By way if introduction, Hybels answers the question “What is Summit?” Hybels says: “We are real leaders trying to lead better in this world,” and that Summit is “unashamedly Christ-centered.” Sounds good to me. Let’s see if it pans out
Hybels launches into his talk…
Leaders move people from here to there (A to B). We must be able to know where we are and paint a picture of where we will be and then lead the way. The problem is people like it here they are because its safe and familiar. How does a leader overcome this? We try to oversell it, but people still resist.
(Sidenote – Hybels looks at his notes way too much)
So, don’t make “there” sound wonderful, make “here” sound awful! Even if something is a success, you must see room for improvement. We can’t rest on “Well, this is better than nothing.”
For example, Hybels talks about connecting concrete action with spiritual resources. They had a couple of rocking ministries going but Hybels saw room for improvement, so he pointed out the ways in which these ministries were failing.
“Sometimes staying where we are breaks the heart of God.” Figure out what God wants to get done in the world, figure out your role in that, and then move something or someone toward that goal.
It takes fantastic people to accomplish this. People with good character, competence, and chemistry with the people they’ll be working with. Hybels adds another C – Culture. What kind of person is going to fit well on our teams? To figure this out your have to know what you value as a leadership team. Will they fit in with our unique culture? Find, recruit, and retain people who will thrive in your unique culture.
Willow leadership evaluated each staff member and discussed what their reaction would be if that person resigned… whether upon their resignation they would be relieved, disturbed, or devastated as the leadership of the church.
Mile Markers and Celebration – inspiring people to stay on the journey
People are most vulnerable in the middle of “here” and “there”.
- Refill their vision bucket – we can’t just fill it once. Everyone’s vision bucket has leaks. We have to keep refilling it
- Celebrate every mile marker you can on the way to the destination – don’t wait until you arrive
What keeps people on the journey is the sense of hope that they’re going to get there someday.
Whispers from God
- Read God’s word – every leader ought to be an incurable reader f the Bible.
- Listen to God’s Spirit – usually not an audible voice
“Do you think God speaks and will you do everything in your power to hear him speak and heed his voice?”
Closing
Whispers can be very short. Hybels closes with displaying possible “whispers” on the screen and talking about them a bit.
Summary
This was not nearly as inspirational as last year’s talk (read about it here) by Hybels but it was alright. It felt like he relied more on humor than content this year. Plus there seemed to be a lot of book plugs.
Next up: Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great”
