I had the pleasure of attending the Global Leadership Summit Special Edition 2023 on February 16th, which was my birthday. The Global Leadership Summit Special Edition was packed full of great content.
The lineup for this summit was fantastic. It included faith-based speakers along with those in the traditional business world. I love when summits do this because you get to hear such a diverse group of voices. You’re then able to take away what you can from the different speakers.
Who were the speakers at the Global Leadership Summit Special Edition? They were:
- Craig Groeschel
- Todd Henry
- Dan Owolabi (contest winner to speak and, in my opinion, the best speaker there)
- Robert Morris
- Heather R. Younger
- Jose M. Hernandez
- Cyn Marshall
Each speaker brought something unique to the table. It could be their business acumen, wisdom from Bible study, or personal experience. I was blown away by each speaker and can’t wait to attend the full Global Leadership Summit later this year.
While I can’t share with you the full content of the Global Leadership Summit Special Edition, I wanted to bring you some of the best quotes I heard while attending the event at All Shores Wesleyan in Spring Lake, Michigan with members from my church, The Gateway Church.
The Best Leadership Quotes And Ideas From The Global Leadership Summit Special Edition
Craig Groeschel – Pastor of Life.Church and Author
You do what you do because of what you think of you
Two reasons you’re inconsistent – You’re too focused on what you want to do and you’ve been trying too long
Your identity shapes your leadership
You need to create a leadership statement. Examples are: I am a compassionate leader who loves people. I am a disciplined leader who always prioritizes the day. I am a spirit-empowered leader who boldly leads people to find Christ.
Trying never creates consistent results, training does
Trying give you an out
When training, you have a plan. Training is a commitment
Final thoughts from Craig Groeschel: Who do you want to become as a leader? What do you need to do to become that kind of leader?
Todd Henry – Found of Accidental Creative and Author
Why was it one moment I was terrified to do something and in the next I was doing what I was terrified of doing?
I heard my name
Todd chose to respond to something. He heard a new name for himself. He didn’t hear coward or scaredy-cat. What he heard was “You are brave.”
What you answer to is your actual name
Bravery is usually the next little step to take
People get the idea of bravery wrong. It’s not rushing into battle or saving a little child. It’s making the small choices that lead to these kind of actions.
We artificially inflate consequences
The love of comfort is often the enemy of progress or growth
Build relationships with truth tellers
Far too many people tell us what we want to hear. Not what we need to hear.
How to develop bravery: Everyday choices and actions. Let go of something, latch onto something new.
Dan Owolabi – Founding Executive Director of Branches Worldwide and Author
Dan had a shortened session due to him being the winner of a contest to speak at the Global Leadership Summit. Honestly, I wish I could have listened to him for 30, 40, or 50 minutes. He was that good. If you’re looking for a speaker, reach out to him. You won’t be disappointed.
Compliments can be taken as criticism, especially in diverse communities.
The best leaders are culturally intelligent leaders
Be curious, not judgemental – A quote he used of Walt Whitman
We’re all learning in real time
We have to be aware of the cultural differences of those we lead and interact with. It’s hard to understand what something means in another person’s culture when we’ve never experienced it ourselves. Owolabi shared a story of a woman asking another woman if she put on weight. She repeated the question when the other woman asked her What did you say? The woman meant it as a compliment because in her African community, gaining weight was a sign of doing well. Be aware of the culture and context you’re speaking into.
Robert Morris – Pastor of The Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas and Author
During Morris’ session, we experienced some technical difficulties with the live stream. I missed some important quotes but will share what I have.
Take the day off
(Taking the day off) This is the hardest leadership principle to get
The best leaders train themselves out of a job. His father had been a civil engineer. He kept hiring new employees to help, but eventually, he didn’t do civil engineering as much as he wanted.
Even God took the day off
Rest is one of the 10 commandments
Tiredness can lead to you feeling as if you’re having a nervous breakdown.
Heather R. Younger – CEO of Employee Fanatix and Author
Younger brought a great session to the Summit. She shared about the power of listening.
We have more power than we think
The more we know how to listen, the more we can understand what people need from us
There is a cycle to active listening. The cycle is: Recognizing the Unsaid -> Seek to Understand -> Decode -> Take Action -> Close the Loop
Go to Give
People want us to be present, not ready to take. Find a way to be a giver.
What should we do about it?
If you seek to understand, pause to decode, and more, but never communicate/there’s no chirp, people feel like they’re not heard. Make sure to close the loop!
You show people are important when you close the loop
The power to listen can change the way the people around you think about themselves
When you listen, it is the biggest gift you can give
Listening is so important to leading well. The more you listen, the more you hear. The more you hear, the more action you take. The more action you take on what is said, the more people feel heard.
Jose M. Hernandez – American engineer and former NASA astronaut and Author
My teacher put dad on a pedastel to help him understand the challenge of moving to three school districts throughout the year
His teacher used his dad’s experience and knowledge of agriculture to understand that uprooting his children multiple times throughout the year was not good for them. She praised his knowledge before giving him the information he needed.
I was so excited, I wasn’t scared
Hernandez shared with his dad what he wanted to become when he was older. He shared that he wanted to be an astronaut. His excitement dissipated any fear he had of his father being upset.
He (his dad) empowered the dream
You need to follow a 5-ingredient recipe (for success)
- Determine your purpose in life
- Recognize how far away you are from your goal
- Draw yourself a roadmap (Know the way to your goal)
- Prepare yourself according to the challenge
- Education is key. Put your effort where your goal is
These steps were given to him by his father. Hernandez has since added a sixth ingredient:
- Perseverance
Hernandez had been turned down by NASA multiple times. He didn’t give up on his dream. Eventually, NASA accepted him.
I invested in myself
You have to be strategic in your perseverance
Cynt Marshall – Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas Mavericks and Author
I’m aware of it (challenges) and I run toward it
Leadership matters
Ask yourself two questions:
- Who has the power to change the world? I do.
- Who has the influence to transform communities? I do.
As leaders, we’re all about going all in
- INtent
- INtegrity
- INclusion
- INsight
- INspiration
They saw a leader in me
The educators around Marshall saw potential. They helped cultivate her potential.
Cynt Marshall’s leadership philosophy:
- Listen to the people
- Learn from the people
- Love the people
The Impact Of The Global Leadership Summit 2023 Special Edition
I cannot overstate the power of the speakers at the Global Leadership Summit. Hearing from these men and women was inspiring. Their words resonated with me and those in attendance.
If you haven’t been to a Global Leadership Summit, you must get to one. It’s easy as they do live events and live stream them across the world.
