The Hardcore Leadership Junkie's Dream: The Global Leadership Summit

The Willowcreek Global Leadership Summit is this week. I've been attending this event since 1997. It's the only event of this caliper and scope. No one does leadership like Willow. No one.

Amazing things happen when leaders take responsibility for their own development. A 'smash & grab' leader realizes her style creates more problems because she's deemed as untrustworthy and arrogant. A timid leader develops courage to have tough conversations and gains confidence in his decision making. A seasoned leader mentors others and finds an authentic way to share his leadership lessons on pain, grief and suffering.

I hope all leaders want to get better at leading, but that's not always the case. Unfortunately, leaders are some of the hardest people to convince they need to develop their skill set. Leaders are notorious for being trapped in the tower of their own making. Hard lessons are often taught as towers fall and leaders stand in the rubble wondering what went wrong.

The GLS has changed and developed over the years much like many of us who are hard core leadership junkies. What the changes reveal to me is exactly why I continue to attend each and every year. GLS leadership practices the humility they intentionally teach. They listen to feedback, discern the truth communicated and apply great ideas to innovate. They take participants seriously and honor who we are as leaders.

The GLS leadership serves leaders by providing a platform of world-renowned speakers who have expertise in areas from organizational health to eradicating global poverty. I've never left a Summit disappointed. I am always challenged as a leader when I leave. I go home with way too much to try and sift out. It takes days, weeks and years to apply what I learn. I am a better leader because of this event.

The Wheatland Salem staff will attend the GLS at a satellite facility in Naperville. My husband, Bill and I, will attend at 'ground zero' in Barrington. All year, I long for the experience to be in the room when the leaders take the stage and present their leadership wisdom. My hope and prayer is that God will ignite a passion in our leadership team to develop personal habits of becoming better leaders and allow God to reveal his will for us at WSC.