Month: January 2017

GLS Impact | Leaders of Hope in Vietnam (Part 3 of 7)

Posted on January 26, 2017 by - Asia, Stories

Most people are surprised to find out that an event like the Global Leadership Summit is growing in places like Vietnam — a country some people consider a godless nation.

But what we’ve seen in the relatively small community of Christians in Vietnam, are growing passionate churches, hungry to bring the Gospel to their communities.

Through the GLS and the support of generous donors, thousands of Christians are being trained and equipped in their leadership in Vietnam.

In light of Vietnam’s New Year celebration this week, we’ve been sharing testimonies of leaders from all over Vietnam who attended the GLS last month, many of them moved to do extraordinary things because of the encouragement they received.

I serve God by praying and sharing the Gospel. My heart is full and I am overjoyed to learn these lessons from the GLS. Every time I come, I receive encouragement to work and lead better. Learning from other leaders’ experiences is truly a perfect way to upgrade my leadership skills. This time was no different. I was really impressed by the message shared by Brian Houston; hearing him talk about burnout really touched my heart. I especially liked the video about Warden Cain, the man who brought change for those who are hopeless in prison.

While listening to the messages, I started to realize my circumstances are small compared to the power of God. The messages from the GLS are truly a great gift from God to give us strength to do His work on earth. We will use this to give to other ministers when they are faced with difficulties. My team will pray for every tribe in our city to have a chance to come to the GLS next year. Thanks to God for everything. – Duong Thi Thao, pastor in Vietnam

The Lord has blessed me very much with the chance to come here to the GLS. The lessons shared by Jim Collins have touched my heart. I now recognize what real success is, and that failure is not the end point of one’s life, but rather, failure should be considered growth. Traditionally, people think the success of one’s life is the position he has, but today God has revealed to me that the successful leader must help others to achieve success. As a pastor of a church, I have seen many church board problems because they fight for a position. I believe recognizing this revelation will help my church grow and be better. Thank you for providing such wonderful leadership lessons in Vietnam. – Đinh Khắc Hoàn, pastor in Vietnam
Nowadays, it is very difficult to lead one’s self. The teaching on The Intangibles of Leadership impressed and influenced me a lot. It helped me rethink my blind spots. It reminded me about leading my team based on God’s vision, not ours! It reminded me I need to be willing to be around those who can talk to me about my blind spots. This will help me be successful. I am also touched to learn that winning by myself is nothing, and it is great for the whole team to win! I will definitely implement this into leading myself in my life and leading others to win together and build up our church. God’s words were so powerful to me through the GLS teachings. This is my first time taking part in the GLS conference and I would love to have a chance to join the GLS in the future. Thank you so much! – Dinh Minh Duong, church leader, Vietnam

Thank you for pray for and supporting the growth of the GLS in Vietnam!

To learn more about how the GLS came to be in Vietnam, watch this video.

Brené Brown on Empathy

Posted on January 25, 2017 by - Articles, Conflict Management, Leading Others, Relational Intelligence

How do you respond when someone you lead shares something difficult or something that makes them vulnerable?  

In this animated short, Dr Brené Brown (GLS 2013, 2015) reminds us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to really get in touch with our own painful experiences.

GLS Impact | Leaders of Hope in Vietnam (Part 2 of 7)

Posted on January 25, 2017 by - Asia, Stories

Most people are surprised to find out that an event like the Global Leadership Summit is growing in places like Vietnam — a country some people consider a godless nation.

But what we’ve seen in the relatively small community of Christians in Vietnam, are growing passionate churches, hungry to bring the Gospel to their communities.

Through the GLS and the support of generous donors, thousands of Christians are being trained and equipped in their leadership in Vietnam.

In light of Vietnam’s New Year celebration this week, we will be sharing testimonies of leaders from all over Vietnam who attended the GLS last month, many of them moved to do extraordinary things because of the encouragement they received.

I know that changing the leadership traditions and culture is hard, however, I discovered I can change the way people lead in my own church and influence my people first through example. After the GLS last year, I did some work that I had never done before as a minister. I started cleaning the chairs, toilets, tidying up the church and saying encouraging words to others. I wanted to start changing the culture and my way of thinking about servant leadership. Moreover, I don’t keep power to myself, but share it with people in my church. I realized that a successful leader must help others achieve success. Now I have nine deacons who serve the Lord with me. We encourage everyone in my church to take part in the work in the church.

After the GLS this year, God challenged me to expand my capacity. I was sparked with a vision to start eight tabernacles in the eight villages in my area in the near future. We are doing the same work of the Lord on earth to serve King Jesus, not to build my own kingdom. That is also a cultural shift that needs to be changed.

We have applied these things when fixing our church’s building, or serving our youth ministry and worship ministry. In addition to the worship ministry, when I was just ordained as a pastor here, I had to play the music, be a worship leader and preacher. But now, praise the Lord our awesome God, that He helps my church to be a place to train worship leaders and music ministers from the highlands (the tribes).

Last but not least, the GLS conference brought unity to the children of God of many denominations. We now join hands and work together. Before the GLS, I only saw this happen a few times. But after the GLS conferences, I have seen unity in the Body of Christ, not only in the North of Vietnam, but all of Vietnam, through His love and mercy.

The leadership training is really good for our spiritual growth. To me, it much more valuable than any material things we can see. The GLS makes a great impact on us. Words cannot express all my gratitude to God and to GLS organizers. Remember us in your prayers. – Pastor Dao Quoc Thanh, Vietnam

I am very encouraged and inspired by the GLS. I’ve applied what I learned to my church, and I’m eager to help and build others up in their leadership. In order to do this, I desire to lead by influence, expanding love in my leadership. After seeing the inspiration and helpfulness the GLS provides, I bought videos and books on leadership for my church. I would love for my key members to listen, learn and apply these lessons in their leadership and build up a better and greater church. – Pastor Dinh Huu Cay, Vietnam (A pastor who oversees other pastors, who lead about 7,200 followers)

Thank you for pray for and supporting the growth of the GLS in Vietnam!

To learn more about how the GLS came to be in Vietnam, watch this video.

GLS Impact | Leaders of Hope in Vietnam (Part 1 of 7)

Posted on January 24, 2017 by - Asia, Stories

Most people are surprised to find out that an event like the Global Leadership Summit is growing in places like Vietnam — a country some people consider a godless nation.

But what we’ve seen in the relatively small community of Christians in Vietnam, are growing passionate churches, hungry to bring the Gospel to their communities.

Through the GLS and the support of generous donors, thousands of Christians are being trained and equipped in their leadership in Vietnam.

In light of Vietnam’s New Year celebration this week, we will be sharing testimonies of leaders from all over Vietnam who attended the GLS last month, many of them moved to do extraordinary things because of the encouragement they received.

I am so excited to be here today to attend the GLS. I am really impressed by one point shared by Jim Collins. He asked, ‘How can you frame your failure as growth?’ Those words struck me and gave me courage. I’m strengthened to dream of achieving my big hairy audacious goal. I am so grateful to God because He uses these teaching sessions to make my vision clearer. My grander vision is to open Christian Schools for various ages of students from elementary to high school in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. I know it is a hard goal to achieve, but if it were easy it would not be a big hairy audacious goal. I am so encouraged now. Praise the Lord. – Ms. Bao Ngoc, a director of an educational company

 

I was really encouraged to come here to the GLS this morning. The message on The Five Intangibles of Leadership really touched my heart. The most impactful intangible to me was ‘self-sacrificing love.’ I realized that no matter how successful our program or project, the most important thing is our people. Sacrificing love can maximize potential in people. What I have to change now is how the church board expresses their love to the congregation in difference ways to make people feel loved in order to make the church perform better. The success of my church is not in how great I am, but how great my flock is. I believe the GLS is truly a great blessing to transform me, my church and my nation. – Pastor Phan Thi Bach Tuyet, Vietnam

When I came to the GLS for the first time last year, it was the first time I had heard such leadership teachings. The messages from the GLS revive my soul and give me courage to continue working with the tribes in the mountains. There are a lot of different ideas within my tribe’s culture, especially when it comes to gender equality, but I decided to practice the new ideas I learned with my family first, as a model to the people around me. Then I teach it to my congregation. It’s a big challenge. Now I am encouraging my son to go to the GLS. I hope he can receive his own calling like I did. – Pastor Dang Doc, Vietnam

I feel so grateful to be here at the GLS today. Actually, I didn’t have a great hope in what I would receive through this event. However, God revealed a lot of things to me. Specifically, God gave me new eyes to see things in the way I work with others. After Jim Collin’s message ‘Good to Great,’ I asked God to change me to know how to encourage my teammates, change my ways in talking with others, and to respect their differences. I will not force others to listen to my ideas any more, but accept the debate without coercion. Because God has revealed for me that helping others succeed makes me a better leader. Praise God for everything he has done for me. It’s so awesome. I have determined to fix myself and to lead my team from good to great from now on. – Y Dot Phigia, school teacher, Vietnam

 

Thank you for pray for and supporting the growth of the GLS in Vietnam!

To learn more about how the GLS came to be in Vietnam, watch this video.

Restoring Hope to a Marginalized Generation Through the GLS in Mexico | Scott Cochrane

Posted on January 23, 2017 by - Business, Latin America, Stories

When a young leader describes his generation as being “sidelined”, “cynical” and “discouraged”, it doesn’t paint a promising picture.

But to hear the conversation then shift with words like “hope”, “opportunity” and “vision” you begin to realize that change is possible.

This was the complex picture of the culture in Mexico as described by Abdiel Sanchez, a young marketing executive in Mexico City.

Abdiel was attending the recent Global Leadership Summit in the Sante Fe area of Mexico City, and what he experienced caused him to realize that real change is possible in his country.

“Because of the GLS, I really believe things can change in Mexico,” he explained. “I can see that young leaders can have an opportunity to step up and lead the change our country needs.”

At 29 years of age, Abdiel has already compiled an impressive track record of accomplishments, including an executive position with General Motors. But despite personal success, he has carried with him a deep concern for his country and particularly for young leaders in Mexico.

“We have two big problems here,” Abdiel continued. “First of all, people don’t trust the leaders. They don’t trust political leaders, they don’t trust business leaders. In many cases, they don’t trust religious leaders.

“The second problem is that young people have no voice. They are marginalized. They have no real opportunity to influence change.”

But despite this gloomy assessment, Abdiel is optimistic. And much of his optimism is being fueled by the Global Leadership Summit.

“The GLS is the only movement I have seen that is bringing together young and old leaders, from every sector of society. Business, the Church, non-profits, they’re all here,” he enthused. “And they seem to be joined by a passion to be equipped in order to bring Kingdom transformation to Mexico. This is a movement that can make a huge difference.”

What does Abdiel see for the future?

“If movements like the GLS can continue to grow, it can give all of us a new vision for Mexico,” he continued. “This movement can give all young leaders hope that a better day can be coming for Mexico.”

These are the stories that help to compel the WCA to ensure the ongoing growth of the GLS in Mexico. In 2014 there were 13 Summit sites. Next year our plan is to see 30 sites.

Such growth requires tremendous effort. But when we think of young leaders like Abdiel Sanchez, it makes the effort all worthwhile.

 

Scott Cochrane serves as the vice president of International at Willow Creek Association. An insightful and genuine leader, he travels the globe mentoring international teams. Prior to joining WCA, he was the executive pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Kelowna, British Columbia and provided leadership to the WCA Canada.

Building Trust Across Cultures

Posted on January 23, 2017 by - Articles, Diversity, Leading Others, Team Building

Do you trust with your head or with your heart?

There is a big difference between cultures when it comes to building trust. Not understanding that can put a business relationship in peril.

Karl Morel, an acquisitions expert from Nestlé, found himself in a challenging situation when he was negotiating a joint venture in China. Morel led a team to Shanghai to explore a venture with a company that made packaged Chinese delicacies. The initial meetings with eight Chinese executives had him baffled. Morel and his team tried to be friendly and transparent, providing all of the details the Chinese wanted. “But they were impenetrable and unwilling to budge on any of their demands,” Morel said.

After a frustrating week, Morel and his colleagues met with a Chinese business consultant to figure out how they should adjust their approach. “The consultant told us that our approach was wrong—that we were going too fast.” Morel reported. He said they weren’t going to get what they wanted from the Chinese executives until they developed guanxi with them.

Relationships first

Guanxi? It is a Chinese term used to describe relationships that may benefit both parties. As the consultant explained, to develop good guanxi, one must build trust from the heart. “Forget the deal for a while,” he said. “Open up personally. Make a friend. A real one.”

Morel took the consultant’s advice, inviting his Chinese counterparts out for dinner, and including people from different levels of the company. There was live music and plenty of food from the Tianjin area of China, where the owner of the Chinese company was from. It was an excellent dinner, and there was plenty of socialising. The two groups toasted each other several times in a sign of mutual respect and emphasised their happiness at the prospect of a long-term relationship. After restarting the meetings the following Monday, the Chinese were much more willing to cooperate and the teams made excellent progress during their second week together.

Take a long lunch

I heard of a similar example when I worked recently with a group of executives from Gerdau, a Brazilian steelmaker. I learned the interesting backstory of one of the company’s acquisitions from Maria Morez in the Brazilian team and her American counterpart, Jim Powly. The acquisition was successful, but the path was challenging.

When the Brazilian team arrived in Jacksonville, Mississippi, Jim’s group gave them a warm welcome. “We got right down to business that morning,” Morez recounts. For three days, the teams engaged in intense, sometimes difficult negotiations, ordering sandwiches for lunch and only taking short pauses throughout the day. At the end of two days, the Americans felt great about what they’d accomplished. They also felt that the short breaks and tight schedules were a sign of respect for the time their guests had taken out of their busy schedule to visit. But the Brazilians were less upbeat. “Despite having spent two days together, we didn’t know whether we could trust them.” explained Morez.

Powly continued the story, explaining that he brought the American team to Brazil to continue the discussions. The days were packed with meetings, lunches were long and dinners went well into the evening. This made the Americans uncomfortable. They worried about whether they’d have enough time to get everything finished and they even wondered if their Brazilian counterparts took the negotiations seriously.

For the Brazilians, the long lunches and dinners also showed respect for the Americans’ time. “This is supposed to send a clear message,” Morez explained: “Dear colleagues, who have come such a long distance to work with us, we would like to show you that we value you, and even if nothing else happens during these two days, besides getting to know each other well and developing a personal connection, we will have made good use of our time together.” Morez and Powly managed to complete their deal, but a sense of discomfort persisted.

The two forms of trust

There are two basic types of trust: cognitive trust and affective trust.

  • Cognitive trust is based on the confidence you feel in another person’s accomplishments, skills and reliability. This is trust from the head.
  • Affective trust on the other hand, arises from feelings of emotional closeness, empathy or friendship. This type of trust comes from the heart.

In all cultures, the trust you feel for a parent or spouse is likely to be an affective trust. But when it comes to business, cultural differences are significant.

In cultures that are more “task-based,” such as the U.S., Denmark, Germany, Australia and the U.K., business people are much more likely to develop work bonds based largely on cognitive trust. In China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, trust is “relationship-based” and is built through developing a personal bond. In the business world in those cultures, cognitive and affective trust aren’t separate but are woven together.

For those from task-based societies who are working with relationship-based counterparts, a few key rules to remember are:

  • Put more time and effort into organising meals or social events to be shared. During those engagements, drop talks about work. Laugh together and make friends.
  • Beyond meals, make all efforts to find time to let your guard down with those you’d like to build trust with, and to build up personal bonds.

Those from relationship-based societies who are working with task-based counterparts should keep the following points in mind:

  • Don’t throw out socialising altogether. Go ahead and organise a lunch, but if it is likely to stretch to 90 minutes or longer, prepare your colleagues in advance.
  • Feel free to set up dinner or drinks in the evenings, but if your counterparts leave early to rest or catch up on work, don’t take offence.
  • Recognise that a personal bond might help, but the business is more likely to come with cognitive proof of a high-quality product.

There is a very clear, practical benefit to investing in affective relationship-building, especially in emerging markets. Very often the relationship is, in itself, the business contract, so it is important to join the crowd and show your true self to feel a personal bond. In these cultures, trust is like an insurance policy – it’s an investment you need to make up front, before the need arises.