Global Leadership Summit 2007: Session 6 & 7 notes

Session 6: Colin Powell

1. Promote a clash of ideas. Good leaders encourage arguments based on their expertise. Clash is good. But when a consensus comes, that’s it… Follow me.
2. Create a noisy system. Control environment so that it fosters discussion and YOUR ideas so he can make a great decision.
3. Plans don’t accomplish work, people get stuff done. The leader has the responsibility to get the environment in place to get the work done. Give subordinates 2/3rds of the time to get a project done
4. Open door policy. Give people direct access to get direct candid insight from trusted people.
5. Probe the organization. More interested in raw feedback than politics or threatening behavior. Grass roots feedback by walking around.
6. Reward best performers. Get rid of worst performers. When people aren’t  pulling their load… It creates animosity from good performers.
7. Be prepared to disappoint.  Its just part of being a leader, deal with it.
8. Check your ego at the door. Keep a little disassociated about issues. Otherwise you’ll  get destroyed
9. Have fun along the way. Hobbies are good. It settles your mind. Doing something you can win is a great diversion from problems you cannot solve.
10. Fit no stereotypes. Be your own person. Allow your performance to judge you. Prove you are a good soldier first, this will make you an equal. I was raised with an assumption that you would succeed and a strong sense of not wanting to shame the family.
11. Optimism is a force multiplier. Gives you a massive advantage. It is infectious. But it has to be real.
12. Things always look better in the morning. Starts your day with optimism. Start days with staff meetings… Tell me what I need to know. 10-30 minutes only. This is more important than today’s tragedy. It builds trust.
13. War is a failure of diplomacy. It is to be avoided.
14. How does leadership change on the battlefield? You must respond and react. In action you must speed things up.
15. Trust the element of instinct. Analysis on the fly.
16. Be prepared to be lonely. You have to stand on your decisions. Call subordinates to talk and listen to alleviate their pressure. Find ways to deal with it or its overbearing.
17. What is the role of the church today? Educate on the issues of the day without becoming politicized. It has to focus on making a difference.
18. What are you focused on? Youth 14-16 years old. (You read that right, Cubs fans… General Colin Powell, the man who could be president if he wanted to is saying no to so many other things so he can help his church do youth ministry.) Teaching them how to be men through the church. Working with minority kids in DC and New York. When you touch a life… You make a difference.
19. How do you want to be remembered? Faithfulness.
20. I want to go out in a state of grace. We all have a debt of service we cannot repay.

Session 7: John Ortberg
Dealing with fear in leadership

Greatest fears of a leader

• Failure
• Mutiny
• Criticism; leadership is disappointing people at a pace they can handle.
• Greatest fear: going after a shadow mission.

Esther 1: The king wanted to show off a hot wife… She said no. Then the king sent for the courts to handle it.

The higher you rise, the less truth you learn about the organization. The organization starts to just tell the leader what he wants to hear. Do I want engagement  or compliance?

So the king gets a new wife. Esther wins a contest to be the new queen. Her role is really just to please the queen.

In comes hamen. And mordachai tells her… Your job here is not to please the king. It is to help combat the shadow mission of the king and haymen.

What is your shadow mission? Where does your depravity lead you to? For john it is about finding public acclaim. We all have one area want to chase after.

The danger with a shadow mission is that it is often close to what or talents are. Its usually only 10 degrees off from our primary giftedness.

What is your churches shadow mission? For johns church it is “a succesful church for succesful people.”

What if you had to put it on your statioary or church sign?

Who is mordechai in your life?

Do you have regular, honest dialogue about your shadow mission?

If you don’t know what it is… Ask your coworkers as they know.

The king asks esther… What do you want? Haymens shadow mission is “more”

Evidenced by a lack of contentment.

Will you be willing to name and confront the shadow mission of the people you work with?

Esther 6:6 picture of haymens stupidity and vast shadow mission.

Haymen is hung and mordechai is lifted up.

Esther embraced her mission to die for, what about you?

Have you to grips with your shadow mission? (temptation)

Jesus modeled to us how to conquer a shadow mission. Tempted by satan to take the easy way.

Jesus stares his shadow mission in the face and says no.

It is God who is working in unseen ways to use you when you chose His mission over your shadow mission.