Last Thursday and Friday my brain was pelted with a barrage of brilliant leadership insights. I’m still recovering from “PGLSBB” (Post Global Leadership Summit Brain Barrage). In case my smile is not clear — I LOVED it. So did my hubs. It is SO good to get away from the chaos of life and soak up the thoughts and brilliance of people who are good, really good, at leading in a variety of contexts. I am convinced that a consistent emersion of wisdom both grows our pool of truth and prepares us to be used more effectively and impactfully. Right now I’m more aware than ever that our kids are directly affected by this effort; and with God’s help we’re smoother about our leadership and parenting.
Moving on…
Aside from the now infamous “Figure it out,” statement from Bill Hybels – which was probably the most unintentionally impactful and frequently referenced quote of the summit (regarding the subject of resourcefulness); I have identified 5 of my favorite GLS quotes to highlight:
My top 5 GLS take-aways:
- According to Bill Hybels, there are 5 top ways to develop emerging leaders; #2 is a test drive of sorts: “Assign them to a short term task force.” Essentially they need to have a controlled opportunity to reveal their leadership maturity, and their readiness (or lack thereof) to take on a more permanent increased leadership role. This gives you a chance to see them in action without crippling efforts or confidence upon a failure, give their team ample reason to applaud promotion, and reveal their ability to cope with crisis or stressful moments. Parents – if we want our children to experience confidence and leadership worthiness, we must strategically develop their resourcefulness and confidence.
- “The vital behavior that enables most any positive organizational outcome is CANDOR at moments of acute emotional and political risk… Individual influence is directly tied to your ability to have crucial conversations.”– Joseph Grenny. If we care about anything deeply, there will absolutely be opportunity for crucial conversations. And where strong emotions exist, our hearts often run ahead of our heads – when in fact, these are the moments we need control most. Grenny makes the strong point that these are moments of disproportionate influence; how we proceed matters greatly to the outcome. Think my kids will invite me into these conversations someday? ummm…. yep.
- “There is no such thing as a one size fits all environment. If we want people to be at their best, we must allow them to have the right amount of stimulation to flourish.” – Susan Cain. This woman is passionate about introverts (since a half to a third of the population is introverted I guess this is pretty relevant). She educated us on the basics about how this relates to everyday opportunity for impact. I will now pay closer attention to creating the proper environment for my children in order to optimize potential. Check out her TED talk for more.
- We often believe the myth that (undermines all valuable and potentially impactful relationships) you often have to choose between telling the truth and keeping a friend…” – Joseph Grenny. Clearly I loved him. I am convinced these dialogues are an art form that take practice, and I am intrigued with his methods. People need compassionate truth-bearers. Being honest doesn’t result in a loss of relationship; done well it invites intimacy (even if not expressed right away). And our kids desperately need this from us. Who else is better equipped to tell the truth in love?
- “Challenge without confidence creates fear, confidence without challenge creates complacency.” – Don Flow. It is wise to be aware of our “ask” as it relates to this wisdom. I can see how both extremes could prove to be detrimental to character development.
My two favorite presenters were Joseph Grenny (Co-Founder, VitalSmarts; Social Scientist for Business Performance); and Allen Catherine Kagina (Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority). I think I’ve already given a nice taste of Grenny. I’ll be buying his book shortly. Allen… wow. Her story was presented with humility and concise clarity on applicable leadership take-aways, and I was intrigued. My Dad is currently reading Dr. Henry Cloud’s book; “Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality”, and as he recently listed the 6 evidences of a person with integrity, the first person who came to mind was Kagina. She leads with integrity, and makes waves. Both Joseph and Allen are in their forte and changing the world – you would not be disappointed to investigate them both.