We are partners with Willow Creek Association to train Christian leaders to serve the world’s most vulnerable people. They are offering an exclusive offer to World Vision supporters with $60 discount off your registration for this year’s Global Leadership Summit. Register before July 11 using the code 17TGLSWVCS.
Do you ever get really excited about something but the people around you don’t seem to share your passion? Attendees at The Global Leadership Summit understand your frustration.
Years ago, Lynne Hybels traveled to Africa when the AIDS pandemic hit. The megachurch pastor’s wife called him and said, “Bill, if you don’t come and see this, I will introduce you to a couch you will be sleeping on for a long, long time. You must see this. You have to get your head around this.”
So Bill Hybels went.
“I saw it, smelt it, felt it, got my heart wrecked over it,” says Bill, founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, a multi-site church with more than 24,000 attenders in suburban Chicago.
In this trip, Bill and his wife had what he calls a “second conversion” experience. Such experiences affect our lives and the way we lead those around us — whether in business, in our church, or in our home.
In August, World Vision is a partner for The Global Leadership Summit, a nationwide event uniting like-minded believers. There, Bill and others will discuss topics like significance, meaning, and calling, no matter where God has you.
Until then, here are three leadership insights Bill Hybels shared at a previous summit to help you influence others within your sphere:
1. Faith isn’t just about your initial salvation
“My view of Scripture and church history is that in leaders, between their conversion point and their go-to-heaven point, there is a series of second conversions that fire you up — life-altering, heart-shattering movements of the Holy Spirit, where you say, ‘… I never knew this issue was so important.’ From that point on, you’re never the same. That issue becomes core to you. You talk about it with passion. People can feel it when they’re around you. They say, ‘Wow, look at the energy! Look at that sincerity! She’s seen it! He’s felt it!’”
2. Experiences should influence how we lead
“One of the most important things in the life of a leader is to live so submitted to the Holy Spirit that on a fairly regular basis, you get your heart wrecked over something that then you bring with passion and sincerity to [your realm of influence]. The nature of leadership is moving people from here to there. Leadership is about movement. It’s not about protecting your position. It’s not about presiding over something and keeping it safe. Leadership is about energizing a vision, energizing a cause, and getting people to move from here to there.”
3. Build your case to get people excited about the cause
“What pastors are tempted to do is say, ‘We know where we need to move our congregations. This is an unthinkable crisis, so I’m going to take an offering.’ Don’t start with the ‘there.’ You’re already ‘there.’ Just saying, ‘We’re going there,’ may cause many people to say, ‘I’m not going with you.’ You have to build a case like a lawyer would about why it’s unthinkable, unconscionable to stay where they are. Do it in bite-size chunks.
“If you’re not careful, you’ll say to your people, ‘Every year or two, we’re going to load another issue on your shoulders.’ Here’s a more biblical construct: When you first become a Christian, God gives you a new heart. It’s a tiny heart, but it’s new. The longer you stay open to the Holy Spirit, the more he increases your capacity to love, so it doesn’t feel like a burden — it’s an opportunity for God to expand our hearts.”
Learn more and register
Want more about the intersection of leadership and faith? World Vision has partnered with The Willow Creek Association for The Global Leadership Summit, an event that brings fresh, actionable, and inspiring leadership tips at a location convenient to you. It’s designed for anyone who wants to sharpen themselves and lead their life well — everyone from a Fortune 500 CEO to a stay-at-home parent. Learn more, and register today.
