Willow Creek Leadership Summit Summaries

• The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit :: Erwin McManus
• Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit :: Patrick Lencioni
• Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit :: John Dickson

The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit :: Erwin McManus Posted: 12 Aug 2011 02:56 PM PDT He leads a complex, multi-campus church, yet convention, programs, and structures repel him. Erwin McManus remains unencumbered by the human creations that can crowd out the essence of the Spirit’s work in the world. “Don’t do evangelism,” he says. “Live Christ.” McManus purposefully immerses himself in the culture around him—the fashion and entertainment industry of Los Angeles. It’s been as normative for him to start a clothing line and produce a hit Super Bowl commercial as it has been for him to teach at Mosaic on Sunday mornings. McManus imparts to his listeners a holistic perspective of ministry that compels integration and action—and leaves “doing church” in the dust. Erwinmcmanus.com The Origins Project Mosaic.org  The Awaken Group, Leadership Consulting Erwin McManus Facebook Erwin McManus Twitter There are moments in our lives where we are inspired to act. We look for incremental ideas to help us get there. What we really need is a mind-shift. We need a reformation of our thinking. We need a new understanding of reality. One of the greatest challenges we face is to have a different relationship with the future. I’ve always had an uncomfortable relationship with Ecclesiastes 1. Have you ever read passages of the Scripture that agree with you, and you pretend you agree with them? Erwin wrestled with the idea that “there is nothing new under the sun.” For 20 years he embraced that worldview but something inside of his soul felt sickened by the reality of that theological framework. Solomon was wrong: there is something new under the sun. Why do we allow the man who says, “everything is meaningless” shape our worldview? He was speaking out of despair and darkness. That’s not how God sees our experience. There is an apathy towards the future in the Church. God is always doing something new. Start paying attention because you are going to miss the new. Put away the former things… behold, I am doing a new thing. Will you even be aware of it? Will you know it’s happening? We have an oppressive worldview that tells us there is nothing new under the sun. God is entirely the God of the new. if you live your life outside of God, you are destined to a life of monotony, endless repetition and emptiness. When you step into the presence of the Creator of the Universe, everything becomes new. Even His mercies are new every morning. You become a new creation You have a new spirit. You have a covenant. You cannot put new wine in an old wineskin. God’s first job was being an artist. We’re really comfortable with history. We can’t make history. We can’t change history. We are too uncomfortable with the future. We need to create the future. We are all created in the image and likeness of God. When we live our lives outside of God we live our lives in the created order. When we live our lives with God, we live in the creative order. Evil men do not wait for permission from God to create the future they have in mind. Good people sit idly by waiting for God to create a better world. Why do we wait for someone else to make the better future? Don’t wait for someone else to create the better future. What comes after the post modern world? Whatever we choose! We have been entrusted with this stewardship: to redeem the image of God in every human being and living our lives that reflects the image and character of God. To Create the Future… We need to become the cultivators of human potential. Nurture the creative capacity in every human being. Moses was no ordinary child. Were you born great or are you attaining greatness? There has never been an ordinary human being ever born; most of us die painfully and tragically ordinary. The Church needs to nurturer the human spirit. What if followers of Christ were known as the epicenter of creativity? People live their entire lives being beat down. The moment you meet Jesus Christ, something comes alive in you. Imagination that was lost comes to life. The church is filled with people in need of someone to come and liberate the dreams inside of  them. What is spiritual leadership if we do not set the human spirit free? If we do something extraordinary and beautiful the world will ask us what fuels our motivation. The Church needs to reclaim its place as the incubator of God given talent and potential inside of every human being. There is no better way to live, than to redeem the image of God in every human being. There is no conflict between human creativity and the glory of God. Be the Narrators of the Human Story We used to be the best poets in the world. We used to tell our story with authenticity and transparency. There is no book that explains the human condition better than the Scriptures. The Scriptures have an uncanny ability to bring life and health to anyone. We’ve taken on a false narrative in the Church: we are afraid to tell who we really are. We need to reclaim the truth-telling power of the narrative of Christ. We need a revival of great storytelling. Whoever tells the best story shapes culture. A lot of times the truth is lost in a bad story and falsehood is spread through a good story. It’s not that hard to bring people to Jesus when you tell them a story they find themselves in. Closing We are a mosaic… broken and fragmented pieces brought together by the masterful hand of an extraordinary Creator. We are a creative class in a new creative order. Jesus is coming. He makes all things new.

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit :: Patrick Lencioni Posted: 12 Aug 2011 01:41 PM PDT People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed. One of the ways we manifest humility is by being vulnerable. Vulnerability requires transparency, openness, sacrifice and selflessness. Vulnerability is powerful and rare. Being yourself is liberating. When he started his firm he said, “let’s be naked with our clients.” Let’s be totally honest. The trust, loyalty and commitment from their clients was undeniable because being naked is so rare. There are limitless rewards for being vulnerable but they are not guaranteed. Pain, suffering, discomfort and sacrifice are counter-cultural. Following Christ is counter-cultural. 3 Fears of Being Vulnerable 1 – Fear of Losing the Business The fear of being rejected. Christ was rejected. We have to exercise our willingness to be rejected. That is how we will draw people to us. Enter the danger. The best improv comes into walking into the middle of a moment. As leaders and service providers, we have to enter into the danger. Churches have terminal niceness… we are afraid to tell the truth. We sometimes have to be rejected. The activist doesn’t tell the kind truth, neither does the brown-noser. Clients, leaders, and people in our churches are desperate for people to tell them the kind truth. We have to speak the kind truth. Kindness comes through empathy. Many leaders don’t like to tell the kind truth. Wusses don’t tell people the kind truth. It takes courage to enter into the danger with people and tell them the kind truth. Paul told the Galatians… I’m a God-pleaser, not a people-pleaser, I have to tell you the truth. 2 – The Fear of Being Embarrassed When we are serving others we have to do things that embarrass us. We have to ask the hard questions that no one else is asking. Our job isn’t to look smart it’s to help other people do their work better. When you edit yourself to protect your image people don’t let you in. Ask dumb questions. Celebrate your mistakes. We all mess up. The best leaders admit their mistakes When we acknowledge our humanity, people will listen to what we have to say. 3 – The Fear of Feeling Inferior We don’t want to put ourselves in a lower position and have people look down on us. Do the dirty work. Put yourself in a lower position. Show people you are willing to do whatever you are asking them to do. That’s what Jesus did. People won’t always reward you for doing the dirty work. Honor your client’s work. Be more interested in them than they are interested in you. Why Do We Do It? Being vulnerable is not easy. It involves suffering and pain. We are called to do it because we serve the most humble and vulnerable leader. We have to answer that call.

Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit :: John Dickson Posted: 12 Aug 2011 12:55 PM PDT Are prestigious titles and powerful positions prerequisites for impactful leadership? “You don’t need structural authority to be a leader of influence,” according to historian and social commentator John Dickson. “The leader’s strongest tool is humility,” he says. “It intensifies credibility.” Dickson, the author of Humilitas: A Lost Key to Life, Love, and Leadership (May 2011), investigates the crucial role humility plays in a leader’s life—and its theological, historical, and practical implications. Dickson issues this challenge: Navigate the complex intersection of leadership and humility, and learn to lead through persuasion, example, and influence rather than positional authority. Dickson offers practices to help you cultivate deeper authentic humility on your team—and in your soul. Johndickson.org St. Andrews Centre for Public Christianity John Dickson on Facebook CPX facebook John Dickson on Twitter There is a dilemma facing anyone addressing the topic of humility in public. I have a love/har Humility is not humiliation. Humility is not low-self esteem or hiding your talents or achievements Humility is the noble choice to forgo your status and use your influence for the good of other before yourself. Humility is to hold you power in the service of others. Some of the greatest leaders in history possessed humility. Humility will not make you great; just as greatness will not make you humble. Humility makes the great greater. 1 – Humility is common sense. None of us is an expert at everything. Despite the brilliance all around us, what we collectively don’t know and can’t do far exceeds what we know and can do. Expertise is one area counts for very little in another. A true expert should know this better than anyone. True experts know there is so much more to know about a topic. The experts must know that what they do know and can do far exceeds what they can’t do and don’t know. The opposite is competency extrapolation. Because we think the Bible trumps all other forms of knowledge we try our hands at Biblical perspectives on politics, science, world religion, etc. If we aren’t careful, we will make mistakes applying the Bible to fields of knowledge outside our areas of expertise. To preach well to my church I have to listen to the wisdom sitting out in the pews. 2 – Humility is Beautiful We are more attracted to the great who are humble. Presumptions diminish greatness. Humility has no always been regarded as being beautiful. Humility used to mean servitude in Greek culture. One of the prized virtues in ancient Greece was the love of honor. How have we, in Western Culture, come to prize humility? A humility revolution took place in the middle of the 1st century with a teacher from Nazareth. Mark 10:43 – whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. It wasn’t Jesus’ teaching that created the humility revolution. It was Jesus actual crucifixion that changed the way people thought about humility and greatness. In antiquity, crucifixion was the lowest form of death. Jesus’ death caused them to redefine greatness. If the greatest man we have ever known willingly sacrificed his life on the cross, the Innocent for the guilty, than greatness must exist is sacrifice. Philippians 2:3-8 Prof. Edwin Judge – Everyone in our culture dislikes people who are proud; everyone admires humility. We only like people who are actually humble. You don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate humility. Our culture has been massively impacted by the event of the crucifixion. Western Culture has been profoundly influenced and shaped by the cross. The cross changed everything. Our culture is cruciform. Greatness and humility are now one. 3 – Humility is Generative Humility generates new knowledge and abilities. Humble people are always looking to learn something new. Science is a humble confession of humility. Peter Harrison, “The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science” – there is a need for new methods to explore reality. The humble place is a place of growth. It is in the lowest, dirtiest places that you learn something you couldn’t learn any other way. Accurate criticism is your best friend if you are a wise person… it’s your fast track to growth. The low place is the generative place… the place of flourishing. 5 – Humility is persuasive. The textbook of persuasion says there must a intellect, emotion, and character. Humility makes people trustworthy. The most believable person in the world is the person you know has the best interest in their heart. 6 – Humility is Inspiring The real power of effective leadership is maximizing other people’s potential. When leaders appear aloof and unapproachable, we admire them but we don’t emulate them. When leaders are approachable, we aspire to be like them… they seem just like us and we think we can be like them. There are four tools of leadership a leader has to work with: Ability – the natural flare they have. Authority – organizational power. Character – merit of life. Persuasion – ability to move people to believe. Some of the most inspiring leaders in history had no structural authority; they just had truckloads of ability, character and persuasion. People couldn’t help but follow them and believe. You don’t need the power to change empires or individuals. You don’t need the keys to the kingdom to impact the Kingdom. You’ve got to have character. You don’t need organizational structures… what you need the most is humility. You don’t need the majority to change a nation. You don’t need the authority to win the war. You don’t need to reclaim the nation for Christ to win the nation for Christ. You need humility. Humility is not just another leadership technique. Humility is a reflection of the deep structure of reality. At the center of history is a cross… the self-giving of the Almighty. If that is true, the cruciform life is a life in touch with reality. Your attitude should be the same of that of Christ Jesus.

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