Live Notes From The Global Leadership Summit – 51 Quotes From Condoleeza Rice And Jim Collins

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.”

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.

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