2013 Global Leadership Summit, Day 1

I arrived at the simulcast location for this year's WCA Global Leadership Summit in Rapid City, SD.  Fountain Springs Community Church was hosting the event and did an excellent job with everything.  Today's sessions included:

• Bill Hybels - He set the stage with a profound message of moving from vision casting to execution.  This from a man with 38 years as the pastor of Willow Creek and with a legacy of literally world changing impact on the church, he is still setting the pace and calling for virtues to move from the ethereal to the forefront . . . and he is practicing that with an emphasis upon ministry and caring for WC along with serious financial commitment.  He is also wise enough to begin to engage in succession planning so that they church can continue to move forward even after he steps down.
• Colin Powell - Leaders, according to General Powell, who get the work done are those who create a sense of purpose and then create the environment where success is possible.  According to him successful leaders infect their people; successful people are force multipliers.  He is a powerful speaker and communicator. 
• Patrick Lencioni - This was perhaps my favorite presentation so far, although, in this crowd there are no bad presentations.  He spoke from his new book "Three Signs of a Miserable Job."  His style of delivery was exactly like I like it.  He talked fast and with some signs of being HDD.  The three signs are Anonymity, Irrelevance, and Immeasurement.  As he went through these points I could see in my mind's eye different individuals who had made me feel one or more of these things in the past . . . and I could see where I might have been guilty of not providing enough in one or more of these areas to those I have managed.  Definitely insightful and will have to get the book.
• Liz Wiseman - I wasn't sure what to think about her presentation but the further she went the more I began to understand the premise.  Namely, that managers/leaders fall into four camps:  true diminishers, accidental diminishers, accidental multipliers, and true multipliers.  Here again, as she explained each group I could see several people I have worked with in each of these camps and understand the impact they had upon me, and began to reflect on the impact I have had on those I have lead/managed.  Another book to buy!  I'd like to give this one to some people but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't "get it."
• Chris Brown - Chris delivered a powerful message about succession planning, about developing the leaders within your organization, and empowerment.  This was more of a sermon but powerfully delivered in a style that was interesting and challenging.
• Bob Goff - He is an ALWAYS on kind of guy!
• Michael Jr. also did some stand up comedy and was very entertaining.

I'm not sure why there weren't more at the Rapid City site except perhaps that most in this region don't recognize the benefit these kind of experiences can have on professional development and/or they are unsure of the impact of a simulcast, which I found worked well.

I do know I listened to these speakers with a profound sense of awe, guilt and inspiration.  Awe because I saw and learned new things which I didn't know and to see these leaders who have persevered and are still leading is impressive.  Guilt because I'm not leading as well as I thought and may have actually been having a negative impact. Inspiration because I can go forth and do better . . . and will.