Global Leadership Summit - Day 1 part 2

I really have so much to say in reflection of the conference but I feel the need to share about the speakers first. I want you to know who these dynamic people were. So let me finish introducing day 1 speakers. You'll probably get tired of hearing about it but I think I have a weeks worth of blogs that I could write up just tonight on everything. Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm on the conference high which will fade. You just have to be there and listen to what God is saying through each of these people to understand the inspiration and passion. That's where I want to be. I want to be in a place where God's passion emanates from me.


Reverend, Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, founder and president of Salter McNeil & Associates (a leadership development firm). Salter McNeil spoke on having courageous leadership for catalytic times. She was a great speaker, very passionate and definitely at times fit the stereotype (if that's ok to say) of an African-American preacher. She got fired up! She spoke a lot on working globally and building global relationships.


*She used the example of Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier. He pushed through to the sound barrier when no one else did and that was a catalytic event!


*She read from Acts chapter 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."


*She likened Jerusalem as your home, your comfort zone. This takes courage to be a witness here because you are confronting people at your own table or in your own home. 


*Judea was in situations that were close to home, but had different sub-cultures. Things like different denominations or political differences, age differences...etc.


*Samaria was nearby but full of people we are hostile toward or vice versa. The impoverished communities we drive by, the corporate greed, outsiders. To be a witness in Samaria takes people who defy their natural abilities, using unorthodox tactics.


*It takes catalytic events to move us. Without these events we are stuck.


*Experience catalytic events with eyes of FAITH not fear. We shouldn't be afraid of huge events in our lives. God is there ready to use us. She gave these 3 simple steps to use catalytic events for the glory of God:
1. Pray for a divine mandate
2. Name your catalytic events
3. Mobilize people to go - Faith without works is dead!


Seth Godin, Squidoo founder, entrepreneur, blogger. This guy was perhaps one of my favorites. He was a quirky guy who made lots of jokes and used over 100 slides on powerpoint....all pictures. Apparently the powerpoint thing is something he's known for. They showed a brief clip of him talking about his presentations and he said (a loose paraphrase) "People use powerpoint wrong. They fill the slides with words and then expect the audience to read and listen at the same time. I use pictures to enhance my speaking." It was definitely an asset! He spoke on being an artist (not in the traditional sense of painting, drawing, or music), being one who creates and doesn't necessarily think outside the box but hangs on the edges of the box. We picked up his book, Poke the Box. 


*The industrial age is over, but a new age is emerging. An age of artists.


*Art as he defined it - The risky human act of doing something you've never done before with and for someone.


*There is no map for being an artist to tell you how to connect with people.


* People will not pay attention to things that are common or the same, they will pay attention to things that are different.


*An old school of thought was "What you want to do is what we ask you to do." We need to step outside of that thinking and start doing what we want (in terms of innovation).


*If failure is not an option than neither is success.


*Being innovative also means giving gifts, not favors. I'm doing this for you & with you.


*We are constantly looking for a reason to not do our art. Are these excuses or will you use them as opportunities?


*"We need you to lead us." - The World




Steven Furtick, lead pastor of Elevation Church in NC. This guy was pretty funny. Unfortunately, the conference was running late and we had to relieve our babysitters before he finished. Luckily, we have the audio files for all the speakers so we can listen to his talk again. He was talking about audacious faith. A side note: he reminded me of a black-haired Matt Damon. I think it was his facial features. Weird. 


*2 Kings 3:9-20 - The story of Elisha who believed God would come through. He dug ditches for rain water before the clouds were even in sight. 


*God doesn't want us to envision an end, just a start.


*If your vision isn't intimidating to you there's a good chance it's insulting to God.


*Faith believes it before it sees it.


*The difference between a visionary and a daydreamer is the audacity to carry out the vision.


And that's all the notes I have for him....I need to finish listening to his talk because my passion to recklessly abandon my desires and thoughts to trust God's was renewed.