets it.” At some point, you have to draw the line and set the standard.

This is the difference between level 4 and level 5 (Jim Collins) leaders.

There are seasons in every person’s life that requires courage.

Courage is required for leaders to finish strong.

Every leader understands that it takes courage to launch something. Everyone understands that it takes courage to sustain an organization over decades.

If you want to finish strong, you need to have the courage to have a conversation about succession plans.

Some of the leader’s greatest rewards in the leadership marathon is saved for late in the race.

I am a sucker for changed lives.

There is nothing in this world that touches me as deeply as watching God transform a human life. All I want for the rest of my life is to watch him transform more lives.

Do not bail on your mission, no matter how tough it gets. Do not quit on God. Endure. Finish strong.