Month: July 2019

The Poorest Country in the World Hosts the GLS With Your Support

Posted on July 23, 2019 by - Africa, Because of the GLS, Stories, The Global Leadership Summit

Burundi GLS

The men and women who attend the GLS around the globe know and believe that the poverty, oppression and corruption in their communities can be eradicated if they can raise up Christ-centered servant leaders. And if they can do that, they can shift the paradigm. That’s why they host. That’s why they volunteer hundreds of hours and travel thousands of miles to discover ways to bring the GLS to more people in their countries.

One of these countries is Burundi—the poorest nation in the world.

Painito Ambuka, serving in Burundi, shares what the GLS means to him:

Painito Ambuka“What can we do to bring transformation to the country? God called me to raise, train and release church leaders. They can be transformed and transform their churches. I thank God for the GLS, because this will transform the country!

It’s amazing. The audience at the GLS is like none other Burundi has ever seen. It includes bishops, pastors, business leaders, government leaders, military leaders, teachers and students. The humility of everyone coming to learn together instills hope for the future of the country.

Attendees overflowing venue at GLS in BurundiPray that the GLS would help reach the people. I’m trying to reach people in villages and other centers where the people are too. I’m so grateful that I’m going to get the equipment for the GLS. With this equipment, I’m able to go to other places.

Because of the poverty level, we charge only $7 to register for the GLS, but many are not able to pay that much, so we provide a scholarship for them.  We are able to show them teachings and help them contextualize and apply the teaching. Pray for me, that God will help me, and help the people embrace and apply what they learn through the GLS.

—Painito Ambuka, GLS Burundi

As a direct result of your past generosity, local GLS committees in countries like Burundi have been able to offer a low registration cost, based on what attendees can afford, and scholarships to those who are not able to pay at all. To continue to serve Painito and others who are looking for ways to transform their communities, we need help.

Send your support to leaders like Painito by donating here: GlobalLeadership.org/Donate

What’s Your Face?

Posted on July 23, 2019 by - Articles, Emotional Intelligence, Leading Yourself

Each person has a unique and different face.

Years ago, my wife told me that I had a “face,” but I didn’t believe her. What she meant was that I had a particularly unattractive facial expression that I unintentionally displayed when I was feeling frustrated by my inability to be understood by someone. What the face actually displayed was that I was disgusted with the person who didn’t understand me, and that I thought they deserved to be flogged for their stupidity.

Since that time, I’ve come to learn, with the help of my colleagues at The Table Group, that I do sometimes have that face. Even though I have a difficult time conjuring up the face on demand (It seems to require an emotional prompt.), I am well aware that it evokes an unwanted reaction from those who are unlucky enough to witness it.

I’ve recently come to the conclusion that everyone has a face. It is usually the product of a strong emotion that is difficult for us to articulate, and so it is portrayed in a less-than-accurate way.

To that end, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that everyone has a face. It is usually the product of a strong emotion that is difficult for us to articulate, and so it is portrayed in a less-than-accurate way, and often more extreme than we want it to be. For instance, one of my colleagues often feels frustrated that she can’t adequately verbalize her concern for others in the moment, so her face portrays a level of pity that borders on patronizing. This is not what she wants to portray, but it happens nonetheless. It’s her face.

Another colleague, when she feels let down by someone, takes on the look of judgmental disappointment. It’s as if she’s thinking, “so that’s the best you can do, huh? How sad.” She doesn’t know that she’s conveying this, but her colleagues—and her husband and children—certainly do.

Why is it important for all of us to know what our faces are, and when and why we show them? Because if we don’t, we will find ourselves puzzled by the reactions of our employees and team members who have no choice but to respond to the emotional content of what they see. And their reactions are only going to exacerbate what our faces are already exaggerating, leading to further misunderstanding. If that sounds trivial, understand that this can lead to broken trust and unnecessary division among people who have no real reason to be at odds.

The solution to this problem is for every one of us to identify, most likely with the help of our colleagues and loved ones, what our faces are. Once we do this, we need not only to invite those colleagues and loved ones to call us out when we display that face, but to exhort them to do it! We need to beg them to alert us when we are inadvertently expressing an emotion that is unintended, so we can stop and explain what we are really feeling and allow others to help us address those feelings.

We need to beg them to alert us when we are inadvertently expressing an emotion that is unintended, so we can stop and explain what we are really feeling and allow others to help us address those feelings.

My wife inadvertently came up with a fun way of identifying and staying aware of our faces in a team or family environment. It happened the other night when I was a little grumpy and judgmental, and she said, “You’re a little harsh, aren’t you?” And then she laughed and said, “Hey, that should be your rapper name. ‘Li’l Harsh’.” After I got over the initial sting of her accurate nickname for me, I realized that it was a good way of describing my face. So, I went to work, announced my new moniker, and helped everyone come up with their respective rapper names. We now have Li’l Sour, Li’l Dismissive, Li’l Annoyed, Li’l Denial, Li’l Disappointed, Li’l Prickly, Li’l Condescending, Li’l Patronizing and Li’l Tense. That might sound silly, but within the day, we were using those terms to describe one another in moments of stress, and it brought real clarity, not to mention humor, to situations that could have otherwise been unnecessarily tense.

So, what’s your face? And what’s your rapper name?

Peace Out.

Li’l Harsh, aka…

Leadership is About Humility–A Conversation With Tom De Vries (Part 2)

Posted on July 22, 2019 by - Because of the GLS, Church & Faith-Based, Leading Organizations, Nonprofit, North America, Stories, The Global Leadership Summit

Leader and followers

Have you ever wondered about the person who leads the Global Leadership Network (GLN)? This is part two of our two-part blog series to learn about Tom De Vries, President of the GLN. (Click here to view part one)

 

What’s the most surprising thing God has taught you on your journey?

There are two surprises.

One is that God can use anybody. We can choose to discount people because they may not fit a particular mold we have of a leader, but the reality is, if you believe in people, give them an opportunity. Set them up for success, and they often can do far beyond what you think they could ever do.

Leadership is giving them the freedom to exercise what they believe is the direction to go and having the maturity to allow them to go beyond what you were able to do

And a corollary to the fact that God can use anybody, is recognizing people aren’t going to do things the same way you do them. As you coach and mentor young leaders, you need wisdom and maturity to allow them to figure things out on their own. They need to fail as part of their learning experience. Leadership is giving them the freedom to exercise what they believe is the direction to go and having the maturity to allow them to go beyond what you were able to do.

This happened early on when we hired our first youth pastor. I had been a youth pastor when I was in seminary. I had also led a fairly significant college group, and before that, I had been a high school pastor. So, when I hired our youth pastor, I remember this point of decision, Am I going to let John do what John can do, or am I going to expect John to do what I did?

I was very cognizant to say, Let’s let him do what he’s gifted and called to do. And what he did far exceeded what I had done. It was an early leadership lesson for me around extending freedom to fail or succeed.

 

It sounds like there’s a theme along your journey of empowerment. Early in your leadership, was that something you had shown to you?

My dad died my senior year of college. When that happened, I looked to other people for wisdom, input, growth opportunities and safety to ask questions. I’ve had mentors and coaches my entire life. It is a priority of mine to make space to sit down with leaders and influencers who’ve gone before me.

Leaders ultimately give their leadership away.

I’ve had people in my life who were very selfless and cared for my growth; they invested in me as a young leader and sponsored me into positions where I could grow and have a certain degree of leadership effectiveness. Their willingness to have an hour or two hour-long conversation on a monthly basis was empowering. There was one guy I would drive three or four hours for each way just to have lunch with him. I would return to see him each month because I knew I needed to grow, and he was helping me.

Leaders ultimately give their leadership away. They are willing to sit down and let other succeed. That’s the corollary too–as you empower people around you, the amazing thing is that it reflects on you and your leadership in ways that you would never expect.

 

What’s the one story that sticks with you and inspires you to continue when you feel like quitting?

The higher you go in leadership, the larger the problems you’re going to face; the larger the problems, the greater the complexity and resistance.

There was a time when I was ready to quit. I came to those monthly accountability meetings with my friends and partners, and every month, I had nothing good to say. But they kept praying for me and encouraging me. In the midst of that I was able to push through, and God used it for my own growth.

There are going to be times of significant pain and push-back, when you’re questioning what you’re supposed to do.

If you move into a role because you think it’s the next rung on the ladder, or the next notch in your career, that’s not compelling enough to be able to help you navigate during the difficult times. There are going to be times of significant pain and push-back, when you’re questioning what you’re supposed to do.

During each transition, I’ve gone away for a day or two to spend significant amounts of time in prayer, biblical reflection and journaling. In the end, whether my decision was to say yes or no, I was fairly confident and had a sense of God’s leading.

For me, because I have an anchor point through those quiet times of discernment, I know that when I’m in the position I’m in, it’s not by accident. I’m not here because of a whim or a decision that I just made. Being anchored by a sense of God’s leading allows me to weather those inevitable storms. Those anchor points and journeying with a group of fellow leaders who hold me accountable in the midst of that is significant.

 

How has God spoken to you during those transition times?

I remember when God led me to John 15, and I understood the significance of the vine and the branches. In that passage, Jesus says, apart from me you can do nothing. I realized the importance of being plugged in as a branch and the significance of the fruit we bear. I go back to John 15 again and again; I’ve read through it, journaled through it and prayed through it during seasons of transition. It’s a definite anchor point for me.

 

If you had never pursued your calling, what would the world be missing?

For me this is the place of humility. In 2 Corinthians, God uses cracked pots—vessels of honor and dishonor—there are ways, even in our weakness when God is able to use us.

In 2 Corinthians, God uses cracked pots—vessels of honor and dishonor—there are ways, even in our weakness, when God is able to use us.

Looking back over my life, I’m humbled by the times I’ve been able to speak into someone’s life and see transformation. Sometimes that change was significant, even eternal. Having the opportunity to lead someone into a relationship with Christ again and again has been powerful. I’ve also walked with men who failed in their marriage but wanted to find help and make it right. I’ve been able to walk with them into a place of restoration. It’s incredibly powerful.

Starting a non-profit to provide backpacks to kids was awesome to be a part of. Through a woman who had a passion, vision and commitment to lead, now there are over 5,000 kids getting food every week and 100 churches partnering with about 150 schools. I look back and get to say I was a part of that. What’s happening is significant.

It’s incredible to see a church continue to do transformative ministry today because we were a part of it when we had no idea what was going to happen. But God knew.

Tom De Vries with pastors in SingaporeRecently I was in Singapore with our Asian country leaders for the Summit. We heard them talk about what the Summit means to them, especially in light of what just occurred in Sri Lanka. (NOTE: On Easter 2019, three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka were targeted in a series of terrorist suicide bombings.)

In this community, we are able to be engaged in their healing and grieving. I also had a chance to be with our 70 Summit leaders in India. Each one of them came up to talk about how the Summit is making a difference in their village or their city of multimillions. They’re so grateful for our willingness to partner with them and journey with them and provide them with resources that allow transformation to happen.

It’s incredibly humbling to realize it’s not what we’re doing, it’s what God is doing through us. I’m open to wherever that is going to take us. I’m excited to see it multiply again and again.

 

Let’s end on a fun note. What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

Growing up in southern California, I became a rabid Los Angeles Dodgers fan! It’s something I loved as a kid and still do to this day. I loved playing baseball as a kid, in high school and college, and still have a huge affinity for the Dodgers.

Leadership is Service—A Conversation With Tom De Vries (Part 1)

Posted on July 22, 2019 by - Because of the GLS, Church & Faith-Based, Leading Organizations, Nonprofit, North America, Stories, The Global Leadership Summit

Open hands

Have you ever wondered about the person who leads the Global Leadership Network (GLN)? In this two-part blog series, learn about Tom De Vries, President of the GLN. Learn about his first encounter with the Summit back in the 1990s—his leadership journey over the years, his fears and battles, his passion for leadership and what mentorship has meant to him. (Click here to read part two.)

 

When was your first encounter with the Summit?

The first time I came to the Summit was in 1996—it was their second year. It really was a “wow” experience, especially in the area of leadership, which was a passion of mine. My experience at the church and at the Summit carried over as I went to seminary and then back home to plant a church in southern California, where I grew up. Our vision for our church was really influenced by the idea to reach people who didn’t grow up in the church and who had a lot of spiritual questions.

 

Describe how you became the leader of the Global Leadership Network.

My worlds collided when I connected with the group that was responsible for putting forward people who would be the future president and CEO to follow in Gary Schwammlein’s footsteps.

The role has a connection with my past, certainly with my present and also with my future and passion.

The role has a connection with my past, certainly with my present and also with my future and passion. I really have a heart for the global vision of the Summit, both from the side of growing the Church around the world to being able to raise leaders who serve in significant ways and to minister in business, education and government sectors. When they offered me the opportunity, my wife and I prayed through it, and really believed God was leading us this way.

 

What part of your work excites you the most?

If you raise up someone’s leadership level, it makes a transformative difference in their life and their environment—and this can happen anywhere. It can happen in the life of a mom, school teacher, the president of a country, a business leader and certainly in the life of a pastor or church planter. Often people get a whole new vision of what God wants them to do to live out compassion and justice in the world. If you add leadership to the equation, it raises their level of influence. The Spirit of God works in those grander visions. The Summit equips people with resources, encouragement and inspiration.

To come to work every day and hear a new story of transformation and growth and hear how the Summit has impacted lives is an awesome reason to get up in the morning.

To come to work every day and hear a new story of transformation and growth and hear how the Summit has impacted lives is an awesome reason to get up in the morning. I love to see God at work around the world.

 

At what point did that passion switch on in you, when you said, “Oh, I get it. Leadership changes everything.”?

Often, we think we have to be the authoritative or the chief leader, but it is out of our vulnerability, transparency and servant leadership posture where God does profound things. I discovered this early on as a very young, emerging leader.

Laura and I got married and moved out to Moreno Valley, California where we went to plant our church. I remember when we launched. There were maybe 100 people who were a part of the church at the time. John Maxwell was doing a conference in the town next door, so I brought a dozen people from our church to attend. John talked specifically to pastoral leaders on Friday night of the conference and said, I want you to be open, transparent and vulnerable about how you feel in regard to your leadership. We broke up into our groups, and here I am with our team thinking to myself, Am I really going to be vulnerable? Am I really going to be open? Or am I going to just give an easy answer, so we can move on?

The affirmation they gave me as a young leader sent me on a path to becoming the best leader I possibly could to ultimately live out the call of God on my life…

I decided to share my fears, anxieties and concerns. I looked around the circle and said, I’m 25. I’m really wet behind the ears. I really don’t know anything about leadership. I’m not sure I can be the leader you need me to be for our church. I’m not sure I can take us where we sense God wants us to go. I just need to admit that.

They came back and said, Tom, we believe that God has called you to be the pastor of this church. Because of God’s calling on your life and where you sense we need to go, we will follow. We believe you’re the leader for this time, this place and this opportunity. God has called us together to do something special. We’re behind you, we’re with you, we support you, we’re praying for you and we’re committed to what God wants to do in and through us together.

The affirmation they gave me as a young leader sent me on a path to becoming the best leader I possibly could be to ultimately live out the call of God on my life and with the people I was journeying with. I began to read everything I could, go to as many conferences as I could and work on leadership in a graduate school setting as well.

 

What has been your biggest takeaway from the Summit?

I have made significant decisions as a result of attending the Summit. Once in the late 1990s, I sat in the Summit on that first day pondering a position I had been offered to move from southern California to Michigan to oversee all of the church multiplication and revitalization for our denomination. While I was there, I had a sense of God’s prompting, you really need to do this. That opening to the next chapter of my leadership journey ultimately changed the trajectory of our lives.

The biggest takeaway from the Summit was recognizing leaders never arrive, no matter what level of leadership they end up in.

The leadership journey is a learning journey. The biggest takeaway from the Summit was recognizing leaders never arrive, no matter what level of leadership they end up in. It wasn’t a singular talk that was the biggest takeaway, it was being in an incubator to reflect on the things I was hearing, and how it applied to me. The immensity and the multiplicity of collective learning in teams has had a huge impact on whatever organization or situation I was a part of at the time too. It creates connection and coordination.

Leadership is complex, and sometimes even painful and lonely. I need inspiration and encouragement. I need to be equipped. I need to hear from thought leaders and those who have reflected on leadership academically. I need to hear from those who are leading in other environments and understand what some of the best and newest practices are that I can apply to my situation. The dynamic of leadership is moving and growing. Environment, people and culture continue to change, and as a leader, the Summit is a commitment to my continued growth in dynamic and evolving situations.

 

What is your calling or Grander Vision?

Discovering my calling was a journey. Much of my early growth included reflecting on my life purpose and articulating that to establish a decision grid to help live out that calling. I realized the first person you lead is yourself, and one of the first steps of leading yourself is knowing where you’re going. The best way to know where you’re going is to be open to the Spirit’s leading, identifying why God put you on this earth.

As I opened myself up to the Spirit as a young leader, what I heard God say is, Your life purpose is to be an influencer of influencers for Jesus Christ.

As I opened myself up to the Spirit as a young leader, what I heard God say is, Your life purpose is to be an influencer of influencers for Jesus Christ.

When I made the decision be part of the GLN, it was because it gives me the opportunity to live out my life purpose at the highest level. I know everything I do and every decision I make has a direct impact on helping grow people in their influence and in their leadership.

Right now, our desire at the GLN is to reach 500,000 people annually through the Summit and recognizing that each of those 500,000 people has circles of influence that are multiplied. Over the next few years, what would it look like to reach 1 million? How many are they going to influence? Inspiring and equipping 1 million people with world-class leadership may have direct impact on over 100 million people. It’s profound.

This vision comes out of my life calling and is consistent with what God has asked me to invest my life in for His glory.

 

What have been your fears or battles as you’ve pursued your calling?

[Long pause]. I pause because I have so many. I developed an understanding as a leader where I don’t just say, let’s take that hill and think everybody is going to follow me. The challenge is bringing unity where things have been fractured and un-unified so that we can all go together. Having been in that situation multiple times, it’s always a challenge.

How do you lead contrarians? How do you lead people with different visions? How do you lead different groups with different visions? And how do you all create the momentum and have the stewardship of resources to accomplish something awesome and that you believe God has called you to do?

Often for me, the challenge has been going into situations where there has been great pain and a need for healing.

The struggle is often around agenda harmony, especially if you come new to an existing situation. There are people who may already have a dream for where they see things going. There’s a transition that takes place with who’s going to have the greatest influence around the direction; there’s a need to bring unity around a common goal. Part of the leader’s job is to help bring clarity, then to align the gifts and resources to achieve the vision.

Often for me, the challenge has been going into situations where there has been great pain and a need for healing. Other times the organization needed new direction. Leadership is about saying how do we take the greatest amount of people along with us in the direction we believe God is calling us to go? Sometimes people are going to opt out, and you have to deal with that. There are shepherding qualities involved with trying to get the greatest number of people to come along to make the vision happen.

 

How do you bring unity and momentum around a vision?

A lot of it has to do with buy-in and ownership—it’s empowerment. It’s less “going to the mountain to hear from God” and more inviting the Spirit into a group of people so that they’re hearing from God too.

It’s articulating, defining and bringing words to what people are saying. You become the encourager, clarifier and cheerleader—the one who identifies what’s being said and where it is that God is taking us. It’s inviting people on the journey. People want to go because they believe it’s the journey God has given us. As you begin to gain momentum, create excitement and achieve wins, it’s a celebration.

 

Click here to read part two.

Paula Faris Joins #GLS19

Posted on July 17, 2019 by - News & Updates, North America, The Global Leadership Summit

The Global Leadership has fresh, actionable and inspiring leadership content from a world-class faculty at a convenient location near you.

We are excited to welcome Paula Faris to #GLS19 where she will appear twice on the Summit stage. Faris will interview Bozoma Saint John on Thursday and Chris Voss on Friday.

Paula Faris is a Senior National Correspondent at ABC News and host of the popular podcast Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris, which gives an intimate look at how some of the world’s most influential people lean on faith and spirituality to guide them through the best and worst of times.

Previously, she was the co-anchor of Good Morning America’s weekend edition, as well as a co-host of ABC’s The View.

While at ABC News, the Emmy-Award winning journalist has reported on a wide-array of topics, from the 2018 Royal Wedding, to the 90th Annual Academy Awards, the 2017 Inauguration of President Donald Trump and the World Cup in Brazil. She’s hosted The Oscars Backstage at the 87th Academy Awards and has interviewed everyone from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Vice President Joe Biden, Reese Witherspoon, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tiger Woods, Steph Curry and the casts of Star Wars and Avengers.

A native of Jackson, Michigan, Faris graduated Cum Laude from Cedarville University (OH) and married her college sweetheart in 2000. She resides in New York with her husband and their three young children.

 

 

Join 405,000+ of your peers for two days of fresh, actionable and inspiring leadership training from a world-class faculty at a location near you. Don’t miss The Global Leadership Summit in 2019.

 

Click this button and register for the summit today!

Regret: A Great Tool For The Past and Future

Posted on July 16, 2019 by - Articles, Leading Yourself, Learning Agility

God wants us to use our sorrow over the past to help us change.

We all hate the feeling…looking back at an event, a choice or even an entire season, and realizing “I really missed it. I blew it. I could have done that really differently.” It is the worst. Especially when we know that we really could have done something differently, and just didn’t. Fears, personal weaknesses, lack of courage or whatever…we all have had times like that.

Regrets. “If only I had…” Fill in the blank, and the sick feeling is horrible. And the worst thing about it is that looking back, it is not hypothetical. It is reality. The record stands, the consequences are felt and remain. Yuck.

As I think of this topic of regret, there are two main ideas I would like to impress: Past and Future. The past is for learning and the future is to promote a good kind of fear. More about that later.

Fears, personal weaknesses, lack of courage or whatever…we all have had times like that.

In terms of the past, we can’t undo what we did or didn’t do. Failures of commission or omission both are already done. But, we certainly can learn from them. Just as a good football team reviews game films on Monday in order to learn and not make that mistake again, so should we. Post mortems give us an explanation of what happened, what could have been done differently and a path forward. All great performers look in the rear view mirror—not for wallowing in shame or guilt, but for learning. Here are some points to help guide you through learning from your regrets, in relationships or in your work:

  • Was my failure or regret a result of my being too disconnected, not involved or non-attentive to either a person, or some area of my work?
  • Was my failure or regret due to my not setting limits with someone soon enough? Did I allow something destructive to continue? Did I allow non-performance not to be addressed, allowing bad behavior to remain unchecked?
  • Was the regret related to some way that I handled someone else’s failure or their not meeting my expectations? Was I too harsh? Judgmental? Too angry? Or, did I do the opposite and just live in denial about someone else?
  • Is my regret related to not grasping, owning and living out some area of talent that I possess and have not stewarded? Have I “buried a talent” in the ground because of a fear of failure or some other reason? Is it time to “dig it up?” Does one of my talents need some development in order to reach my full potential?
  • Did I continue to neglect some area of pain, weakness, emotional problem in myself that finally caught up with me? Or a long-standing relational pattern that got me once again?

Remember that regret from the past does not have to be crippling, if used as a wake-up call. We do not have to wallow in it and call it quits or feel like there is no tomorrow. The Scriptures are full not only of second chances (think Peter or Paul), but also a warning and a guide to how we evaluate failure. Scripture contrasts a fruitful way of looking at our past that will result in a better future with a destructive way of looking at our past that only causes more pain and failure.

Consider 2 Corinthians 7:9-11:

“Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” (NIV)

God wants us to use our sorrow over the past to help us change. He does not want past failure to make us feel condemned, worthless or subject to other kinds of emotional recriminations that lead to nothing good, or as He puts it, “sorrow that brings death.” Don’t let that happen to you. See His hand as still active in your life and in your leadership and seek the changes that will give you a better future, beginning with the areas mentioned above. Use the questions above with your team as well.

What about the future? Regret is a great future tool too, if used well. How do we regret the future? By fast-forwarding the movie to the end before we live it. In a movie, every scene plays an important part in where the story ultimately goes. And great writers take that into consideration when they write a scene into a movie. Even though they might like it, if it does not fit the future story line of where they need to go, the don’t write it in. In my book “Necessary Endings” I ask the question “What exists in your work (or life) today that does not fit the future you desire?”

The emotion of regret can help us. Use it to look into the future, and avoid what you do not want to end up regretting.

So, do what the Scriptures tell us to do, all the time: See your current choices and realities in light of the future. The Bible tells us that there is a path that leads to a great banquet, a great reward. And there is a path that leads to loss and pain. Said another way, it always reminds us that each choice, each season, each attachment to a person, each spending of a talent or a resource, and each continuance of a strategic path…goes somewhere. In light of that reality, ask yourself:

  • If I play the movie forward a year, or two years or more, and continue in the strategy I am currently in, where does it end? Probably more of the same? Is that what I want?
  • If I play the movie forward continuing to trust that this key person under my leadership is going to change or perform better, what basis do I have for believing that change will happen? And if not, what does it look like a year from now? Two years?
  • If I do not step out and begin to pursue that particular vision or dream, where will I be a few years from now? Will I regret not trying?

I want you to put yourself into the future that your current reality is leading you toward, and really sit with how that feels. Does it contain regret for the future? Is that future regret something you want to live with? I don’t think so. And the difference in those the Bible refers to as “diligent” and those it calls “fool,” is that the diligent person lives with a future orientation, all the time. They ask, “where is what I am choosing to do or not do today— in my church, or my business or my marriage—going to end up tomorrow?”

In that way, the emotion of regret can help us. Use it to look into the future and avoid what you do not want to end up regretting.

Like everything in life, good or bad, God is able to use it for our good…even regret. Use the past regrets to teach you and use the “future regrets” as a guide to knowing what you want to avoid.

Cheers,

Henry

When Leaders Give Back, Entire Cities Can Change: The Transformation of Fort Wayne, Indiana

Posted on July 15, 2019 by - Because of the GLS, Business, City Movement, Collaboration, Influence, Leading Others, North America, Servant Leadership, Stories, The Global Leadership Summit, Vision

Fort Wayne Indiana

Chuck Surack is the founder and CEO of Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the nation’s largest online retailer of musical instruments and pro audio gear. He’s a well-respected member of the community, not only because of the business he’s built and the culture he’s created but also because of the unwavering way he treats his employees and his customers. Chuck has been recognized for the numerous ways he gives back through community service and philanthropy as well as his ability to convene business, civic, and non-profit leaders to address economic development opportunities that enhance the region. Chuck is also a key sponsor for The Global Leadership Summit in Fort Wayne, and a strategic partner in Fort Wayne’s City-wide movement. (Read part one of his story here.)

 

Our whole community is moving, and The Global Leadership Summit is part of it.

I want Fort Wayne to be a nationally-recognized economy. We already know it’s a great place to live and raise a family, it’s a great place to celebrate the arts, and it’s a great place to own a business. Together, though, we can make it even better. It’s a matter of the choices we make, and as a community we’ve decided to work hard to create an even stronger environment for those who live, work and play here.

In the last eight years, as I’ve developed my leadership skills through the Summit, I’ve become more acutely aware of challenges in our community.

There is so much to do!

We live in a country with so many amazing things going on, but at the same time, we have so many people who are hurting. If I can make even the tiniest difference–by spearheading a capital campaign for a new Boys and Girls Club facility, raising money for the Rescue Mission, or donating to hundreds of other charitable organizations–then I’m going to do it.

In the last eight years, as I’ve developed my leadership skills through the Summit, I’ve become more acutely aware of challenges in our community. It’s a shame, but a lot of people are suffering. That’s why I’m passionate about community development. We all have a responsibility to lift up both our neighbors and strangers and lend a helping hand whenever possible.

I use my position to bring people together to change the city.

I’m in a unique position. I didn’t sign up for the role I have in our community. I’m not political. I’m friends with all our political leaders in town, but I’m unbiased. I have the ability to call people together and create cooperation and collaboration. There’s something about my success with Sweetwater that lends more credibility, which has allowed me to facilitate great communication among business leaders, church leaders and civic leaders. As a result, our city-wide movement has gained momentum. Without a doubt, Fort Wayne is getting better.

To lead a city movement, you have to take it slow and be intentional.

  1. Give back. I’m trying to use the footprint and economic engine created at Sweetwater to go into the community and help others. I encourage everyone who works for me to give back in some way. The truth is, all of us are one incident or accident away from being homeless or having severe problems of some sort. Sharing our blessings is the greatest gift we can give.
  2. Bring everyone you can along. This isn’t something anyone can do alone. In our city movement, we’re bringing all the churches and businesses together to address the needs of our city.
  3. Seek to listen and understand. You have to listen and understand that everyone has his or her own viewpoint. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Really hearing someone else’s opinion can be invaluable in building a stronger community.
  4. Set goals and cast vision. You have to set a goal, and then—one step at a time—keep moving toward that goal. If you can show passion and drive while casting vision, people will want to not just follow you but stand alongside you.

There’s a lot of building going on in our community!

About 11 years ago we made a controversial decision to build a new ballpark downtown. Several business people and I went before our city council and said it wasn’t about the ballpark; it was about the environment downtown. Council members approved, even though the majority of people in the community didn’t want it. Guess what? The next year, it was voted the number one minor league ballpark in the country! It’s received that award numerous times since then and has become an example for other cities.

I encourage anyone, no matter what level of leader you are, to attend the Summit.

What that ballpark investment did was give the community confidence. The people who were against it have now said they were wrong. Approximately 70 baseball games are held each year in that ballpark, along with 700 other events like concerts, weddings and fundraisers. It’s brought in over a billion dollars of investment that has led to riverfront development and other initiatives that are enhancing our economy.

It’s all for the community.

One of the biggest projects underway right now in Fort Wayne is Electric Works. It’s a 1.2 million square-foot-building that used to house General Electric. The campus had become an eyesore, but both public and private entities have come together to start rehabbing the old building, turning it into a multi-use facility for medical research, educational opportunities, entrepreneurial resources and even living spaces. It will enhance nearby neighborhoods and be a feather in Fort Wayne’s cap.

Build your leadership and give back to your city.

I encourage anyone, no matter what level of leader you are, to attend the Summit. Anyone can be a leader, whether it’s in your 4H Club, Girl Scouts, church group, neighborhood association, your homes, or some big Fortune 500 company. It’s not about being the boss. It’s about leading by example in a way that people want to follow and join in. When leaders get better, we all get better!