Month: August 2020

‘Beginner’s Pluck’ Inspires Initiative in Honduras to Empower Young Women

Posted on August 31, 2020 by - Because of the GLS, Central America, Confidence, Latin America, Leading Others, Leading Yourself, Nonprofit, Stories, Youth

‘Beginner’s Pluck’ Inspires Initiative in Honduras to Empower Young Women

The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) takes place live in the United States each August, and then is translated into 60 languages and brought around the world. In the 2020 season, the GLS will serve leaders in another 123 countries, including 50% of the world’s poorest countries. One of those countries is Honduras—where the impact of the Summit is having an incredible impact. This is just one of those stories!

Wherever you are, God finds you!

Angel Andreakis lives in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and has been working as a regional producer for The Global Leadership Summit in Central America and the Caribbean for the last six years. During the GLS in 2019, he was deeply inspired by Liz Bohannon’s talk about ‘Beginners Pluck.’ “The impact has been amazing,” says Angel. “After the event in 2019, I was inspired to partner with my friend and marketing volunteer, Abigail Trejos, to start a project to serve teenagers girls. We call it ‘UP’ (Unique & Powerful).”

The Global Leadership Summit Inspires Program to Empower Young Women

Abigail was also deeply inspired by her first experience at the GLS, and especially by the group of young women she met. “I was requested to chaperone three beautiful sponsored teenagers during the GLS who are a part of the Open Doors Foundation,” said Abigail. “They help young people in social risk with limited resources but who long and desire to grow, to learn and be someone. It is impressive to see these young hearts eager to get ahead, go out and chase their dreams— in two days these girls showed me that and more!”

Abigail Trejos headshot

“Wherever you are, God finds you!” exclaims Abigail. “There is no place where we can hide that his love does not get there; It doesn’t matter if you’re locked in an office or if you’re a homemaker taking care of her home or working in foreign lands. As far as I was concerned, I was stuck in something complex—my comfort zone. I found my identity in God a long time ago, but it was getting difficult for me to move towards my purpose, or should I say His purpose in my life. Fervent prayers came up and strong desires in my heart grew as an opportunity to serve, to grow, to share what he had already given me, to be a useful instrument in his hands; and our Father with his infinite mercy and goodness, He always has his ears toward our cry. He responded in his perfect time.”

Together, Angel and Abigail started the project with just a few young women—now it has grown to serve 12 young women who come from difficult economic backgrounds and dangerous neighborhoods. On funds raised, Angel helps support this project to cover materials, transportation and food; and Abigail provides mentorship, counseling and support.

Young woman in UP Program in Honduras

 

The purpose of UP is to empower, motivate, teach and mentor these girls and let them know no matter who you are and where you live, God can do amazing things in your life. “We encourage the girls by challenging them to get out of their comfort zone and pursue the purpose of God in their lives,” says Angel. “We do this by inviting women in leadership positions in our city to share their testimony, provide advice, and share what God is doing in their life. We also do workshops to give every girl an opportunity to develop new skills and create their own incomes.”

“Without a doubt, the faithfulness of God has provided us with everything we have needed to begin to develop an annual plan of different workshops so that the girls can obtain knowledge and train in trades that will open opportunities for personal and professional growth, with the aim of form self-confident women, integral leaders that can influence and serve more people in their environment.”

UP Program Jewelry Class Honduras

One of the workshops taught the girls how to create jewelry and sell it for extra income.

The Impact of COVID-19 Does Not Stop Ministry

Living through a pandemic has been difficult and even more so for those who find themselves in a vulnerable situation like the case of the girls in the UP program. But Abigail shares that they haven’t seen God stop working and providing for them. “We have done donation campaigns for the purchase of food and our Father has touched so many hearts to join this cause!” exclaimed Abigail. “It is incredible to witness the willingness of so many people to serve, no matter their religion, age or social status. This love for our neighbors and willingness to serve has put the world into motion.”

Just last week, the team collected clothes to take to one of the poorest communities of the country called Gualcinse. Alongside UP they have also planned Zoom meetings to encourage the girls. “We have to feed the body and remember the soul is the most important thing. Even if we are social distancing, we don’t have to be relationally distant. Let’s not wait for this pandemic to be over to begin dreaming. We want to change the narrative and keep dreaming, serving, growing and leading.”

“God wastes nothing,” says Abigail. “No matter where you were born, where you have grown up, whether you have had family or not, your past experiences, your personality, your talents, your physique…He made you with a purpose. He has planted dreams in your heart, and He will enable you to fulfill them, because He made you Unique and Powerful.”

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139: 14

FREE Online Leadership Event with Hall-of-Fame Speaker, Rory Vaden

Posted on August 31, 2020 by - Leading Yourself, News & Updates, The Global Leadership Summit

Rory Vaden will speak at the GLSnext Event Series on October 6,2020.

Rory Vaden, strategist, hall-of-fame speakers, and one of our incredible Global Leadership Summit 2020 faculty, says there is one thing that all successful people have in common— they have all had to deal with unexpected forces of change and challenge. Ultimately, they’ve had to learn to overcome those forces by learning to do things they didn’t feel like doing in order to get where they want.

Join us for a FREE LIVE Online Session with Rory Vaden on October 6, 2020. 

As you face circumstances outside your control, learn how to take action regardless of your emotional, financial or physical state—It’s about strengthening your commitment and your ability to follow through on what needs to be done even when it is difficult. Sign Up FREE >>

  • Rory Vaden will share key principles and new insights on how to liberate your potential and the potential of your team:
  • Understand the invisible enemies and subconscious causes of inaction
  • Learn why the neuroscience of our brain works against us in pursuing goals
  • Gain insight into the psychological difference between ultra-performers and average performers
  • Think differently about attitude and know how to harness it
  • Discover one key question every great leader asks that most do not
  • Realize why keeping commitments has less to do with willpower than most people think
  • Identify the tell-tale signs of knowing when a teammate isn’t a culture fit

This GLSnext Event Series on October 6th will ultimately help you build a better results-oriented attitude of success that will empower both you and your team to conquer impossible goals.

This can’t-miss event is FREE of charge and designed for you to bring others along with you for a great time of team building and growing together—not only will you experience exclusive content from Rory Vaden, but you will also have a chance to take part in Q&A.

Sign Up for FREE >>

The Four Presenter Voices of Leadership

Posted on August 31, 2020 by - Articles, Communication, Leading Others, Women Leaders, Women Leaders - Leading Yourself

Business opinion concept. Group of corporate people hiding faces behind blank speech bubbles, empty space
The Global Leadership Network would like to congratulate our dear friend and leadership contributor, Jeff Henderson as he transitioned from his role at Gwinnett Church to dedicate his time spreading his important “FOR” message with The FOR Company. Learn more about the important work he’s doing to serve communities >>

 

Have you ever heard a boring presentation?

Sometimes when I speak to business groups, I ask people to raise their hand if they’ve ever experienced one. Everyone laughs and raises their hands. Then I ask how many of us think we might have been the reason someone else raised their hand!

Eventually, Leadership Comes with a Microphone

Public speaking certainly can be daunting but it’s inevitable in any organization.

I define public speaking as any form of communication where you are sharing an idea or information to another human being.

When people tell me they aren’t a public speaker, I ask if they ever speak in meetings. The answer is, of course, yes. Then I congratulate them. They have spoken in a public setting. They are now officially a public speaker.

This is especially true for leaders. Eventually, leadership comes with a microphone.

When we communicate, we are handed a microphone and asked to lead. It could be our family, a friendship, a company, a team, a homeowner’s association (God be with you), a school or a volunteer group. This is true whether we are in front of five people or 500. And as leaders, we must be very intentional about becoming better communicators.

The better we communicate, the better we lead.

There are several reasons why but this one might be the most important: The better we communicate, the better we lead. And If we aren’t communicating clearly and effectively, we put a lid on the potential of the organization and our leadership.

The problem is that public speaking doesn’t come easily for many of us.

In fact, it’s been said there are two great fears in life: death and public speaking. I understand.

And yet, the reality is that most great things in history (and bad) have happened when someone got up to speak and rallied people around their idea.

 

Discover Your Dominant Presenters Voice

Over the last 20 years, I have coached business leaders, preachers and teachers on how to make their next presentation their best presentation. During this time, I’ve noticed there are four presenter voices. And we usually have one of these as a primary voice.

When we discover which one of these four voices is our dominant voice, it allows us to leverage the strength of that voice while avoiding the weakness. This helps in a variety of ways but most importantly it helps in our preparation process.

The better you prepare, the better you present.

Too often, we spend way too much time on our keynote slides and not enough on how we are going to communicate what’s on those slides. I have seen dozens of leaders improve their presentation skills almost overnight by simply understanding how to leverage their particular voice.

How we communicate is just as important as what we communicate.

The four presenter voices of leadership are the Teacher, the Motivator, the Storyteller and the Visionary. At the end of this post, I am providing you with a free test to determine which voice is dominant for you.

1. The Teacher 

The voice of the Teacher is instructional with explanation as the goal. If you have the voice of a teacher, you have great content. One of your challenges is trying to fit all your great content within the allotted time, right?

The weakness of this voice can potentially be a lack of connection with the crowd. This is a hard truth for teachers to embrace. Teachers can assume that great content automatically makes for a great presentation. This is a dangerous assumption to make.

We all know teachers who knew their content very well but lost their audience in the first five minutes. This is why the first part of a presentation is vitally important for those who have this voice. They must work really hard to connect with their audience by giving them a reason or reasons to keep listening.

When you combine great content with a strong connection with the audience, you have the recipe for a great presentation.

How we communicate is just as important as what we communicate.

 

2. The Motivator

The voice of the Motivator is action-oriented with personal change as the goal. In many ways, the voices of the Teacher and Motivator are the complete opposite. For example, the first 5-10 minutes of a presentation for a Motivator is easy. They lean into their natural gifting as a communicator. They quickly engage the crowd and bring energy to the presentation.

However, if they aren’t careful, as the presentation moves along the energy and connection begins to wane. The weakness Motivators struggle with is leaning more on inspiration and less on content and clarity.

I can usually tell whether a leader who has the Motivator voice by around the 10 to 15-minute mark of their presentation. At this point, they are into the content portion and this is where the weakness of this voice begins to appear.

It’s why I ask leaders with the Motivator voice to work twice as hard on the middle section of their presentations.

 

3.  The Storyteller 

The voice of the Storyteller is engaging, with emotional connection with the crowd as the goal. So many of history’s best communicators had the voice of the storyteller. As you well know, stories are often more memorable than content. In fact, Dan and Chip Heath in their book Made to Stick encourage presenters to focus primarily on stories.

If this voice is your strength, you have a huge advantage on the rest of us because you can easily draw your audience into your presentation.

However, like the other voices, this one has a weakness to avoid. The weakness of the Storyteller can often be a lack of direction and clarity regarding the purpose of the presentation. If you’re not careful, it can seem like you’re just sharing stories with no purpose. This is why a Storyteller must have a clear destination and purpose for the talk.

 

4.  The Visionary

The Voice of the Visionary is inspiring with organizational/world change as the goal.

Visionary leaders have a way of helping us see something that currently doesn’t exist. They turn good intention into reality. They help change the world and one of the ways they do it is through communication and presentations.

The weakness of the Visionary voice is clearly articulating the how behind the why of the change. This is tricky because so often the how is unclear, which is understandable. However, if over time, there is no substantial way to help turn the intention into reality, the talk simply becomes rhetoric.

Now that you know the strengths and weaknesses of the four presenter voices, the next step is to discover your dominant voice. I’ve created a free test to help leaders, like you, discover their presenters voice.

Take the test out here >>

Once you have determined your voice, apply the strength and avoid the weakness of your voice to your next presentation.

As you do, you’ll take a big step toward making your next presentation your best presentation.

Humans Have the Power to Remain Socially and Emotionally Connected Even in Extreme Physical Isolation

Posted on August 27, 2020 by - Articles, Leading Yourself, Learning Agility

Businessman with a briefcase and a mask heads back to the office to work.

Social distancing is nothing new, and a great deal of research has highlighted the benefits of social distancing for highly transmissible diseases in the absence of vaccines, but never before has the term occupied the central place it has in our mind’s today, with governments around the world anxious to reduce or even stop all interpersonal contact in order to control the Covid-19 pandemic. While the precise medical, economic and social consequences of this unprecedented measure remain uncertain, we should be clear about one thing: we have never been as prepared to minimize the psychological cost of social distancing as we are today, thanks to the digital age.

Since most of us have already migrated a great deal of our lives (and identities) to the digital world, creating virtual equivalents for virtually any human activity, physical isolation is far less likely to feel like loneliness, equate to boredom, or truly represent social isolation. In fact, it is conceivable that for a large number of people isolation from the digital rather than analogue world–in other words, switching to a purely offline life–would be more traumatic. Perhaps this is why we have recently devoted more time to worrying about computer viruses and cybersecurity attacks than biological viruses and pandemics.

This is not to say that we will find it easy to adjust to a life less rich in face-to-face contact, and the prospect of being removed from our families, friends and work colleagues for an indefinite amount of time is for sure daunting. It is also obvious that in certain cultures, age groups, and less technological societies, it is far harder to reduce physical interactions or simply replace them with digital alternatives (the same goes for certain jobs, industries, and organizations). At the same time, there has never been a better time in history to cope with a radical reduction in physical contact, not least because technology has been downgrading the value of physical human exchanges for a few decades now, and dramatically so during the past 10-years. We would not have seen this drastic approach to social re-engineering imposed so systematically if so many of our key activities couldn’t be substituted (at least in part) with virtual alternatives.

…we should be clear about one thing: we have never been as prepared to minimize the psychological cost of social distancing as we are today, thanks to the digital age.

Ironically, we have devoted (myself included) much of the past two decades to being shocked and scandalized by the psychological harms caused by our smartphone addiction (NoMoPhobia), lamenting the rise of digital narcissism fueled by Facebook and Instagram, the threat to truth and harvesting of fake news caused by Twitter and our digital filter bubbles, and the dystopian fears that the very algorithms designed to simplify our lives would end up controlling and manipulating us, amplifying human prejudice and bias, and downgrading us to mindless advertising products or data producing machines. Although these fears are arguably still warranted, we should also acknowledge that the very technology accused of making us stupid, lazy, or antisocial has just turned into an indispensable tool for minimizing the social and emotional costs of physical isolation.

It is important to note that there has always been a salient interaction between social behaviors and environmental constraints, including the threat of viruses and pathogens. Culture itself is the product or result of this interaction. For instance, cultural differences in curiosity, social exploration, and extraversion can be explained by environmental (climatic and geographical) influences on parasitic and pathogenic risks to human health–with cultures developing more openness, extraversion, and curiosity in places where the risk of physical interpersonal contact, particularly outside one’s in-group, was lower. In other words, our evolutionary ancestors have previously encountered many instances in which there was a strong wellbeing cost linked to socializing and hanging out with others. Historically, social distancing, in the sense that it is currently understood, has been the norm rather than the exception, with clear health risk associated with physical interactions outside our in-group.

Modern medicine and globalization have done a great deal to mitigate these risks in recent centuries, but it’s thanks to the digital age that we are now able to maintain meaningful emotional and social connections with others even in the absence of physical proximity.

In this context, it seems logical to at least acknowledge some of the reverse arguments to the alarmist discussions on the adverse psychological effects of digital media on social and work behaviors. For example, it seems feasible that our concerns for the potential increases in loneliness, depression, and social anxiety caused by excessive social media usage must coexist with an acceptance that those same digital addictions have helped us cultivate deep virtual connections with others, which have become very real. By the same token, our tendency to condemn digital distractions, whether it’s binge watching YouTube, getting hooked on the Netflix series, or falling for clickbait-y headlines, may feel less problematic when we find ourselves with more time and boredom to kill, and distractions are rather welcome. And of course if it weren’t for e-commerce, virtual meetings and remote working, we would be facing a bigger shock to the economy, as well as an even more pronounced tension between our wellbeing and productivity.

But it’s not technology that we should celebrate, but the human capacity to create it, and adapt to it.

But it’s not technology that we should celebrate, but the human capacity to create it, and adapt to it. Even in those who are suddenly forced to adopt a more virtual way of life, replacing precious in-person contact with seemingly cold and clunky digital substitutes, we can expect quick adaptation and the creation of new long-term habits. Any technology involves doing more with less, and there is no true technological adoption without an underlying need or necessity. Just as our desire to know, learn, produce, bond and improve our mental and physical wellbeing has fueled recent technological innovations, any threat to such desires will only exacerbate the value of these inventions. Our individual and collective imaginations have enabled us to evolve into the most collaborative species on earth, and the digital age represents the latest phase in our quest to push the boundaries of cooperation. As tragic as global pandemics can be, we should regard them as a test for our capabilities. We are better equipped for dealing with them than we ever have been, largely because we have been able to create an entirely new system for coordinated human action–now we must make proper use of it.

 

This article was originally posted in Forbes. See the original article here.

3 Communication Strategies for Leaders in Uncertain Times

Posted on August 24, 2020 by - Articles, Change Management, Communication, Leading Others, Women Leaders, Women Leaders - Leading Others

Why You Need A “Mount Rushmore” of Mentors to Grow as a Communicator---Bryan Loritts

Covid-19, the economic fallout and the simmering social unrest now at a boiling point, have created the perfect storm for leaders around the world. We don’t have to wait for the next edition of the Harvard Business Review to read a leadership case study–we are all living one for the ages. As a practitioner and student of leadership, I have been fascinated by the different responses to this crisis.

What do the best leaders do in a crisis?

The complexity and fluidity of our current situation combined with the uniqueness of individual circumstances render formulaic responses to the crisis absurd. However, one of the actions leaders can take that will have a disproportionate impact on how their team and organization will respond to the situation hinges on how effectively they communicate. During times of crisis, the way leaders communicate has an out-sized impact on the confidence and motivation of their teams.

Here are a few ideas for your self-evaluation and encouragement.

 

1) Clarity, not certainty, is the smart choice.

Most people crave certainty, but they will settle for clarity. I was first introduced to this concept more than a decade ago by Andy Stanley and it has served me well. The power of clarity has proven itself over and over again in crisis and in times of relative stability. The truth is, leaders can rarely provide certainty–we have a vision, or dream or five-year strategic plan but so much is out of our control. Those who have overstepped the bounds of their control and made promises infused with certainty often find themselves having to rebuild credibility.

So, what does clarity look like? It may be a leader who says: “Here are the principles we are going to use to make decisions during these uncertain times.” Or, “During this time, we are going to constantly go back to our purpose, vision, and values to guide our decisions.” Or, “Based on what we know today, we are going to do this or that–as we get new information, we will adjust.” Leaders who attempt to provide certainty, especially in these days, are setting themselves and those they lead up for a fall.

 

2) Multiple approaches increase your odds of success.

A mistake I’ve attempted to avoid throughout my career is a strong and natural tendency for leaders to communicate only in their preferred style and medium. However, the research on this is clear, different people receive and process information differently.

Therefore, if we want to reach everyone with our message(s), we need to use multiple forms of communication. Here are a few examples I’ve observed over the last few months:

  • Video messaging
  • Virtual Town Hall Meetings with Q & A
  • Formal listening sessions
  • Instagram and other social platforms
  • Written communications of various forms–including email and newsletters
  • Acts of kindness/service
  • Images of front-line workers and protesters
  • Facts and figures (some organizations are even sharing the financials with their team members)
  • Stories of struggle and triumph
  • Music to inspire and encourage

Leaders who choose to use a single form or medium to communicate critical messages will fail to connect with large numbers of their desired audience.

If you want to learn more about this strategy for more effective communication, you can check out Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, or for a less academic translation of the same concept, 7 Kinds of Smart by Thomas Armstrong.

 

3) Strategic repetition is your friend.

Have you ever noticed how single-minded many of the best leaders appear to be?

Think of a leader you know who you can predict with high certainty what he or she is going to talk about given the slightest opportunity. Maybe it is vision, or mission, or values or key strategies; regardless of their message, these leaders seem to be stuck on repeat. There’s a reason–they know constancy and repetition are required to break through the clutter of the world with their critical message.

Do you have a key message you want people to embrace during these unprecedented times? I know of one leadership team that began the Covid era exhorting their entire organization with the idea: We will emerge stronger.

Now, I’m not suggesting that this should be your mantra. The reason I mention it here is over the last several months, leaders in this organization have reiterated that sentiment countless times–so much so, people not only believe it, they are working to make it so!

Key messages, repeated consistently, have a much better shot at taking root in the hearts and minds of people. Then, combine strategic, repetitive messages with multiple formats and you can have significant influence on the narrative within your organization–both now and for years to come.

 

What’s next?

As of today, we are several months into a time in our history that will be remembered for generations. Leaders around the globe are faced with a tidal wave of questions: When can we return to a new normal? What is the new vision? What are the new strategies? What will our financial future look like? What’s next? The answers to many of these questions will likely remain elusive for the foreseeable future.

Here’s what we do know: leaders who communicate effectively with clarity, integrity, passion, and empathy, using as many forms as possible, will have the greatest likelihood of thriving in the new normal…whenever we get there.

Generous Donors Sponsor Trafficking Survivors to Attend GLS20

Posted on August 24, 2020 by - Because of the GLS, Leading Yourself, North America, Stories

Woman against sunlight

In 2014, trafficking survivor, Rebecca Bender, was invited to attend The Global Leadership Summit for the first time. Inspired by Don Flow’s grander vision story that year, she wrote her manifesto for her newly–formed organization to serve trafficking survivors by empowering them with the skills to lead and restore their dreams.  

Today, Elevate Academy serves and mentors more than 630 survivors.  

A word of thanks to each of you for thinking of those without access otherwise.

In 2020, the Global Leadership Network took on a new initiative with ministries in the U.S. who are serving those who would otherwise not be able to access the leadership training provided at The Global Leadership Summit. Because of the generosity of our incredible donors, this year we were able to bring the Summit to thousands of leaders, including incarcerated men and women in prisons across the U.S., at risk youth, people living in homeless shelters or transition homes, as well as those served by crisis and addiction centers. Additionally, of course, we were excited to bring the Summit to a large group of trafficking survivors from Rebecca Bender’s Elevate Academy.  

One of those leaders is a woman and trafficking survivor by the name of Stephanie Anderson. Every year since finding Jesus “on the streets,” God has brought incredible counselors and prayer ministers to speak life into her, including Elevate Academy and The Global Leadership Summit. 

Gratitude for the Opportunity 

“I am so excited to have had the opportunity to expand my vision at the Summit,” said Stephanie. “It is by the grace of God that I was offered access to the Summit through Rebecca Bender and Elevate Academy. Thank you for such a tremendous ‘grace up’ of moments in this difficult time! What a tremendous honor to attend.  A word of thanks to each of you for thinking of those without access otherwise.” 

Stephanie-Anderson-HeadshotStephanie began sharing her story in 2013 from her own experiences of exploitation to create awareness. When she is not working as a clerical contractor, she is volunteering as a life coach and trainer for organizations doing tremendous work in the fight against injustice. She has partnered with many agencies to provide training, and is a member of Survivor Alliance, an ambassador for Shared Hope, a volunteer for Operation Underground Railroad and her experience is detailed online in the survivor gallery of Polaris.  

“I am a survivor of childhood sexual exploitation,” said Stephanie. “As I serve, I am shouting to every individual, church and organization to join the fight, reminding them that protecting children is everyone’s responsibility. Today, I am able to share my life experience and speak into the lives of men and women in the process of recovery and reentry.” 

Stephanie was volunteering with agencies working in reentry intervention with men and women beginning the journey from the streets, trafficking, addictions or incarceration when COVID-19 started to shut everything down. So, she and her husband relocated to help families prepare and work through restrictions. “We believe there is a new, expanded work for the vulnerable and we are in prayerful preparation for when and where!” 

The timeliness of The Global Leadership Summit 

The Global Leadership Summit turned out to be a timely encouragement and preparation for what is to come for Stephanie and her dreams to serve the vulnerable and fight injustice. 

“One of my takeaways was about the pause—every day—to listen. Gary Haugen talked about taking the 30 minutes to listen, and Juliet Funt mentioned the pause is where the best ideas are discovered. So, I’m listening for the download of strength and inspiration for leading and adjusting our direction for the future. And time stood still as I listened to Lysa TerKeurst speak about forgiveness flowing to and through us. It was the most beautiful reminder, once again, of the power of grace.” 

“I was also reminded that pressing in now is where the miracles start—when all seems ambiguous, volatile, uncertain and complex. I am challenged to invest my time in the future ahead, or waste it. I am choosing today and every day!” 

Empowering Stephanie’s Dreams 

Stephanie believes there are more platforms to expand and raise awareness about safety education and trafficking, and one of those areas is with recreational motorcyclists. “When I answered the three questions about what I am good at, what I love and what others say I’m good at, I noted training, sharing and motorcycles!” 

My thoughts will either tell me God is nowhere or God is NOW HERE!

“I will continue to train and share about injustice, and next year, I hope to film a documentary at motorcycle rallies. Sharing at 2021 advocacy rallies will take some planning, but we want to start a motorcycle “Ride Against Trafficking” rally to share, not just about trafficking identification, but also about our Rescuer God who will take the hand of any who call out to Him, and forgive those trapped in sexual sin.  I also believe the next chapter will go beyond volunteerism to the creation of businesses that will hire and sustain the precious first years of developing leaders, affirming, encouraging and calling out the new life of access through Christ.” 

Encouragement for a Difficult Season 

Stephanie’s leadership journey has not been easy, but she offers a word of encouragement for those who may be experiencing a difficult season. “One of the things I’ve learned on my journey is how difficult and high the waves seem—how powerlessness can engulf my mind, emotions and heart, but how much the love of God intervenes in my day–to–day life and how powerful one word can be.”

“My thoughts will either tell me God is nowhere or God is NOW HERE! The grace of God is so much bigger than my mistakes and failures. His presence is now here always—and if I stop and pause, I realize He isn’t going anywhere.” 

Hope 

Stephanie shares why The Global Leadership Summit provides her hope. “In the pain and trauma I have experienced, there are many voices I can follow that sound like hope. The voice of hope is a powerful and dangerous weapon. Hope in the wrong things will bring us pain and thinking that spirals downwards. But hope rightly directed will bring growth, practical change and lift us out of darkness.” 

“In dark moments, the faintest light breaks through…and makes it possible to appreciate, to find beauty and see goodness, forgive or just get out of bed. This is why I attend The Global Leadership Summit.” 

Leadership that Meets the Moment

Posted on August 19, 2020 by - GLS On-Demand, Leading Yourself, Resilience, Videos

The world brings challenges: challenges that seem to confound the wise, contend to break up communities, divide societies—and seem insurmountable. Challenges that disrupt, and at time devastate, have to be met with strong, vigilant and authentic leadership. Albert Tate identifies the marks of authentic leadership that will proactively confront the moments of the world’s crisis. Walk away with a picture of how you can lead out of a place of authenticity which has the courage to stand in opposition to injustice, the humility to love and serve both friends and enemies, and also marked by vulnerability, weakness, and loss. As a leader, this is your call—changing, pushing, redefining and overcoming life’s challenges.

Digital First, but not Digital Only

Posted on August 19, 2020 by - Articles, Communication, Leading Others

Confident young salesman waving at colleague during video call on computer at desk

Hey there leader, how are you doing?

If you’re like many other leaders right now, you’re worn down from months of leading through change and digital pivoting during the global pandemic and a variety of other events in the anxious media storm that is 2020.

Every organization has become a media distribution company overnight, and you’re probably also being reminded now more than ever, that communication is the number one responsibility of a leader.

My encouragement to you as you carry this huge responsibility: Keep communicating first on your digital platforms, but not only on your digital platforms.

Digital tools have been the saving grace of these months of work from home, remote teams and relationships at a distance. Even just a decade ago, a global shut down would have looked entirely different and much more challenging to get projects accomplished. We’re grateful for the likes of Zoom, iPhones and Instagram. They’re keeping us connected and keeping us communicating with our teams, customers and loved ones.

Every organization has become a media distribution company overnight, and you’re probably also being reminded now more than ever, that communication is the number one responsibility of a leader.

Digital platforms are, and should continue to be, the place your team prioritizes for all communication. It’s efficient, low cost and high speed.

If you advertise in a newspaper, measuring its impact is challenging. Advertising on Facebook allows you to get hour by hour data on views and engagements.

If you find a spelling error on a printed memo, it’s too late. You have to pay to reprint. If you find an error on a webpage, it can be edited within minutes.

A list of To Do’s on a whiteboard are not as helpful to your team as when they’re in a digital tool for project management.

All of your most important content should be communicated and easily accessible through digital platforms. Digital communication is not just necessary for remote workers but is the expected standard of customers in the Digital Age. I should be able to know your accurate operating hours from your website or social media, without having to come up to read a sign on the front door of your business. I expect to be able to register for an activity through a digital form that I can access from my phone, not have to print something out and use a pen. I do not have a printer. I cannot find my pen.

Digital first. But, not digital only.

We need to prioritize all forms of digital communication, but that does not mean we should abandon other forms of communication. As a strategic complement to digital, other media become powerful, memorable tools to impact our team and our customers.

Digital communication tends to lean on two of our senses; sight and sound, and because of that is a powerful tool for capturing our message. But I encourage you to think of ways to incorporate touch, taste and smell as secondary tools in your communication toolbelt.

I encourage you to think of ways to incorporate touch, taste and smell as secondary tools in your communication toolbelt.

If you want to promote a new product or service, a printed card in the hands of a customer can add validation and act as a reminder. The printed card should keep content to a minimum, pointing the person to the digital platforms for all the details and most up to date information. Giving someone something they have to touch before they throw away increases the engagement, compared to an ad they can scroll by.

When was the last time you wrote a thank you note, by hand, to one of your team members? Leaders can build this into their weekly routine, writing a few quick notes and mailing them each week. Everyone loves receiving cards in the mail, and the personal touch goes a long way compared to a text message or email thank you.

Use chalk to communicate messages on the sidewalk leading to your entrance. Ship an unexpected gift to loyal customers. Invite your team to have a socially-distanced picnic to gather for the first time in months. Send a paper invitation to reinforce a digital invitation to your upcoming event.

Consider tactile ways to engage your people, who are as worn down as you are from all of our hours on digital platforms. In doing so, your digital communication will not only be reinforced, but you will rise above the noise to create memorable experiences for your clients or team.

Communication is your number one responsibility as a leader, so consider how every analog and digital tool available to you can help make your message be heard, loud and clear.

Digital first, but not digital only.

Ep 077: Multiply Your Time, Rory Vaden & Jason Jaggard

Posted on August 18, 2020 by - Leading Yourself, Podcasts, Productivity, Women Leaders, Women Leaders - Leading Yourself

The Global Leadership Summit Podcast

SUMMARY:

Time is a limited commodity. What if you could develop a new relationship with time that would free you up to work on your most important projects or connect with the people and causes you care about most? In this practical and counter-intuitive interview with elite executive coach Jason Jaggard, best-selling author Rory Vaden describes the strategic mindset that will actually allow you to multiply your time. Walk away with surprising ways you can stop wasting time, gain productivity and increase your quality of life.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • There is no such thing as time management. There is only self-management. You cannot manage time. 
  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was a life-changing productivity book, but it was written in 1989. The world has radically changed. 
  • You can’t solve today’s time management challenges using yesterday’s time management strategies. 
  • When planning their day, most people use the urgency calculation asking, “What’s the most important thing I can do today?” However, the highest performers use the significance calculation asking, “What can I do today to create more time tomorrow?” 
  • In the pre-Covid world, people were aware of digital tools but often didn’t take the time to learn them. In a post–Covid world, we were forced to learn online business immediately. Covid accelerated trends that were already happening. 
  • Automation is to your time what compound interest is to your money.  
  • Automation allows leaders to scale trust. 
  • The next generation of cost savings will not be about saving money; it will be about saving time. Time is the one thing that turns money into more money.  
  • 30x rule: Training someone else will take 30 times longer than doing the job yourself. A task that takes you 5 minutes per day will cost you 1250 minutes in a year. If you take 150 of those minutes and train someone else, you’ve just gained 1100 minutes in your year for a 5-minute task. When you do the significance calculation, the time you spend on training and delegation makes sense.  
  • For every challenge there is an equal and opposite opportunity. The key is your mindset. 
  • The Focus Funnel: First question, “What I’m  doing now that creating time tomorrow?” 
  • Eliminate: “What can I stop doing?” Anything I say no to creates time in the future. 
  • Automate: “What can I create a process for? What do we keep doing over and over again manually?” 
  • Delegate: “What are we doing over and over that we need to train a person to do?” 
  • Procrastinate: “What is trivial that I can delay on purpose?” 
  • Concentrate: “What can I do right now that create more time for me tomorrow?” 
  • God’s first commandment in the Bible was to be fruitful and multiply. 

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. When planning their days, Rory said most people think in terms of urgency, not significance. In what ways do you see yourself falling into the rut of urgency? Why do you think that is?  

 

2. What is the most significant barrier holding you back from using the significance calculation? What would it take for you to be able to move past that barrier? 

 

3. Which of Rory’s 5 Permissions do you want to try first? Make a plan to take action and multiply your time this week. 

  • Eliminate 
  • Automate 
  • Delegate 
  • Procrastinate
  • Concentrate 

 

4. Get access to Rory’s free Multiply Your Time Webinar, exclusive for the GLS audience at roryvaden.com/gls

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Dr. Stephen Covey 

7 Habits of Highly Effective People 

The Focus Funnel  

How to Multiply Your Time | Rory Vaden | TEDxDouglasville 

1Password 

Amazon App 

Procrastinate on Purpose 

Jeremiah 29:11 

Romans 8:28 

Genesis 1:28 

 

RELATED LINKS:

The Global Leadership Summit