Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--Patrick Lencioni

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--another speaker to help us learn how to lead Operation Christmas Child teams.

Patrick Lencioni--his book is called "Getting Naked" about the power of vulnerability

I like to begin by making a few confessions--my personality doesn't lend itself to these types of big speeches; everything I'm going to cover you already know ("people need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed")

Humility is rare and powerful. First job out of college--he was not never to admit he didn't have the right answer; never let the client seem smarter than you--

Then got a job at another company where you also had to pretend you knew everything.

Third job he was allowed to be genuine and it was liberating. Later began his own consulting group and decided to be 'naked' and honest with clients. The trust and loyalty response was amazing.

Definition of vulnerable--capable of being physically or emotionally wounded; open to attach or damage; liable to increase penalties but entitled to increase bonuses in a game of bridge

Vulnerability runs counter to the desire in our culture to avoid discomfort at all costs.

Three fears that keep us from being vulnerable--

1) Fear of losing the business or being rejected--

how to avoid this--

enter the danger--best improv comes from walking right into the wacky conversation

speak the kind truth--sometimes there's terminal niceness in churches; people are desperate for the truth;

2) Fear of being embarrassed--when we're serving others we have to ask questions and make suggestions that may not be wise; when people know you're more interested in making them better, they invite you in; we have to celebrate our mistakes; when we acknowledge our humanity it is attractive

3) Fear of feeling inferior--The last thing we want to do is put ourselves in a lower position; we need to do the dirty work; show people you're willing to do whatever you're asking them to do; the example of Jesus washing the disciples' feet

--honor your clients' work; be more interested in what they do

vulnerability is attractive and powerful and yet it's not easy. It involves suffering and pain. Why do we do this 'vulnerability thing' even if we aren't rewarded for it? Because Jesus did it and calls us to it. In the moments when we don't get rewarded we need to say a prayer of thanksgiving and do it anyway.

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--John Dickson

Here at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit waiting to hear more wisdom that will help me serve better with Operation Christmas Child.

John Dickson--Humilitas, A Lost Key to Life, Love and Leadership

The character trait of humility has been a challenge for leaders for century. John Dickson had a defining moment at a young age when his father died in a plane crash. John is a thinker with a degree in theology and a Ph.D. in ancient history.

The fear of being the guy who talks about humility. There's a dilemma for anyone who would talk about humility in public. "I fell into the topic of humility by accident." I have developed a love/hate relationship with humility.

Humility is not humiliation or low self-esteem. Humility is the noble choice to forego your status and use your influence for the good of others before yourself. It's the humility to hold power for the good of others.

Humility makes the great greater and here are 5 reasons--

1) Humility is common sense--none of us is an expert at everything. Expertise in one area counts for very little in another. Competency extrapolation--think because you're bright in one area you'll be bright in another.

2) Humility is beautiful--we are more attracted to the great who are humble. In ancient Rome 'humility' meant servitude. Jesus created a humility revolution sparked by his crucifixion. Western culture has been profoundly transformed by the cross of Christ. Greatness and humility are now one.

3) Humility is generative--it generates new knowledge and new abilities because the humble person is open to knowledge. The scientific revolution is the result of the humility revolution. The humble place is the place of growth. Sometimes you learn something in the humble place you can't learn any other way. It's the place of flourishing. It's the criticism you know is true.

4) Humility is persuasive--Aristotle in his book "On Rhetoric" said there must be logos, pathos, and ethos. and ethos is the character of the persuader. "We believe good-hearted people to a greater extent and more quickly than we do others on all subjects in general." The most believable person in the world is the person you know has your best interests at heart.

5) Humility is inspiring--"When our ego won't let us build others up...we have stopped inspiring others to great heights." We admire those leaders who are not approachable but we don't emulate them. But those who humble themselves inspire us to be like them. We think they're like us and so feel we can be like them.

Leaders have 4 tools

ability

authority

character

persuasion

Some of the most inspiring leaders in history had no authority but had much ability, character, and persuasion and people followed them. Sometimes you don't need the power or empires to make change--you need character and persuasion. You don't need the keys to the kingdom to impact the kingdom. You don't need to reclaim a Christian nation in order to win a nation back to Christ.

Humility is not just another leadership technique. At the center of everything is a cross and if that is true, the humble life is a life in touch with reality. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--Dr. Henry Cloud

Getting ready to hear what Henry Cloud will say that can help me in leadership for Operation Christmas Child.

Dr. Henry Cloud--The Evil, The Foolish, The Wise

"That Guy" -- the problem person

Wherever you are, God has called you to be a steward over a vision for the specific reason of changing something in a community or a nation. Are you going to let "this guy" stop your vision?

What does a person do when the truth comes to them? That is the diagnostic question.

You make an assumption as a leader that you need to adjust whenever you receive feedback. But you cannot deal with every person you lead the same. You need to diagnose who you're talking to and deal with them appropriately so you won't lose your vision or your joy.

Three categories-- actually we all have all of these in our lives but some people make a career of one or the other

1) Wise--when the light comes to them the person adjusts themselves to match the light "Correct a wise person and he will be wiser still."

When you confront them, they thank you. David said, "A righteous man will strike me and it will be a blessing."

So talk to the wise--coach them--resource them

The challenge is to make sure they are a match for what you need.

Give them good feedback and coaching

Keep them appropriately challenged

2) Fools--when the light comes they adjust the light. They try to change the truth or shoot the messenger. They deny, minimize.

They are not happy to hear the feedback; may get angry.

Leads to hopelessness in the leader because the person being led won't own the problem.

"Do not correct a fool less you incur insults upon yourself."

Stop talking.

Talk about the pattern only "I don't know how to give you feedback in a way that changes anything. I've got to protect our vision. I've got to protect the culture of this team."

Set limits--limit your exposure "Tell me how I can talk to you and make a difference."

What will we do if I correct you and you don't change? Get specific about consequences

Fools change only when the pain of not changing becomes greater than the pain of changing.

Limit Exposure

Give clear consequences

Give them a choice

Follow through

3) Evil--destruction in their hearts; want to inflict pain "Reject a divisive person after a second warning"

Lawyers

Law Enforcement

God has called you to lead people and it's about getting the people to work the plan. Take the leadership challenge to not let someone's character problem stop the vision that God has called you to.

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--Michelle Rhee

Waiting to hear what the leader of education in Washington, DC has to say that will help with leading a team for Operation Christmas Child.

At the age of 37 with no superintendent experience Michelle Rhee was appointed chancellor of education in Washington, DC.

Experts have begun to believe failing neighborhoods might be the result of failing schools. Worst scores for reading--only 12% proficient. Michelle Rhee says "this district did not become this way by accident." She fired more than 30 school principals, closed 23 schools and cut 100 staff.

Michelle Rhee says the children in DC were being such a disservice and people were avoiding making decisions that needed to be made.

She says her father was always socially motivated and taught them their advantaged life was the 'luck' of their birth. In her senior year of college she had no idea what she would do and decided to work for Teach for America where she was assigned to inner-city Baltimore. Found out the hardest job is the world is being a classroom teacher. When they observed her classroom teaching they suggested she might want to make a career change. Two years later 90% of her students were proficient in reading and math!

That success was build on building a strong work ethic in the students and having longer school days and also engaging their parents. Second graders had 2 hours of homework every night. The hard work of the students paid off.

She then graduated from Harvard Business School and was asked to help schools learn to recruit and train new teachers. She founded the New Teacher Project to recruit teachers for rural and inner-city schools and retain them.

The biggest myth is that there weren't enough people willing to teach in inner-city schools but they found that was not true. The problem lay in how the schools operated and all the bureaucracy.

Fast forward to the problems in the DC school district where the school board was replaced and the mayor put in charge. Michelle said 'no' several times to the mayor's desire for her to become chancellor. Ultimately she took the job because the mayor was willing for her to do what needed to be done, no matter how hard, to turn the schools around. The mayor said he was willing to risk his entire political career.

When she started only 8^ of the 8th graders were on grade level for reading. Teachers were not paid on time. Textbooks were sitting in warehouses. They bought 6,000 computers and many of the classrooms did not even have 3 prong outlets to plug them into.

The first core problem she chose to address were organizational ones and then they invested in human capital by making sure each teacher and principal were the best possible. They closed 23 schools (15%) at the same time. Central administration office cut in half. Two-thirds of principals and 1000 educators removed.

She tried to create a different culture where each student was treated like their own. She sent her own children to DC public schools and didn't allow any policies that would be harmful to any child.

The term "snap" means you can see as soon as you go into the classroom if the teacher is being effective. They also wanted value-added teachers, meaning they would evaluate teachers on the basis of how much children were growing and improving. You measure the group at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year to discern level of growth.

Michelle's mother said when she was young she never cared what people thought of her and now that trait is serving her well. Michelle says, though, that she'd rather deal with anger than apathy.

Asks Michelle to give advice on whether incremental change or revolution is best. Michelle says, "I'm not an incremental girl" and said they needed fast change because of the desperate need.

When the mayor was not re-elected Michelle's job came to an end. She notes that education has been driven by special interest groups and has no organized national interest group on behalf of students. So she started an organization called Students' First--a movement to reform education around the country.

Proverbs 31:8 -- speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Describes herself as an 'aspiring Christian' and says she is held back by watching other people and also because she is rational and linear and has a hard time relinquishing control and surrendering her life.

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--Bill Hybels #2

Bill Hybels is speaking on Tough Callings--

If we're not careful, we can believe that if we get better as leaders, then everything we lead will be successful. But what if God were to assign people to lead ministries that were important but unlikely to see any type of success. Would you be willing to lead something like that?

Think of how subtly addicted we as leaders are to growth and success. We're willing to step into leadership for success. Let's look at 3 stories of leaders who struggled.

Wess Stafford tells that Stephen Sundar was not able to get a visa to come to the US for the Summit so he will tell the story. This world is not our home--the Kingdom is upside down. The weak are strong. The servant is the leader. There will be great surprises in heaven when we discover the real heroes who were among us.

During Ethiopia people were starving and Christians were persecuted. The Church was forced underground. They had a deep hunger for the Word and were willing to talk for hours about it. They were bruised and scarred and Wess would feel like a boy among men.

Wess tells of a pastor who would not give up his faith under great persecution. His specialty was preaching at funerals, which was illegal. He was put in prison where he preached to the prisoners. They decided to electrocute him in the public square. They rigged up a crude device for this and when they threw the switch all the fuses blew and he survived. That night he preached in the prison again. The next morning they tried it again and threw the switch and again it failed. So they finally just released him. Wess met him a few hours later and the pastor was on his way to preach at a funeral. He told Wess that they pray for the suffering of those of us in the West who are so comfortable that we don't pray all day long or worship regularly. He told Wess that they tore up the only Bible they had and gave each person pages to memorize so they wouldn't be caught with it. During this oppression their church grew five-fold. Now Ethiopia is the channel for the growth of the Church in the middle east. When they are glorified in heaven, God grant that we would be somehow worthy to stand beside them.

Egypt--hot, surrounded by volatile nations, politically volatile. A group of people eke out their living by collecting garbage and recycling. Christians are shunned or persecuted by the Islamic majority. Maggie Gobran taught at the American University in Cairo and was when her aunt who served the poor passed away she was drawn to take her place.

She set up Stephen's Children to help the poorest of the poor with a holistic approach. Stephen's Children has 1400 staff members for 80 community centers. Children are fed, given health care, and a Christian education. Mama Maggie has been called the Mother Teresa of Egypt.

Maggie Gobran--

My soul magnifies the Lord for He has done great things for me. Story of a girl who she took to get shoes and the child instead chose shoes for her mother. "We don't choose where to be born but we DO choose whether to be sinners or saints--to be nobody or to be a hero. To be a hero, do what God wants you to do."

Egypt has had the highest number of martyrs in all history. Twenty-five years ago Maggie heard His call and took her step by step. First, as she read the Word she fell in love with the world. Jesus said, "My Words are spirit and life."

The second step was to sell everything. As the child of a doctor she had lived an affluent life. Later she learned to be elegant comes from inside--from love. And true love is to give and forgive--to give until it hurts.

She was teaching the brightest students in the country and God called her to the poorest of the poor. With God's grace she left everything and found Him waiting for her with a crown of love. "It's the moment when you die to yourself that you discover the beauty, the power."

The poor children are hungry for bread and for love. They are naked from lack of clothing but also lack of dignity. "When I touch the poor child, I am touching Jesus. When I listen to a poor child, I am listening to God's heart beating for all humanity." (Such a reminder of the work God calls us to in Operation Christmas Child) "We went to help them to have a better life, today they help us to be better people."

The third step is to have a pure heart and so she practiced the discipline of silence on a regular basis. In silence we discover eternity.

Secrets of silence--silence your body to listen to your words. silence your tongue to listen to your thoughts. silence your souls to listen to your heart beating. silence your heart to listen to your spirit. silence your spirit to listen to His Spirit. In silence you leave many to be with The One.

If God has chosen someone like me, believe me when I say I am the least of you here, He will do greater things in you.

Jeremiah (told by Bill Hybels)

God told Jeremiah to take His word to the godless people who had become corrupt and greedy. Jeremiah agreed and he thinks since he's doing it for God it will probably turn out well. But nothing goes well--no one will repent. One day he is beaten and tied up so people can spit at him and slap him. Jeremiah chapter 20 he gives God a piece of his mind "you deceived me. Cursed be the day I was born."

Jeremiah is torn between his calling and his ache for success. It's tearing him apart. Finally he decides to continue speaking God's words again. Now people throw him into a cistern and leave him to die. Some time later people had pity on him and get him out.

Jeremiah feels he has to give up his need for success so he goes out again to speak God's words and the people never change. One day the enemy comes to take everyone, including Jeremiah, into captivity and he then writes Lamentations. Writes out his disappointment and disillusionment but in Lamentations 3 he asserts "God's mercies were new every morning." He felt the sweetness of God's relationship underneath it all. In the end he says, "Great is Thy faithfulness."

Bill Hybels says "I had an easy calling, really. Got to lead a suburban church and people there already know how to lead. When we need a building built millions of dollars come in. My office looks like an office in any company and I drive a car like any CEO. I have had very little hardship."

If you watch on episode of news you know our world is broken. The fixes for these will take decades or lifetimes and God is looking for some strong-shouldered leaders who will be available. God is looking for someone who will take a tough calling.

Bill was on the board of World Vision and was on the selection committee to find a new president for the organization. Talked about the selection of Richard Stearns who left his job as CEO of Lenox to take this new challenge.

Bill asked him recently what the hardest thing is about leading World Vision and Rich said it's having your heart broken again and again and again.

Linda Lindhout, a reporter, who went to Somalia to report on what was happening there and while there she was kidnapped and held for 15 months. When released, God called her to go back to give humanitarian aid to the children of Somalia. She returned to serve there in Somalia.

"I stand in awe of leaders who get tough assignments." Bill gives a challenge to businesspersons and leaders to reach out and provide leadership for a tough calling of some sort in the community.

Jeremiah was asked by God to go buy a jar and then told him to gather a crowd. God told him to tell the crowd if they don't stop mistreating the poor I will smash their country and then smash the pot as an illustration of how they will be smashed. Jeremiah knew he would then probably be smashed. But Jeremiah takes a deep breath and smashes the jar and he's grabbed and beaten.

Take the piece of pottery you were given and write something on the clay to signify you're available for a tough calling.

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--Steven Furtick

Waiting to hear Steven Furtick talk about Audacious Leadership. Sure could use some of that for Operation Christmas Child.

God told Jeremiah he was not too young and Paul told Timothy to set an example even in his youth. The advantage to being young is you haven't lived long enough to know there are some things that can't be done. Other faculty will give you wisdom and I will give you the dumbness to believe God for anything.

Believing God for the impossible--as a high school junior he read pg. 23 in "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" a quote about not letting life slip by without seeing God do what He can do on our behalf. Started Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC in 2006.

II Kings 3:9-20

Kings of Israel are pursuing their enemy. They shouldn't have any trouble getting victory but they ran out of water. (only God can make it rain). They hadn't inquired of God for a long time until the troubles came. Elisha asked for a harpist. (demonstrated by giving inspirational messages without music and then with stirring musical background. It's awesome when you're at a conference and the music is flowing.)

Praise God for inspiration but the real question is -- how to we get from inspiration to implementation. Elisha goes on to say, "This is what the Lord says: Make this valley full of ditches. For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain but you and your animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord."

(If your vision is not intimidating to you it probably isn't from God.)

Elisha's first ministry instruction is about digging some ditches. If you want to see the land filled with water, DIG SOME DITCHES.

Faith believes it before it sees it.

Life can beat the audacity right out of you. But some of you need the vision to know that God is not done with you yet.

Early days of their church they watched a video of mass baptisms being done at Willow Creek and used that as a "ditch digging" experience. When their church started their first baptism had 5 people.

The ambiguity "I know God can and I think He will."

They kept digging ditches and going to the next level--50 people and then 100 people. We're comparing our 'behind the scenes' to everyone else's 'highlights video'. You don't always see what God is doing while we're digging the ditches.

If you will dig the ditches, God will send the rain. And don't just dig one ditch--make the valley full of ditches.

When the vision around you doesn't look like what God has spoken to you, sometimes you just have to hold onto His Word.

Trust God and dig ditches.

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit--Seth Godin

Waiting to hear Seth Godin (most popular blogger) and hoping to get some ideas to help advance Operation Christmas Child.

"Someone watching this today is going to change everything and do something that matters. Not because their boss told them to but because it's important."

Betty Crocker went on the radio and sold average products for average women. We grew up with the notion that we can promote an idea from a position of power. The idea of 'More'. TV industrial complex. Revlon were first TV ads for cosmetics and got more distribution and bought more ads, etc. in a circle--average products for average people.

One by one we see pillars of industry (recordings, newspapers, books) going away. Look at the variety of TV channels

Revolutions destroy the perfect and allow the impossible. We're seeing the death of the industrial age which is being replaced by an age of tribes (a group of people who share a culture).

Before the pin making machine a skilled craftsman could make 3-4 pins a day and after the machine someone off the streets could make thousands. Now anyone who has a while collar job has their hands on the world.

Art is the risky act of doing something you haven't done before for someone else. If you own the means of production there's no reason to hold back because you don't have a boss to be accountable to.

Assembly line=keep the line moving. Leadership isn't like that. Mass production leads to interchangeable people. We send people to school and teach them to fit in so we can ignore them.

Competence used to be important but is no longer a scarce commodity. It's no longer enough to be competent. The thing with the race to the bottom is you might win. If you can write it down, I can find it cheaper.

You must be distinctive. You need to learn to solve interesting problems Don't wait to be picked--pick yourself.

If failure is not an option than neither is success. You will do art and you will fail, because that's art.

The little voice in the back of your head (lizard brain) gives resistance and tells you to 'fit in'. Every revolution destroys what came before before it launches the new.

Art is giving gifts, not favors. "Knit a sweater out of that last strand of hope." Too many people are walking around holding onto something that's going to rot. We are constantly looking for a reason not to do our art--not to take the risk.

How many people want your platform, your seat, your chance to make something happen? Make art, give gifts, do work that matters, shift things, make a difference.

A 6 word invitation--we need you to lead us.