Month: January 2018

Pastor Gripped by Summit Message Goes into Politics to Bring Change to His Country

Posted on January 10, 2018 by - Because of the GLS, Calling, Government, Latin America, Stories

Gadville McDonald is the lead pastor at Life Empowerment Church, and is also on the chair for The Global Leadership Summit in the Bahamas. Because of the GLS, he’s also in pursuit of creating a better Bahamas through leadership in the political sector.

The first time I heard the idea, everyone wins when a leader gets better, was at The Global Leadership Summit. It gripped me in a big way to the point where I began to look at how my country could be better if our leaders get better. I began to engage and leverage the GLS tools to make this happen. This whisper was so great that it moved me out of my comfort zone.

I began to ask myself, what can I do?

God spoke to me, and I felt called to get involved in national development. I moved from the place of just thinking about improving national leadership to becoming a part of national leadership.

I thought, how could the Bahamas be better?

God challenged me as a pastor, as a local leader, to get involved. I’m a pastor. And God said, why don’t you get involved in politics? It was out of my comfort zone. I thought, wow, that’s not an easy thing!

But I joined up with 39 other candidates to be a part of a movement in our country. When we finished the elections, 35 of those 39 individuals won. And I was able to connect with those leaders in phenomenal ways. Through the GLS, we challenged them to grow, and improve themselves so our country can be better.

What does a better Bahamas look like?

A better Bahamas means leaders are accountable, and corruption is something of the past. It means laws would govern us in a way that requires more transparency, weeding out corruption.

When I heard at the Global Leadership Summit that 40 percent of the revenues in developing countries go toward corruption, I was gripped. What if we could weed out that percentage and lower it significantly? So we are on the path of doing that!

Political leaders take action!

We’re already moving forward with how we can improve accountability and anti-corruption laws. We are already beginning to see major success as a result, and it all happened because of the GLS!

Thirty-five members of Parliament have been elected to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and about seven of them have attended the GLS over the years. At the GLS, we talk about values, accountability and God-centered leadership. Their lives have been transformed, and in turn, we will transform the country.

The GLS improves our leadership to create a better Bahamas

It’s not just happening in politics either. Pastors are also rising to a greater levels of accountability. They are leading better, and as a result churches are growing.

The principles taught at the GLS are being embedded into our emerging leaders, and this year, we have 200 students and emerging leaders attending the GLS. This appetite for accountability, God-centered leadership and transforming the community has been taking over the Bahamas!

We are seeing change in businesses too. This year alone, one company brought about 48 of their top executives to the GLS. They want to change their corporations. They bring them to the GLS so the principles that are taught can filter throughout their organization.

People look forward to the GLS because they leverage it as a catalyst where they can be challenged and go out into their community to make a major difference. The GLS is changing our country!

Thank you for your support in the Bahamas!

I want to thank the donors of The Global Leadership Summit for their investment in something that is so phenomenal. Your investment is making a big difference in the Bahamas. Our country and the lives of our people are being transformed as a result of your investment. I, myself, am being improved as a leader as a result of your investment. I encourage you to continue to invest.—Gadville McDonald, GLS leader, The Bahamas

The Unexpected Paradox of WhiteSpace

Posted on January 8, 2018 by - Articles, Leading Organizations, Productivity, Replenishment, Resilience, Vision, Wellness

I am a thinker. That doesn’t mean I’m smarter or more analytical than other people. I just like to think about things.

I like to consider what I’m going to say before I say it. I like to read the instructions before I build anything. I like to consider all possible outcomes before I decide on a solution.

But, I came to understand very quickly there are only a small handful of jobs that will pay people simply to think. Most jobs pay people based on the things they do.  

In fact, most leaders have unconsciously accepted the following three half-truths:

  1. Doing counts more than thinking.
  2. Action is more valuable than pausing.
  3. Results are more important than ideas.

Because we buy into these half-truths, “doing” has become the guiding motivation for the way we they structure, manage and finance the organizations we lead.

After all, “doing” seems very logical and noble. We need to be “doing” our jobs in order for our organizations to be profitable and achieve goals.

As a result, we very seldom engage in the strategic pause of WhiteSpace. We don’t take time for quiet—to think, to consider, to dream.

WhiteSpace yields an unexpected paradox all of us must consider—the constant treadmill of “doing” ultimately leads to hazardous dead ends.

And embracing WhiteSpace leads to more efficient doing, more precise action and more profitable results.

  • When we give our teams space to think, they come up with more efficient ways of doing their jobs.
  • When we pause to consider the action(s) we’re about to take, our pursuits become better, sharper and more precise.
  • When we are given the freedom to dream collectively about our organization’s future, we create better products, better service and better results.

There are plenty of excuses why we can’t and shouldn’t embrace the idea of WhiteSpace. We must push beyond the half-truths and excuses that keep us on the treadmill of “doing” that leads to dead ends.

If we implement WhiteSpace, our leadership will become better, stronger and more sustainable.

Inspired by the GLS, an Education Center in Ukraine Centered on Love and Service

Posted on January 8, 2018 by - Because of the GLS, Eastern Europe, Education, Europe, Stories

Inspired by the GLS, a couple in Ukraine started an Educational Family Center in order to serve their community through education centered on values of love and service: