I usually come away from the Willow Creek Global Leadership
Summit with ideas to pursue, new books to read, and at least one new “person of
interest”—someone I did not know about before and whose work I would like to
learn more about.
The speaker who was the “person of interest” for me this
year was Chris McChesney, the Global Practice Leader of Execution for Franklin
Covey. McChesney is the co-author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution and is a very dynamic presenter. He emphasized something that most leaders have
learned the hard way—developing strategy is easier than executing that strategy
(just ask any church that has produced a strategic plan and never looked at it
again). He explained that execution
involves people and a change in human behavior which is often hampered by the
system in which they function. His
insights were helpful and I look forward to reading the book.
Another speaker that I anticipated hearing was Erin Meyer,
an instructor at INSEAD, a prominent business school in France. Originally from
a small town in Minnesota, Meyer is married to a Frenchman and (as she said)
has “French children.” Her area of
expertise is navigating the complexities of cultural differences in
multicultural work environments. I read
her book The Culture Map prior to the meeting because this is a topic of
special interest to me. Cross-cultural
effectiveness is not limited to business but should be a concern of educators
and ministry leaders as well.
I am glad that I had read the book and I appreciated Meyer’s
enthusiasm for her subject but it was like drinking from a fire hose. She had too much material and too little
time. I love the book and have already
recommended it to several friends. It is
very insightful and challenging.
One of the most inspirational parts of today’s program was
Bill Hybels’ interview with Bishop T.D. Jakes, founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s
House. Jakes is a ministry entrepreneur
who understands that the gospel must get outside the walls of the church and
use the tools of culture—music, publishing, motion pictures, and television—to engage
people. He is a strong personality, but
he realizes that he can’t do it alone. As he told Hybels, “If you can
accomplish your dream on your own, your dream is too small.” You need God and you need a team.
There was much more to today’s program, but I once again
appreciated the opportunity to be exposed to a premier group of speakers who
want to make a difference in the world.
I think everyone this year was a professing Christian, but Hybels and
his team are open to learning from those who have little or no Christian
commitment. If we are to engage the
culture, we must listen to the culture.
The Summit is a good place to do that.
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