Willow Creek Leadership Summit

I’m at the Summit Leadership Conference at a Satellite site in San Jose. Bill Hybels was the opening speaker with a model that he sets for Descion making. Bill lays out the ground work for making sound decisions within a four-fold principle.

Does the Bible have anything to say about it?.
What do councilors say about it?
What are the P/G/E’s? Pains, Gains, and Experiences that help you?
Is the Spirit prompting you?


He laid out these four principles that get him to making leadership “Axioms”. Short little personal leadership principles that guide you in life. He went on to list a few of his leadership Axioms… here are a few that I found helpful.

-Vision Leaks – this means that people need to hear again and again your vision. If you picture a bucket with holes on the bottom and see that you need to constantly fill it up.
-Facts are your Friends – It’s always helpful to see the raw data about the project your are working with.
-Leaders call Fouls – Leaders sometimes need to stop the meeting and call a figurative foul… something that was said with the wrong tone, or hurtful way, and afford the speaker a mulligan (and opportunity to say/do it over again)… sometimes the leader needs to call a foul on himself.
-When things feel Funky… engage – Sometimes there are rumbles or confusion or a funky tone in the group you are leading…. If that is the case, jump in and engage.
-Take a Flier – this is a word that means to envision and undertake something that is so way beyond the ability for your group to do. Something that would require God to be involved and would be insanely great, Rock their world.
- This is Church - This is a principle that reminds us that what we do at the church is not the only form of church there is. Some times, sitting with a grieving father, or a confused student, the joy of a special ed day at the park. You can look at it and say… “This is Church”

As a side note… I will say that Bill Hybels is really tan! He reminds me of George Hamilton from the Loveboat.