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The Leadership Summit 2009

Session 1 // 9:00am – 10:15am

Bill Hybels

Leading in a New Reality

Thomas Nelson CEO, Michael Hyatt, blogged today on what he is calling Leadership 2.0

In the post, Hyatt lists and describes 7 characteristics of this new kind of leader.

Leadership 2.0……..

1 // Embraces change

2 // Demonstrates transparency

3 // Celebrates dialog

4 // Employs collaboration

5 // Practices sharing

6 // Welcomes engagement

7 // Builds community

Be sure to read the full post here where he describes in detail how Leadership 2.0 differs from Leadership 1.0.

As I read through the list, I couldn’t help but wonder if the new leader (Leadership 2.0) is what the old leader (Leadership 1.0) should have been all along.

Maybe the tools, the technology just didn’t exist in the past to enable transparency, dialog, collaboration, sharing, engagement, and community building.

The good news is the tools exist today.  Let’s be Leadership 2.0 leaders.

(image by Denis Collette…!!!)

I like improving things

• if something is good, I want to make it great

• if something is broken, i like to fix it

• if something is complex, i try to simplify it

I bet your organization has lots of people like that

Your people want to improve things

Do you make it difficult for your people to improve things?

Before they can improve things, do you make your people…….

• ask permission

• fill out forms

• get sponsorship

• jump through hoops

• provide justification

• take it to a committee

• prioritize it

• gain consensus

• escalate it

• seek approvals?

Nothing really bad, wrong, or evil with any of those things.  In fact, many times those things are necessary, especially in larger organizations.  But if your people are spending the majority of their time on those things, that means they aren’t spending their time on actually improving things.

Do you make it difficult for your people to improve things?

(image by striatic)

I’ve been reading John Maxwell’s (@johncmawell) new book, Put Your Dream To The Test.

The 2nd chapter of the book, titled The Clarity Question: Do I Clearly See My Dream?, contains the following quote about the importance of vision by popular blogger, power twitterer, and CEO Michael Hyatt (@michaelhyatt).

What you need is a vision that is so big that it is compelling, not only to others, but to you. If it’s not compelling, you won’t have the motivation to stay the course, and you won’t be able to recruit others to help you. Both vision and strategy are important, but there is a priority to them. Vision always comes first. Always. If  you have a clear vision, you will attract the right strategy. If you don’t have a clear vision, no strategy will save you. I have seen this over and over again in my professional life and personal life.

Later in the chapter Hyatt says this about a transformation that he led his organization through…….

I spent way more time — probably ten to one — focused on the what rather than the how.

A 10:1 What/How ratio.

My guess is that most organizations have a What/How ratio closer to 1:10.

What do you think?

I recently finished reading an early copy of Tony Morgan’s new book, Killing Cockroaches.

Here are 10 reasons you should read this book…….

1) The book contains lots of Top 10 lists

A few of my favorites…..10 Stupidest Leadership Mistakes I’ve Made, 10 Signs Your Not Ready For Change, & 10 Easy Ways to Make Church Services More Boring

2) Andy Stanley wouldn’t write the foreward for a bad book

3) The foreword is sandwiched between ‘Enter at Your Own Risk’ and ‘Prepare for an Adventure’

4) The book actually contains 4 easy steps for killing cockroaches

5) Tony is not your ordinary pastor

Tony rejects the status quo and takes an innovative, creative, and cutting-edge approach to ministry.  Naturally, that makes some in the church world a little uncomfortable.  Seth Godin might even call him a “heretic”.  Fortunately, in today’s world “heretics” have popular blogs and get their books published.

6) Tony’s church is not your ordinary church

Newspring Church, led by Senior Pastor Perry Noble, exists for one simple mission:  To make Jesus famous, one life at a time.  Perry and Tony have a passionate and strategic laser-focus on that mission and, as a result, Newspring Church is making a big impact in Anderson, SC and beyond.

7) All of the 100+ blog post-like chapters are in alphabetical order

How did he do that?  Also, many of the chapters are creatively titled.  The titles make you want to read more.  A few of my favorite titles…….Actions Speak Louder Than Advertising, Christians Sound Different, Giant Inflatable Blue Monkeys, How Would Apple Do Church?, and I’m Just Not That Interested In God

8) Tony has a great blog.  This book reads like a series of blog posts.  That makes for a great book.

9) This book has lots of great interviews

A few of my favorites……..Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, Penelope Trunk, Mark Batterson, Steven Furtick, and Craig Groeschel

10) This book is not just for church leaders

Tony is in the church world, but he keeps a close eye on the strategies, marketing, branding, communications, and innovation of America’s businesses.  I’m in the business world, but I keep a close eye on what is happening in the church.  I believe the business world and the church world still have lots to learn from each other.  The “scattered musings on leadership” contained in this book are for leaders of all types.

Get your copy of Killing Cockroaches here.  Also available on the Kindle here.