Learnings from the Global Leadership Summit 2023

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A couple of weeks back I had the opportunity to attend the Global Leadership Summit. I have admired this event for years and have attended some of the satellite locations. But this was my first time getting to attend the event in-person in South Barrington, IL.

Honestly, it was the first major conference I have attending since the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was so refreshing to be in a room of 7000 other leaders who are all there for the same reason — to grow as leaders. I left inspired, encouraged, and ready to take on new challenges.

I know many of you weren’t able to attend so I wanted to use the next few newsletters to share some of the most meaningful takeaways I had from the event.

The Future of Leadership Is Trust

Have you ever experienced the phenomenon of synchronicity at an event? Where there seems to been common themes and threads woven throughout all of the talks, almost as if God himself is trying to drive a point home? That’s a bit what GLS23 felt like — and that theme was trust. From Craig Groeschel’s opening talk to Pat Lencioni’s wrap, trust was either the overt topic or at least an element of the point being communicated. Trust in yourself, trust in others, trust in systems, trust in God.

In Craig’s talk, he discussed that the future of leadership is trust. He shared this formula for trust:

While each of these components was critical, the one that resonated with me and my leadership journey most right now was transparency. As a leader, especially as a leader in the ministry space, it is so easy to get stuck in what I call a “look-good trap.” As leaders we think we are supposed to have all the answers, display confidence and charisma at all times, and not make mistakes. But the truth is I often don’t have answers, I am insecure and afraid at times, and boy do I screw things up on occasion.

Here’s the beautiful thing, that’s actually where my power as a leader comes from. One of the things Craig says in his leadership podcast is that “people would rather follow a leader that’s always real, than a leader that’s always right.” Your team can spot phoniness from a mile away. It’s actually in our willingness to be wrong that our teams see us as real people that they can trust.

I’ll leave you with something else Craig always says that always lands with me:

A Question to Leave You With…

Which component of trust (transparency, empathy, or consistency) is the biggest gap in your leadership? What is one tiny commitment you can make this week to improve by 1% in that area?

Go out and lead meaningfully friends.

Trevor

PS - If you found this valuable in any way, I have two requests. One, would you reply and let me know? I’d love to hear from you. Second, would you consider forwarding this to a friend or colleague who might also be eager to grow as a leader? I would be honored to be trusted with your people and promise to serve them as powerfully as I intend on serving you.

If you’re ready to dig in some more, here are a few ways you can grow meaningfully as a leader:

1. Beyond High Performance is out! Grab your copy today and learn how the best get better.

2. Have you ever considered hiring a coach? Click here to schedule a no-cost, 15-minute discovery call with me where we’ll explore how coaching might just be the greatest next step for your growth.

3. Check out the latest episode of the Beyond High Performance podcast from my fellow coaches at Novus Global.

Photos by Trevor Olesiak