Month: May 2020

Just Because Everything is Canceled Doesn’t Mean God Is

Posted on May 28, 2020 by - Articles, Calling, Leading Yourself, Relationship with God, Resilience

GLS20 Sadie Robertson Huff Article Header Image
This article is a part of The Global Leadership Summit Faculty Spotlight series where we feature content from the upcoming #GLS20 speakers. This is a great opportunity to get a taste of what to expect from these amazing leaders!

 

#GLS20 is thrilled to welcome the inspirational and fearless leader and social influencer Sadie Robertson Huff to the Summit in 2020! One of the most prominent voices of her generation, she strives to be a positive influence for those in dire need of inspiration and a non-judgmental presence in their lives.

If you have heard me speak before, or read any of my books, you know that I talk about waiting seasons.

Waiting seasons are very common for our generation. We constantly feel like we are waiting for the next step of life. Waiting for the college acceptance letter, waiting for the job offer, waiting for our spouse. Whatever it may be, we are always talking about the “waiting season.”

But now the WHOLE WORLD is in a “waiting season.” We are in a global period of waiting, which is new for all of us.

There is a sickness that is really scary, and it has left us questioning. This is no longer just a personal season of waiting—we are ALL waiting. Waiting on a vaccine, waiting on God to move, you name it. We are ALL looking for the next step of life.

Yes, we are waiting, but the time still doesn’t need to be wasted.

But just because we are all waiting at once, it doesn’t change the message. Yes, we are waiting, but the time still doesn’t need to be wasted.

Ephesians 5 verse 8-14 says,

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

I am going to pause right there. Now is not the time to be asleep! We are children of the LIGHT! Let’s be the light in the dark and scary time. It’s easy to get sucked into just binge-watching Netflix or mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, but let’s choose to not fall victim to wasting our time in the waiting.

Ephesians 5 continues in verse 15 saying,

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

RIGHT NOW is the time to be fruitful. Let’s be wise. Pick up the Word and learn it, gain understanding. We have so much time to dive into a deeper understanding of who God is. Make the most of the time He has given us. Let’s not waste the waiting.

The definition of waiting is, “preparing for one’s purpose.”

COME ON! If we are all waiting right now, there has to be one heck of a purpose coming out of this. God is preparing each of us right now.

I think of this as an airplane waiting on the runway. No one likes just sitting and waiting on the runway, but the reason behind the waiting is so that someone can prepare the plane and make sure it gets you in the air safely to fulfill its purpose of getting you where you need to go.

This waiting season is preparing us for our purpose.

That is what God is doing right now. Just because we are waiting, does not mean that God isn’t working. He is preparing us for our purpose.

There are so many things canceled right now, but that doesn’t mean the will of God is canceled.

Some of you might be wondering practical ways to not waste this season of waiting. Here are some things we can focus on.

  • Dive into the Word. There is so much to learn just by opening up your Bible and reading. Start with the Gospels and get excited about what God is doing!
  • Worship. Worship Him singing, dancing, praying. Connect with God in this time. Pray for the desire to be closer to Him.
  • Be thankful. Although it may not seem like it. There is so much to be thankful for right now. Write those things down and thank God for them.

I am here with you friends in the waiting. We are going to get through this, but let’s all chase after Jesus fiercely during this time. This waiting season is preparing us for our purpose. Wait and watch what God is going to do. The things that the Lord can do during this time are big. Don’t just wait and sleep. Wait and WATCH. God is working.

I am believing and praying for big things to come out of this season, and you can too.

You can follow Sadie on Instagram @legitsadierob and @liveoriginal.

This article originally appeared on Sadie’s Live Original platform.

 

Join Sadie Robertson Huff and other 14 other world-class speakers for The Global Leadership Summit on Thursday and Friday, August 6-7, 2020. Get ready for your two-day infusion of fresh ideas, actionable concepts, leadership principles and heartfelt inspiration from a world-class faculty at a location near you!

 

Click this button to register today

 

 

 

COVID-19 Resources for Christian Marketplace Leaders

Posted on May 27, 2020 by - Articles, Change Management, Communication, Leading Organizations

Social networking concept from a distance away

During this season of crisis, C12 is working hard to help Christian business leaders continue to advance and do great good. Originally on the C12 platform, below is a blog post with some helpful resources for Christian business leaders. 

While well-intended tips, studies and forecasts from multiple sources are flooding everyone’s inboxes and social media feeds as well as inspiration to help mentally navigate the uncertainty that lies ahead, CEOs and business owners in C12’s global network are inundating our leadership with stories of creative innovation, lessons learned and tactical strategies. C12 members are turning the unforeseen disruptions of the COVID pandemic into opportunities to care for their teams, families and communities while still advancing their businesses. 

Hear from C12 CEO Mike Sharrow, in the first of a series of videos, as he shares what we are learning from thousands of Christian business leaders in C12 as well as our trusted partners and affiliate organizations.  Watch Now >>

In addition to the Executive Briefing, C12 will continue to compile the best resources to keep you informed and resilient throughout this uncertain time. This information is not exclusive to C12 members. Please feel free to share with your peers. 

 

Resources & Guidance for COVID-19 

Resources to Act: 

 

Government Resources: 

 

Insight & Analysis: 

 

Perspective Pieces: 

 

In the busy intersection of questions and dynamic situations, we want you positioned to succeed and to feel confident to serve your teams with exceptional relevance during this time. The power of leaning on the counsel of your peers is needed now more than ever. 

The Antidote to Feelings of Isolation in the Marketplace

Posted on May 25, 2020 by - Business, Church & Faith-Based, Human Resources, Leading Organizations, Leading Yourself, North America, Relationship with God, Stories, Wellness

The Antidote to Feelings of Isolation in the Marketplace

Did you know nearly 80 percent of people in the workplace today have no regular connection to a support system to help them through difficult issues?

In isolation, you are most vulnerable. I’ve been there, and that’s why I’m so passionate about what I do today. This is also why I believe in the power of programs like the marketplace chaplaincy and The Global Leadership Summit (GLS)—which speak into your life, minister to you and meet you where you are.

My passion to serve those in the marketplace

As a Christian, I’m called in Christ—and I’ve realized that I’m in ministry no matter where I’m at in life. My career started in the marketplace where I worked for over 40 years. Then 19 years ago, I was called to serve as the Chief Marketing Officer for Marketplace Chaplains. My passion is serving men and women in the marketplace by coming along side them to be a support system for whatever they may be going through, ultimately ministering to them and being the hands and feet of Jesus in their lives.

At the end of the day, you know you’re a leader when you’re helping people to fill their potential and transform their life.

As I look back on my life, I can see all the steps God exposed me to in order to prepare me for this specific assignment in the wide-open mission field of the marketplace. That’s why I became a marketplace chaplain.

What is a chaplain? Basically, chaplains are there to care for you and your family and show unconditional love regardless of your religious background. The U.S. military has had chaplains for over 235 years, and most people have heard of a chaplain in a hospital, fire department, police department or on sports teams. In the context of the workplace, it’s positioned as front-line employee care. Unlike the HR department, which functions within an organization in hiring, firing, payroll, benefits, talent, wellness, etc., the beauty of marketplace chaplains is that we’re neutral from company operations. We act as an extension of leadership in HR’s heart of care. We often partner with HR, but we’re not under the management of HR. The chaplains are somebody on the front lines where people can have a confidential, 24-hour resource.

A source of connection

The value of programs like the marketplace chaplaincy and The Global Leadership Summit is that they meet people where they are to equip, encourage and minister to them in whatever situation they’re in—reminding them that they are not alone, and they have influence.

Connect with those who can support you on your journey. Don’t stay in isolation.

My role with the Global Leadership Network (GLN) as a volunteer has been to help prepare the mission fields and plant seeds for future growth. I love the team at the GLN and what they are doing. I love the blending of work and faith the GLS brings. Personally, I know the impact—Yes, it’s an event, but it’s more than that. People often feel the term “leader” is a position rather than a way God sees you and your character. But the truth is, leadership skills can help anybody wherever they’re at. At the end of the day, you know you’re a leader when you’re helping people to fill their potential and transform their life.

Leading yourself is like sailing a boat

Too many people I know get in a hurry on their leadership journey—they see someone else doing something, and they want to go do that, but they don’t understand the process of what it took for that person to get there, or what God had to do to form that piece of clay. Too often we want to compare ourselves to others, instead of focusing on God’s unique plans for us, the way we were designed and what he’s allowed us to experience. Sometimes people will wait and say they’re waiting for the perfect deal, but sometimes you must take the good deal to get to the perfect deal. It’s like a sailboat—don’t worry about the rudder, you’ve got to raise the sails and get moving first, and then you can direct the boat.

What might God want to share with you through the GLS?

As an established or an aspiring leader, it’s important to be humble and get more in the word and in tune with God’s voice. He can use you. He’s got bigger plans than you can imagine. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy—it requires faith, discipline and trust. After going through some hard times, you start to realize what really matters in life. If it truly is God’s will and call, it’s so much better than you could have thought or imagined.

The Antidote to Feelings of Isolation in the MarketplaceIn the Bible in the book of James, he says, count it all joy when you face trials and hardships. God is working you out and preparing you to win. As a former saddle bronc rider, I’ve learned that you don’t win in one ride, it takes two or three years of practice, banging your head into the fence and breaking bones. It’s continually trying and refining skills in order to be successful—most people quit too early. It’s a learning journey. People get the equation wrong—it’s not about my idea, and then God’s plan, it’s God’s plan, and then my obedience—that’s what has impact.

Wherever God brings you, continue to rely on Him through every situation and conversation. And if you want to grow and maximize your leadership potential, learn from others along the way. Connect with those who can support you on your journey. Don’t stay in isolation. The GLS is one of the most effective and efficient ways to unlock your leadership potential.

Getting Back to Business: 5 Practices to Create a Culture Where People Feel Safe

Posted on May 22, 2020 by - Articles, Influence, Leading Organizations

Businessman with a briefcase and a mask heads back to the office to work.

We’ve done okay with sheltering.  

The real question is, can we influence safe behavior in the middle ground between complete isolation and free-for-all? Most people believe we can’t.

Yet success during the ongoing pandemic hinges on our capacity to hold each other to new norms of responsible behavior and social regulation. And how quickly new norms are established is determined by how quickly people speak up when they are violated.

Join GLS alumni, Joseph Grenny, co-author of Crucial Conversations, in a FREE webcast on Thursday, May 28, to learn five practices for creating a culture where people consistently engage in behaviors that ensure the business runs smoothly and your doors stay open.  

You will learn: 

  • 5 practices to keep your employees and customers safe 
  • How to build 200% accountability for practicing new behaviors 
  • How to create a workplace where employees and customers not only are safe but feel safe 

 

** Can’t join live? Register anyway! We’ll send you a recording of each session within 48-hours. Only the first 3,000 people to join will have access to the live event. 

 

EVENT DETAILS

  • Date: Thursday, May 28, 2020
  • Time: 11am MST 
  • Cost: Free
  • Speaker: Joseph Grenny 

 

Click HERE to register for this free event. 

  

How Kaká Found Perfect Pitch

Posted on May 21, 2020 by - Articles, Leading Yourself, Productivity

Kaka will be joining the faculty at The Global Leadership Summit 2020.
This article is a part of The Global Leadership Summit Faculty Spotlight series where we feature content from the upcoming #GLS20 speakers. This is a great opportunity to get a taste of what to expect from these amazing leaders!

 

An audible gasp went over the audience when we announced soccer superstar Kaká would be joining us for #GLS20. One of the most influential names in sports, he will share leadership insights from his 15-year career. Read the interview below to get more insight into the leadership practices that built this game-changing mid-fielder and team captain.  

Discipline and sacrifice brought Kaká to the top in soccer, while he never got off the ground in music. 

At age 35, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, or quite simply Kaká, looks back at a career that only very few can match in his sport. He has won everything there is to win in soccer, but most importantly, he has never lost his passion for the game.

As his career draws to a close, I sat down with the attacking mid-fielder to reflect on the creativity that delighted the crowds in the San Siro, Bernabéu and Maracanã stadiums and discussed what he learned about leadership and motivation as a team captain.

Q: When you enter the pitch, something about you changes. What is it?

The confidence and motivation you have when you get on the field changes your entire posture. It’s like you’re going into a fight. You are fighting for your life and, in that moment, your body shows all the strength, power and agility it has.

Q: It also shows amazing creativity.

Yes, I love being creative. For me, creativity is building something from nothing. But it takes more than you would think to do that. Most importantly, you need to identify the source of your creativity and build on that. In my case, my creativity on the field is highly dependent on my instincts.

Q: What do you do to develop your instincts?

It’s all about training and trying. My body needs to learn what it is capable of. I repeat certain exercises every day to internalize movements and reactions. It then takes some courage to give it a try it in a game when you’re under pressure. You need this courage or you will never create something different from the others.

Q: Passion for the game is not enough to make it to the top. Why were you successful?

My passion for the game has always been about the discipline and the sacrifice that I had to give to achieve what I really wanted. Everybody has a dream, but it depends on what you are willing to sacrifice to achieve that dream. If you are not determined enough, it just remains a dream. I once dreamed about learning to play the guitar, but I didn’t do anything to get there and so it never happened. When I started dreaming about becoming a soccer player, I sacrificed everything to achieve my goal and, luckily, it all worked out.

Q: You have been in the business for a very long time. Did you ever lose your motivation?

Yes, I’ve lost my motivation a few times, be it because of injuries or bad results. At some point, it was simply because I had achieved everything that I could in my sport. As a soccer player, I have won the Italian League, the Champions League and the World Cup. Where would I go from there? Eventually, I decided to focus on developing myself. From that day onwards, I’ve always worked extra hard to become better than I was yesterday—in my business, as a father, as a partner and in all other areas of life.

Q: As a team captain, you also have to motivate your players. How do you do that?

I found the best motivation for my players is when they see me leading by example. As captain, I always try to be the first who comes to training. When you’re working harder than everybody else, you’ve already won a lot. Of course, you sometimes need to have a word with them to make a point, but your actions will always speak louder than words.

In the end, every player is different and so are the situations they are in. You need to consider this before giving advice. Some players need extra pressure, others just need someone who’s there for them. The advice I give also depends on the character of the player and the relationship we have. While you have to be very mindful with your words and actions, I’ve always loved bearing this responsibility as a captain.

This article originally appeared on the gameplan website here. 

 

Join Kaká and other top leadership voices for The Global Leadership Summit on Thursday and Friday, August 6-7, 2020. Get ready for your two-day infusion of fresh ideas, actionable concepts, leadership principles and heartfelt inspiration from a world-class faculty at a location near you!

 

click this button to find a Summit near your location to attend

 

 

 

If You Lead People Today, Do These 5 Things

Posted on May 20, 2020 by - Articles, Leading Others, Supervising People, Wellness

Confident young salesman waving at colleague during video call on computer at desk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpVprOlZhDI?rel=0

Most of us woke up Monday morning to a very different reality from what we were expecting last month—or even last week. Children home from school or university, entire companies working from home, families self-quarantining—and yet somehow, the world is still turning, and we’re expected to do our work as usual. 

If you are a leader (of a team, yes—but also of a group or even of a household) here are five things you can do right now to ensure that your team stays productive and engaged during this difficult time.  

 

1. Build your team culture virtually. 

In the ADP Research Institute’s groundbreaking Global Study of Engagement, we found that the most engaged workers aren’t necessarily the ones coming to the office every week—they’re actually working remotely 80% of the time. Which suggests that your team isn’t a place that you go physically, it’s a feeling you have in your head and your heart. It is entirely possible to keep your team feeling connected and engaged during this time, in fact they may even be more engaged because of the flexibility they now have. 

 

2. Build up your team’s confidence in what they can do. 

In your virtual team meetings and connects, don’t use that time to play therapist and connect with everyone’s feelings—that’s not the outcome you’re trying to achieve during these virtual events. Instead, you’re trying to up the level of confidence on your team. Don’t fake it—you don’t know what’s around the next corner any more than your team does. But you can help people know what they can control in their lives. Whether it’s how frequently they wash their hands or how much work they can get done on a particular project, if you help people understand what they can control then their confidence will rise. 

 

3. Keep doing weekly check-ins with each member of your team. 

Now more than ever, people still need to feel a connection with each other. The best way to restore that connection with each member of your team is by doing a weekly check-in where you ask, “What are you working on, and how can I help?” Not only will you be keeping each employee focused, but you’ll be giving them that personal attention that they crave. Plus, as a bonus, research shows that the medium of this conversation doesn’t matter, only the frequency does—so rest assured that your check-in over the phone or video conference is as effective as one would be in person. 

 

4. Take your own energy seriously and seek out the people who lift you up. 

Identify the people who lift you up, who make you feel better, and reach out to them every week—because your energy and emotional health is just as important as your employees’. Figure out who those people are and deliberately reach out to them. 

 

5. Use this experience to clarify your values. 

When you study the practices of great leaders, you learn that they deliberately make sense of experience to clarify their values. If you can find any silver lining in this experience, it’s that it’s an excellent time to learn what you value about work and family. If you have a deep understanding of what you stand for, it will mean more predictability and confidence within your team. 

 

Working remotely doesn’t mean that your employees will be less productive or less engaged, especially if you use this as an opportunity to connect with them in meaningful and constructive ways. So, stay safe, stay healthy and if you can—hug a dog today. It certainly makes me feel better. 

 

This article was originally posted on Marcus Buckingham’s website. Click here to see the original article.

Episode 073: Chris Voss on Facing Fear In Uncertain Situations

Posted on May 20, 2020 by - Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Leading Others, Podcasts

The Global Leadership Summit Podcast

Get free, instant access to GLS Podcast Episode Show Notes. Leverage episode summaries, key takeaways, reflection questions, resources mentioned, related links and applicable downloads.

 

SUMMARY:

On May 5, 2020, the GLSnext Event Series hosted Chris Voss for a highly-relevant online event on Facing Fear in Uncertain Situations. Drawing upon 24-years of real-life experience as an FBI hostage negotiator, Chris shared seven key relational intelligence strategies that he used to lead people through unpredictable and fear-filled situations. If the team you lead, or anyone in your life, is struggling with fear in this season, this can’t-miss episode will help you calm the situation and help them move forward.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • This coronavirus situation feels a bit like the movie Groundhog Day–the same day over and over. The point of the movie was that Bill Murray’s character just needed to get a little bit better every day.
  • As an FBI hostage negotiator, I had to lead when I wasn’t in charge. Stressful and unrelenting situations call for a more relationally-intelligent type of leadership.
  • The definition of stress is that it’s overwhelming and unrelenting. Unrelenting means you don’t know when it is going to be over.

1) Don’t pay attention to the media.

  • The media heightens your awareness of the bad going on in the world.

 

2) Communicate in a late-night FM DJ voice.

  • A low, calm voice causes an involuntary response with the neurons in your brain that reassures people and calms them down.

 

3) Say, “I want you to be scared.”

  • Telling people to be scared actually snaps them back to a rational mindset. It actually causes them to think of all the reasons they should be scared.
  • The quickest way to de-activate fear is to call it out.

 

4) Instead of saying, “We’re all in this together” say, “I know you’re scared.”

  • We want people to know we are with them, but telling them we are with them is not an effective way to soothe their fears.
  • If someone is in quicksand, it doesn’t do any good for you to get into the quicksand with them.
  • Instead, say, “I know you’re scared.” This is what I did with kidnap victims.
  • In low-stress situations, you can be more tentative with your words (i.e. “it seems…”) but in high-stress situations people want to know that you know.
  • Use phrases like this: “I know you’re scared.” “I know you’re angry.” “I know you feel alone, abandoned and isolated.” These phrases communicate “I’m with you” more than just saying “I’m with you.”

 

5) Don’t say. “but …”

  • If the word “but” is getting ready to cross your lips, it’s a good time to go silent. Nobody wants you to put your “but” in their face.
  • Instead go quiet and let your words of understanding sink in.

 

6) Call out negative emotions.

  • It reduces fear to call out fear.
  • Start a difficult conversation by calling out all of the things the other person might be feeling—anger, disappointment, fear.
  • Calling out the negative emotions gives you the best chance of mitigating fear.

 

7) Create predictability.

  • In crisis, trust = predictability.
  • You may not know when or if you are going to have good news, but you can relieve people of some stress by letting them knowing when they are going to hear from you again.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Take a few minutes to reflect on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting your leadership right now.

  • What situations are concerning you?
  • How are the key people in your life responding?

 

 

2. With the situation(s) you identified above in mind, go through the seven tips on how to lead in stressful, unrelenting situations. Which one would be most relevant for you to try right now?

  • Don’t pay attention to the media
  • Use a late-night FM DJ voice
  • Say, “I want you to be scared.”
  • Don’t say, “We’re in this together”. Instead say, “I know you’re scared.”
  • Don’t say, “But…”
  • Call out negative emotions
  • Create predictability

 

 

3. What would it look like for you to implement that one tip in the situation you identified? Make a plan to try that tip today!

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

COVID-19 Crisis of 2020

FBI Hostage Negotiator

Groundhog Day

Bill Murray

Elephant in the Room

Suicide Hotline

Department of State

RELATED LINKS:

Chris Voss

Black Swan Group

FBI

Never Split the Difference

The Global Leadership Summit

Introducing The #GLS20 Online Experience

Posted on May 20, 2020 by - News & Updates, North America, The Global Leadership Summit

The Global Leadership Summit is your two-day infusion of  fresh  ideas,  actionable  concepts,  leadership  principles  and heartfelt  inspiration—accessed either in-person where available or online, right where you are.

The Global Leadership Summit, happening on Thursday and Friday, August 6-7, 2020, is your opportunity to access a wealth of leadership insights from a world-class faculty who are ready to equip and inspire you—no matter where you have influence, especially during this season of change and uncertainty.

We believe leadership is needed now more than ever and are committed to delivering exceptional leadership insights and inspiration in a brand-new way in 2020!

  • Now a #GLS20 Summit ticket grants you access to the GLS Online experience and to any in-person gathering at one of our 650+ host sites where available.
  • Additionally, the 2020 ticket prices have been reduced and simplified to support you as you lead during this current reality.

Get your tickets by the Super Early Bird Deadline, June 30th, to access today’s lowest rates!

Click this button to register for The Global Leadership Summit 2020.

 

 

Why are we adding GLS Online?

In the current global health environment, we know people across the country are going through various phases of reopening and following local health code protocols and guidelines—others may feel uncomfortable attending a large gathering in August, even if their local regions might allow it. But we didn’t want to cancel the event knowing how needed leadership in a time of crisis truly is. So, the team at the Global Leadership Network immediately began working through various contingency plans and delivery models so that we could continue to deliver the leadership insight and inspiration you come to expect at the Summit.

We’re excited to share that the virtual event will be an enhanced online experience. Additionally, our 2020 faculty is on board with us and have expressed how eager they are to share fresh, practical leadership wisdom and encouragement to support you in this difficult season. Learn about the 2020 faculty >>

The new GLS Online Experience allows you to attend the Summit live with other leaders, directly on your preferred device, from anywhere.

Our simplified and reduced pricing plan makes it easy for you to bring others to join you who might otherwise not have the opportunity. Consider this, if you have a team spread out across the country, now you can attend together online! You can also join with friends in a shared virtual environment who would otherwise not be able to attend an event all together.

Don’t get us wrong, we have always preferred our in-person host site gatherings for their hospitable, interactive and relational atmosphere focused on the local community, and are glad that several of our host sites will still be able to host live, in-person events. However, we also recognize there are new opportunities to explore via a virtual platform and are excited about reaching and encouraging people in their leadership in an all new way!

Join us on this new journey!

3 Ways to Maintain Your Mental Health During Quarantine

Posted on May 19, 2020 by - Articles, Leading Yourself, Productivity, Wellness

A women wearing a protective mask is looking out of the window. Home quarantine for 14 days due to the coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic.

To state the obvious, we are all learning to adjust to a new way of living. 

Humans are not wired to live in long, sustained periods of isolation or social distancing, and we are having to adapt to new ways of working together, being creative, and living our lives. With all of these new dynamics, it’s important to be open about mental health and the struggles that accompany long periods of uncertainty.  

There are a few key principles and practices that I believe can help us all during these times: 

 

1. Progress Over Perfection 

 It is important to break big ambitions into smaller, measurable wins, especially when we don’t have access to all of the resources we normally lean on. In her book The Progress Principle, Teresa Amibile wrote, “Our research inside companies revealed that the best way to motivate people, day in and day out, is by facilitating progress—even small wins.”  

Psychologically, small wins are a huge boost to overall motivation and a sense of purpose and direction in life and work. 

 In a recent interview for my podcast, Jen Gotch told me that she believes realness is so much more interesting than perfection, and I agree. 

 How will you measure progress this week? What small wins will you choose to mark success? 

 

2. Unnecessary Creating is Deep Therapy 

 In The Accidental Creative, I shared a practice that I call unnecessary creating. It means to engage routinely in making things that no one is paying you for, and that are not a part of your job. It can range from launching a podcast (which is how my business began!) to learning a new skill to painting to writing music. It’s a way to allow yourself the freedom to take risks, to develop skills and to find creative expression in a very low-risk environment because the work is just for you, not for others. Right now, I’m working on an unnecessary creating project in my spare time, and it’s very life-giving to have something I’m doing that’s not directly tied to my on-demand work. 

 What unnecessary creating will you do this week? Choose a project such as writing a short story, making a piece of art or experimenting with a new skill. 

 

3.Release the Pressure Valve 

One ray of light over the past months has been getting to see normally polished, produced people learning to do what they do in a more accessible and authentic way. Whether it’s Jimmy Fallon doing The Tonight Show from his home (with his kids crawling all over him!) or news anchors doing their segments from their living room, we are discovering the beauty and power of authenticity. We all need to release the pressure valve a bit and realize that there is a new kind of more genuine expression possible because of what we’re all experiencing together. 

 Also, we do need to reconsider the expectations that we have of ourselves. This is no time to be in constant sprint mode, holding yourself to the same kind of accountability that you did before all of this began. Be wise in how you set your weekly expectations and focus more on desired outcomes than quantity-based measures of productivity. 

 Our biggest source of stress is often found in missed expectations, especially those we have for ourselves. Is there any way in which you need to adjust your personal expectations? Release the pressure valve. 

 

Take care of yourselves this week, friends.  

 Be especially mindful of your mental health. Be prolific, brilliant and healthy. 

Influence by Design—An Invitation to See Yourself as a Leader

Posted on May 18, 2020 by - Because of the GLS, Calling, Confidence, Influence, Leadership Development, Leading Yourself, Nonprofit, North America, Stories, The Global Leadership Summit

Influence by Design—An Invitation to See Yourself as a Leader Influence by Design—An Invitation to See Yourself as a Leader

The invitation

The most surprising thing I’ve learned on my leadership journey is that God gives us the opportunity to choose to embrace what He’s given us. And the beautiful thing is God doesn’t force it—it’s an invitation.

I was excited to accept a position at the Global Leadership Network and be a part of putting the message out there—you have influence and your leadership matters.

He gave me a gift of leadership: I’m not the type of person who feels like I always must be the leader in the room, but when there’s a gap I accept the invitation to step in. My first invitation into leadership was in junior high. My youth pastor invited me to be on a team to help lead the ministry with a group of students. Then at age 16, in my first job, my supervisor challenged me to apply for management roles. He asked me to look at the rest of my life and how this season could help me learn leadership skills that would help shape my future. During this time, my dad, who is a pastor and a Summit point leader at Eastview Christian Church (Bloomington-Normal, Illinois), invited me to attend the Summit for the first time. It was in that first job where I saw how leadership impacts every part of work; and through my dad and the GLS where I saw how it impacts every part of day-to-day life.

Leadership impacts every part of work and life.

From a young age, I saw how leadership impacts every part of work and life. I believe it’s something everyone can be better at, and that the world would be better if everyone took ownership of their leadership. So, after I graduated with a degree in graphic design, I was excited to accept a position at the Global Leadership Network and be a part of putting the message out there—you have influence and your leadership matters. Through my work, I get to empower people and help people realize they are a part of something bigger than themselves.

It turns out there are similarities between leadership and design—both are a process and a journey. In the design process you don’t accept the first solution that comes to mind. I’ve found that usually the first solution is not the best one—you need to see where the process takes you, taking time to research, brainstorm and ideate. When you trust the process, you create something better as a result.

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This year, I was excited for the 2020 Summit design process and to make something that matters, reminding people of their influence, and that they are included, represented and invited to make a positive impact on the world.

3 Themes in the 2020 Summit Design—Message, Inclusion and Embodiment:

 

1. Message—you have influence

The process for the 2020 Summit design started with the message. Our main tagline over the last few years has been “Everyone has influence” which is a really important message, but I knew it could be refined. I felt that saying “You have influence” was a way to take our message and make it personal and direct.

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2. Inclusion—when we say everyone, we mean everyone

I really wanted to visualize who we’re talking about when we say, “you have influence” and explain by saying “everyone” we really mean everyone. So, I came up with the idea of creating a list to describe the people we’re talking about. It’s meant to be an inclusive concept so that you get the idea it really is everyone, while naming specific roles. You can replace the “you” in “you have influence” with any of these: nurses have influence, teachers have influence, janitors have influence, etc. Even the idea of the type running off the pages gives people the impression that the list is endless—it’s cool what you can do with just the constraints of a piece of paper and type.

One of the awesome things about graphic design is a lot of shapes have symbolism. You can say a lot without using a lot of elements. For example, the oval in the design comes out of the middle of the letter “O” in the word “You” and that oval shape is a very key symbol of the design. It looks like it’s rippling out—and it’s the ripple effect of your influence or what can happen when you attend the Summit. The oval shape also resembles a portrait, a fingerprint or a mirror shape—these are all symbolic of the uniqueness of you.

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There are so many layers—it’s uniqueness, individuality, and whatever special thing you bring to the table. And in the design, the oval encloses the list of people that are included in having influence and who would benefit from the Summit.

 

3. Embodiment—seeing yourself in the design

The 2020 design is very text-centered because the message is different, and I wanted it to stand out. The type treatment matters, because words matter. We’re even using type as a texture in the background.

I hope people see themselves in the design. Not only that, I hope people feel like they can embody the statement “you have influence” realizing they can make a difference because of their influence. I hope people see themselves represented in the list of different people, take that banner and own it.

I hope people feel like they can embody the statement “you have influence” realizing they can make a difference because of their influence.

Some of the people I had in mind while designing for the GLS were the 7,000+ incarcerated men and women who attend the Summit each year. I found out that they receive the conference notebook and hold onto it for years at a time because it is such a huge deal to them. I can’t wait for them to have this year’s message.

I also have a lot of family who are teachers and educators—they all have incredible influence. I want people to recognize the power of their influence and be encouraged.

I get really excited about seeing my design work in other languages as the GLS goes international throughout the year as well. It’s so amazing to get photos back of my work being used around the globe. I view myself as a citizen of the world and I love participating in a global movement in this way!

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Design and leadership require intention.

The design process led to these intentional choices, and each one not only makes a statement about your influence, but each marketing piece is also an invitation to develop your leadership at The Global Leadership Summit. Just as I engage in the creative process to design the best visual solution, we’re all invited to invest in our leadership at the Summit, trusting that the intentional process of growing our leadership will positively impact our lives and the lives of those around us.

Just as I engage in the creative process to design the best visual solution, we’re all invited to invest in our leadership…

How you live and work matters and it is what you can improve upon when you apply what you learn at the Summit. And that’s why I designed the 2020 Summit campaign the way I did—because your leadership matters no matter where you have influence.

I hope to see you at #GLS20! Come and feel inspired and refreshed to do the work you set out to do, wherever you have influence!