Every year, the Willow Creek Association, hosts the Leadership Summit, which has become the largest leadership conference in the world.

It was envisioned by Bill Hybels and birthed in 1995. The Summit in North America has grown from 1 site to over 140 sites linked together via satellite and over 65,000 leaders in 2008. And in 2008, The Global Leadership Summit brought together via videocast over 46,000 people in 114 cities and 50 countries. Learn more about the history of the Summit.

The Summit is not exclusive nor limited to people of faith. While affirming that leadership is a gift from God, the Summit welcomes everyone involved in leading self and leading others. That includes you. The Summit holds a deep belief that if you change a church leader, you can change a church, and if enough churches start changing, you can change an entire region, country, and eventually the world.  Who doesn’t want to live in a better world?

The Leadership Summit gathers the best in the world!  This year’s outstanding faculty included: Bill Hybels, Henry Cloud, Carly Fiorina, Patrick Lencioni, Gary Hamel, Tim Keller, Jessica Jackley, Tony Blair, Dave Gibbons, David Gergen, and Bono. Yes, Bon0, the rockstar, activist, and prophet!

Some of the top gold nuggets (quotes) from the conference are below. If you really want more insights/quotes, email me and I’ll be happy to send you all my notes from the conference (10+ pages).

A golden nugget is that precious and valuable lump of gold found in the midst of, oh well, lots of gold. In Spanish, it is called a “pepito”  🙂

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Leading In a New Reality
Bill Hybels

• “I didn’t have an adequate replenishment strategy…The pace at which I’m doing God’s work is destroying God’s work in me.”
• “This is where we have to do self-leadership. We have to reinvent adequate replenishment strategies in the midst of new realities.”
• “I have now started a new pattern, I start my day in a quiet place at home with God…away from the leadership distractions.”

Hiring, Firing, and Board Meltdowns
Bill Hybels, Patrick Lencioni, Henry Cloud, David Ireland, Carly Fiorina

• “Often we idealize a potential candidate so that they fit into what we need.” – Cloud
• “People see what they want to see…first impressions are usually wrong.” – Fiorina
• “Clear, strong cultures are essential for healthy organizations. So much that people will either be drawn to or repulsed by an organizations culture.” – Lencioni
• “If the board isn’t functional, the organization can’t be functional.” – Fiorina
• “We often don’t give people enough feedback to let them make a decision for themselves to change.” – Lencioni
• “We must honor people throughout the process of hiring and firing.” – Hybels

Manage Differently NOW
Gary Hamel

• “Unprecedented difficulties allow for unprecedented opportunities…yet, you have to have unprecedented strategies.”
• “Our churches feel too much like rigid corporations than fluid and dynamic communities.””Maybe we need to try going back to Disorganized Religion. Spiritually powerful and institutionally week.”
• “As far as I know, God doesn’t have a plan B for the (reconciliation of all things). We have been invited into that process.”

Leading People to the Prodigal God
Tim Keller

• “Are you doing stuff for others or is the stuff you’re doing for them really for yourself? Don’t go into the ministry to save your soul.”
• “The Gospel is not religion or irreligion…it is something entirely else.”
• “Religion = I obey, therefore, I am accepted.” “The Gospel of Jesus = I am accepted through Jesus’ love and sacrifice, therefore, I obey.”

A Leadership Case Study: Jessica Jackley and the KIVA Story
Jessica Jackley (Interview with Jim Mellado)

• “The secret to changing the world is a change of mindset.”
• “Great poets show, they don’t tell.”
• “The role of the leader is to equip.”

Against All Odds
Harvey Carey

• “Nothing is impossible to those who believe. When you reach outside your grasp–outside your capacity–you will see amazing results.”

Stay tuned for Gold Nuggets from the Leadership Summit – Day 2!