Leadership Summit Day Two - Matthew A. Hawkins

August 7th I attended the second day of the Leadership Summit 2009. To say it was a tough day to get through is a bit of understatement. Having your own preconceived ideas, moments from the past and your passions rocked in one day can be a bit of wake up call. Here's my notes from the day with a few highlight notes from myself as well.

Session Five - Dave Gibbons "Third Culture Leader"

- being a third culture leader is about being about adaptation - they need to focus on the fringe, the misfits more than the masses - vision starts on the outside with the misfits and works it way to the mainstream - relationship trumps vision - failure is success, learn to know its okay to fail

Session Five - Andrew Rugasira "Aid vs. Trade"

- what is your view of Africa? does it include disease, poverty? - why do people not see opportunity when they see Africa? - even when you can make the case and have a great presentation doesn't mean you can make the sale, it takes more than that - we need to change the conversation and narrative, need to develop new thinking

Session Five - Wess Stafford "Leveraging Your Past" This session and the session with Keller have left the biggest impression on me. After going through a number of things in life and recently visiting Africa, my heart and my outlook on life. This session was incredibly powerful, painful and inspiring. They gave out a book at the end of the session and when I'm done ready it, I'd like to stick with my new philosophy on books and give my copy to someone - so leave a comment at the end and I'll randomly draw a person to get the book.

- Wess shared a story about his childhood while growing up in Africa. He shared about a boarding school who grew up in that had 50 students who were abused emotionally, physically and sexually. He shared about one time just after he told his mom what had been happening to him over the three years at the school and the teachers of the school got wind of his outbreak. They stood Wess on a chair with a candle in his fingers that was burning from both ends, they told Wess that it was his fault that Africans were going to hell and that was when Wess said a passion and anger swelled up him that he vowed to do something. Passion began in his life right then to help those that were unable to care for themselves, specifically kids. A incredible moment happened while listening to Wess, if you can watch him share that story, you need to do it soon.

- people don't care what you know, until they know that you care - what's your cause? - does it move you to tears? - forgiveness may not mean forgetting or that it was okay - forgiveness does mean giving up the right for revenge

Session Six - David Gergen "Eyewitness to Power"

- leadership is about journey and finding those people that can help you - we need to learn to get better as leaders, to open ourselves up to improve as leaders - need to develop reflective practices - we often confuse motion with progress - we need to set-up a system/goal that we review over a six week process

Session Seven - Chip & Dan Heath "Switch"

- change is filled with conflict - we need to align our goals with the elephant and rider - find what is working, the bright spots, research it and clone it - big problems not solved by big solutions but solved by small steps - they showed an S curve that started high with Hope, dipped to the Valley of Insight and ended with Confidence

Session Eight - Bono "The Church... Three Years Later"

- I knew the church was a sleeping giant, but I didn't know the church could run that fast - loving your neighbour is a command, not some advice - intuition is better than intelect - why did it take a rockstar for the church to want to make a difference?

Session Nine - Tony Blair "An Interview with Tony Blair"

- I felt normal in an abnormal time - felt compelled to do something - comfortable thing can be the wrong time - take a decision inside to find what you'll stand for - need to develop what our irreducible core is

Overall, an amazing two day. If you like the notes or checked out the site and are interested in attending then let me know. I'd love to get you there.

Cheers,

Matthew A. Hawkins