Mark Beeson is the founding and senior pastor of Granger Community Church in Granger, IN.  You can hear more from him at his blog: markbeeson.com.

When Willow called and asked if I'd be willing to blog about this session of the Leadership Summit I pressed for more information. What did they want? They knew I'd probably blog about it anyway, so what was the reason for the "extra" ask?

Their rationale for asking was pretty simple.

They wanted me to reflect on the session, and offer my thoughts on implementation. In other words, listen to the talk and (this is my interpretation of their request) answer the questions "So what?" and "Now what?"

I'll change the font on my comments (they'll look like this) and enter them where I think most helpful. The rest of the blog will be comprised of my notes on Bill's Opening Session 2008.

We're here because of the Summit promise. "We will break out backs to host an event every year that has a laser focus on leadership, with a faculty of practitioners. We dumb nothing down. Not for the girls, or the Canadians."

The Canadians can afford a joke. Their dollar is stronger than the US dollar.

Remarkable. Bill offended so many people with this one sentence that he may have set a record...

We teach leadership, unapologetically from a Christian perspective. We ask you to give us the benefit of the doubt that we really believe this. We believe that leadership's highest usage is not just making more money…it is to advance the purposes of God in the world.

You are all at the Summit because you lead something. You make decisions every day.  Those leading very large complex organizations may actually make hundreds of decisions a day.  Some of our decisions have very high stakes.

A decision about making a reduction in the size of our staff was required. We had to eliminate 30 staff positions. I saw the list of people who were going to lose their opportunity to lead around Willow.  God kept whispering, "This is what leaders do. They make tough, tough calls."

That’s why God gave the leadership gift...

Note: Listening to Hybels talk is like reading scripture. No, not because he's infallible. Because his words can be taken out of context and misapplied. This is a great example; if you just listen to these few sentences and make the quantum leap to, "Bill thinks the only reason God gifts people to lead is so they can fire people. No matter how difficult that would be for normal people, it is apparently Bill's gifting. God even whispers downsizing orders to him! Zow. 'That's what leaders do... ugh.'"

Don't distort Bill's intended meaning by taking part of his words and claiming they represent all of his thoughts. In the grand body of Bill's works you'll discover an incredible breadth of leadership insight. This comment represents just one facet of leadership's demands.

Great illustration from Bill's church-away-from-Willow:  Regarding a guest preacher's sermon Bill notes, "There were two problems with the guest preacher's message... It was going way too long, and it was incomprehensible. Most of us can put up with one or the other..."

When the piano player decides the church has had enough, he gets up to play the piano. High drama decision, in front of the whole church every week.

Do you have a process that helps you make a God-honoring decision? What is that process for you?

When Bill asks questions like this we tend to duck and run for cover. Too many times we've made decisions on whim and emotion with insufficient data. We don't think about it very much. Many of us just decide, and move on.  That's standard operating procedure for us. When Bill questions the status quo it forces us to hit the pause button.
I'm guessing thousands thought, "Oh, oh. I don't think I could articulate my process. In fact, I don't even know if I have a process."
Once we're asking the question, Bill offers history's answer. No illusions here; we're not re-inventing the wheel...

Traditionally, four questions are asked by a Christian leader.

1. Does the Bible say anything about this?

2. What would smart advisors advise me to do?

_ Other leaders have faced this kind of decision before.

_ Establish a network of advisors, to be able to tap into their wisdom.

_ It does't mean you don't have to weigh the advice and make your own decision.

_ My job is to listen, and make the decision that is most God-honoring and effective.

Bill emphasizes the leader's responsibility. Get all the advice you can, but know the decision (and its consequences), will be your responsibility.

3. What have you learned from the Pain, the Gains, and the Experiences of your past?

_ This is the PGE process.

_ Take an extra moment, and review the pain of similar bold moves I've made in the past.

_ Leaders ought to be adding to the vault of their own wisdom, month by month and year by year, as they chronicle the results of their own decisions over time.

_ Journal.   Chronicle your decision-making prowess.

You can't follow Hybels without appreciating the high value he places on critical review. I've heard him talk dozens of times about journaling. How he does it. Why he does it. When he does it. Bill actually believes you can make mistakes... just not the same ones over and over and over.

4. Is the Spirit prompting me?

_ God whispers, in kindness and wisdom, regarding an upcoming decision.

_ Sometimes I hear, "Danger. Danger. What are you thinking?"

_ Roman 8:6 says, when you are in step with the Spirit it leads to life and peace.

_ When you are heading the right direction, there will be an exhilaration, of life and spirit.  There is a serenity.

_ If I'm approaching a decision, and I've gone through this process, I'll make a trial decision so I can sense if life and peace are coming, as a result of the decision, or if worry and trial come to my spirit.

_ If the decision turns out well, you thank God, your advisors, ...everyone you can think of.

_ If the decision turns out poorly, who do you blame? Nobody.  You take the hit. You bear the consequences. You don't whimper and you don't whine.

The only way to learn to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit is to begin obeying. Remember the Spirit will never contradict the scriptures. Leadings to disobey clear biblical teaching are not from God's Holy Spirit. Impulses to disobey God's commands may be coming in loud and clear, but they are not from God. My advice? Study the scriptures so you'll recognize promptings consistent with God's revealed will.

 "Everything I've said up to this point has been introduction.  This has been nothing new for 90% of you."

Now I want to take it to a higher level.

Some leaders also learn how to condense these four questions, and compress them into self-composed, microwaveable wisdom.  If this little proverb (of microwaveable wisdom) works, they eventually go public with this little proverb.  It'll become code language in this culture and it'll become very powerful.

IE...Abraham Lincoln...Post Civil-War...people wanted Lincoln to destroy the vanquished.
Lincoln said, "The best way to destroy my enemy is to turn him into my friend."

Powerful. Economical. Quick.

The Axiom "King of the world" is Colin Powell.  He has composed about 2 dozen of these leadership proverbs.  He calls them the Powell Principles.

"Check your ego at the door."
"Promote a clash of ideas." Create a nice, noisy clash and you'll make a better decision.
"Reward your best performers. Get rid of non-performers."
On of my failures as a leader is trying to rescue non-performers.

The deeper question is, "Do you reflect, often enough, to compose and operate on your own leadership axioms?"  You could. All of you could.

No matter how helpful other leader's axioms could be, they won't help as much as the ones you coin and create yourself.

This is amazing, isn't it. Bill has written a book on axioms and we can buy it. Even though we can buy Bill's book, he says it'll be best if we "coin and create" axioms of our own. I've seen Bill make this kind of humble gesture many times. No matter what he produces, he really believes the best offering he can make is the one that gets leaders moving, and producing, on their own. I find this remarkable. It speaks well of the man.

Willow people would lose sight of our vision at the church.  Bill coined an axiom... Vision Leaks.

Get the right people around the table and we'll be fine.

I believe God wants every church to succeed.
I believe heaven aches for this to happen.
I believe God will pour out his power and wisdom on people who pull up their sleeves...
Ask God to help us and then get on with doing what God asks us to do.

Facts are your friends.
REVEAL is the result of a large investment.

Our REVEAL survey data told us information of incalculable value.
% of Exploring
% of Beginners
% of people growing
% of Christ-centered

We learned, a huge chasm exists between growing Christians and those who are Christ-centered. Growing Christians are still asking for God to bless their programs. Christ-centered people no longer count their lives as dear unto themselves.

You can't change your block with these people. (Growing)
You will change the world with these people. (Christ-centered)

Shocking "bottom lines" work when people are "with you." Try this kind of succinct summation with a disinterested crowd and you gain little. Say such things to people wild-eyed for the vision and you'll get more than applause, you'll get sustainable passion.

When something feels funky, engage.

When a problem is brewing, and something is festering beneath the surface, do not believe unattended problems will go away.

Most of us don't need to be told that leaders smell entropy long before anyone else. Leaders know "funky" when they feel "funky." Maybe this is derived from our Emotional Intelligence (EQ instead of IQ) and we need to hone it. Wherever it comes from, leaders must pay attention to it.

Intuitive leadership can be powerful indeed.

There was pain in our "small-groups" area...
I needed to engage and face it.
I invited everyone involved to gather with me after a service...

Some came to the meeting with a vision for "smack-down."

They wanted answers and explanations. They wanted some apologies.

At our church meeting, 99% of what was expressed and said was done beautifully and constructively.

Leaders call fouls. (Axiom...for leaders)

Sometimes a leader has to call a "foul" on himself, or herself.  I got frustrated with staff and got way to amped up in the meeting.

Take responsibility for leadership mistakes that have been made.

Re-read that. Bill makes clear the leader's responsibility. We must own up to the truth. If we made a mistake, we'd best admit it: to God, to ourselves and to those impacted by our wrong-headed thinking and wrong-hearted behavior.

If I had allowed that "funk" to go on for another six months it would not have been good.  When things feel "funky" engage.

Take a flyer.  Take a calculated risk once in a while.

This is church.

Find life that is truly life.  Some of you are really thirsty for this.  I'll give you a moment to express that thirst to God.

Most of us would do well to note the intentional and planned "response time." Working with a team that has planned and prayed for just this moment, Bill was able to provide "space" for God’s Spirit to engage our spirits.  Note that we were guided by the music and led by the lyrics. Attention spans have dramatically reduced in American culture. Three minutes of silence would have lost the vast majority of the crowd, even this crowd of leaders!  Instead, everyone was following along, listening to the words and thinking of personal application.  This was a great leadership decision. They provided space, opportunity and the expectation that we would participate... all to good effect.



Five Suggestions for Personal Application.

Don't freak them out with dramatic requests like, "Will be my life advisor? Can I put you in the role of advisor for the rest of my life?" Questions like that make people run away. Instead, pay attention to the people around you.

Who do you trust?     
Who knows your strengths and weaknesses?
Who cares about you enough to think your growth and success matters?
When you need advice, go to these people and ask for advice. Don't go and ask them to serve as your advisors. Simply ask them for their advice.

2. Review the four decision-making leadership questions Bill defined as "traditional" in the Christian Church.

Consider why you don't ask all four questions when you are making decisions. Consider which question you deem most difficult, or neglected in your recent leadership-life, and resolve add that question to your process.

3. Ask yourself, "What illusions did I have about The Church?"

Bill repeated (about several different circumstances), "This is Church." It was like a sudden and irrefutable knowledge shot straight to his soul and confirmed reality at the deepest level. So, what has happened in your leadership journey during the last five years that sent a bolt of awareness through you? When you last said, with deep satisfaction, "This is Church," what nuance of your experience prompted the statement? What are you realizing about "The Church" these days?

4. When you look at your own "Satisfaction Gauge," where is the needle pointing?

Are you fully satisfied or are you drained and empty.  Each of us must get a strangle-hold on the things that renew us... and then we must engage those things with discipline!  We must discipline our lives for renewal.  Do you know what renews you? When will you schedule it into your life?

5. Get some friends and "take a flyer."

It's time to try something big. Don’t settle for a good idea; get a handle on God’s idea!  Once you’ve got God's idea, go for it.