It's Saturday morning and I am winging my way over Indiana, or it might be Kentucky, flying American Airlines from Chicago to Miami. From there we will change planes for Haiti. I'm having to pinch myself to be honest. I am still a wide-eyed traveler, marveling at the opportunity I have to see and encounter another culture so different to mine. But that's for later. For now I will reflect on Day Two of the Global Leadership Summit (GLS).
The summit site is like a giant TV set with a 7000 strong 'studio audience' in many ways. Everything is synchronized for the satellite feeds to the 400 GLS sites around the US. We start and end on time. There are no delays; no stretching things out. Resulting from delegate feedback, times of corporate worship were limited. We did not sing on the first day at all and only in one session on the second. To be honest I missed the opportunity. Balancing this, one of my favorite bands, Gungor, played two superb lunchtime concerts as well as performing a couple of songs during sessions as lead-ins. If you have never heard of them then 'do yourself a favor' and check them out. I especially recommend their album 'Beautiful Things'. They jokingly refer of their musical style as 'liturgical post-rock'. Whatever it is, their music is refreshingly different.
As for the speaker input on Day Two, it was again superb. The variety of backgrounds of the speakers was quite amazing. Patrick Lencioni is a bestelling author and management consultant, Dr William Ury is a Harvard professor and international negotiator, Mario Vega is an El Salvadoran pastor, Pranitha Timothy is an Indian anti-slavery advocate, John Ortberg is a pastor and author out of San Francisco and Bill Hybels is of course the founding pastor of Willow Creek Community Church.
Personally, expected highlights of the day was the input from Patrick Lencioni and John Ortberg (my favorite preacher). An unexpected highlight, simply because I did not know her, was the inspiring testimony and teaching of Pranitha Timothy. This remarkable woman has lead hundreds of rescue missions that have liberated 4000 people from the curse of slavery. I am in awe.
Here aresome quotes from Day Two to give you a taste of the day:
- To often we argue about Christianity instead of marveling about Jesus. (John Ortberg)
- A core value is something you are willing to be punished for....to violate a core
value is to ask you to sell your soul. (Patrick Lencioni) - One of the greatest powers we have in negotiation is the power not to react. (Dr William Ury)
- When angry you will make the best speech you will ever regret. (Dr William Ury)
- Every right decision a leader makes will strengthen his or her influence. (Mario
Vega) - Hope is infectious, but so is despair. Despair contaminates. (Geoffrey Canada)
- We are called to serve by a God who is already at work. (Pranitha Timothy)
- Our life belongs to God and our strength is his. (Pranitha Timothy)
- The local church is the hope of the world. (Bill Hybels)
I love the Global Leadership Summit. I love that for two days every year I am reminded of the privilege and responsibility of leadership. I love the challenge and inspiration of the varied input I receive. And I can't wait for the opportunity to again be host pastor for GLS at
Newlife from October 19-20.
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