Thanks to Injoy Stewardship Solutions (ISS), I am attending the WCA Global Leadership Summit for the next two days. ISS has a deep passion for church leaders and I am so glad they invest in its employees so we can carry out that mission.
Session 2 featured Condoleeza Rice and Jim Collins. They were incredible! The following are their comments:
Condoleeza Rice
- “If you were in leadership on September 11th your concept of personal security was never the same.”
- “The economic shock of 2008 changed people’s concept of prosperity and personal security.”
- “The Arab Spring taught us that authoritarianism is never stable.”
- “Anger is a terrible way to make political reform. That is what we are seeing in the Middle East…Revolutions are notoriously difficult to control.”
- “No man, woman, or child wants to live in tyranny.”
- “Democracy is the institutionalization of freedom….With freedom comes responsibility.”
- “Democracy cannot mean the tyranny of the majority…The strong cannot exploit the weak.”
- “Every life is worthy.”
- “Every life is capable of greatness…We have a responsibility to make sure the opportunity is there.”
- “Our Lord Jesus Christ died for each and every one of us.”
- “There is a lot the government can do but it cannot deliver compassion.”
- “Delivering compassion to an AIDS orphan has got to be done by people who think every life is worthy.”
- “The best thing you can do for a person is to give them control over their own future. And you do that through education.”
- “With education it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from. It matters where you’re going.”
- “The greatest responsibility…Leadership is helping people see their own leadership capabilities.”
- “The most important characteristic of a leader is that they are irrepressible optimists.”
- “Out of struggle, very often comes victory. That is the message of our Christian faith. After Friday, comes Sunday.”
- “What seemed impossible seemed inevitable in retrospect.”
- “Never accept the world as it is. Accept it as it should be.”
- “I like debate. I don’t mind verbal combat.”
- “Today’s headlines and history’s judgement are rarely the same.”
- “When someone is brutal to their own people, it’s a proxy for something else.”
- “When things become tough, people become more of who they are.”
- “Don’t play the resignation card unless you plan to carry it through.”
- “He may be your friend but he’s the President…Use the relationship to be a truth teller. When you’re in positions of authority you need truth tellers around you…Say difficult things in private.”
- “Friendship should be the place where you can have difficult conversations.”
- “I have always allowed for guidance through ambiguity.”
- “I want a message (from a pastor) that makes me think ‘I never heard it that way.'”
- “Music is inspirational to me…How can you not believe the Lord inspired this?”
- “I love policy. I don’t love politics.â€
Jim Collins
- “The X Factor of great leadership is humility combined with will.”
- “Fanatic discipline is also not going too far and being over-exposed.”
- “A 20-mile march turns good intentions into great works.”
- “The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”
- “Comparison (companies) don’t fire enough bullets, little things, to figure out what will work.”
- “The marriage of creativity and discipline.”
- “Creativity is natural. Discipline is not…The challenge is not to become creative. The challenge is to remove what is preventing you from doing that.”
- “The only mistakes you can learn from are the ones you can survive.”
- “Paranoia must be transitioned into preparation.”
- “Preparation makes you strong for when people need it.”
- “The greatest danger is not failure. The greatest danger is being successful without understanding why in the first place.”
- “Luck is not an aura. Luck is a specific event that meets three tests – You didn’t cause it. It has potentially significant consequence. It is a surprise.”
- “The great winners are not luckier.”
- “What is your return on luck? What will you do with it when it comes?”
- “What is your return on bad events?”
- “Superior performance in moments of distortion…that is a very special brand of leadership.”
- “Greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance. Greatness is primarily a matter of choice and discipline.”
- “3 signs of a great organization. Superior performance relative to your mission. Distinctive impact – what would be lost if we disappeared? It achieves lasting endurance beyond any single leader. No organization is great if it cannot be great without you.”
- “Bill Hybels has always extended to me a hand of friendship…He has always made me feel useful in your world.”
- “Is there a better sign of friendship than I will always be here for you. You will never be alone.”
- “It is impossible to have a great life without a meaningful life.”
Getting ready for a great afternoon.
Subscribe here so future posts can be sent directly to your Inbox. Also, as a gift for doing so, I will also send you a FREE copy of my latest eBook 151 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths That Will Make You A Better Leader.