Powerful Quotes from The Willow Creek Leadership Summit

Thoughts from the Leadership Summit, 2007

Here are a few thoughts from some of the speakers.

Carly Fiorina:

"Everyone is afraid of something. Every time you overcome, you are stronger."

"Leadership is about unlocking potential in others."

"Every time someone took a chance on me, it motivated me."

"There is a gift in everything if we will see it."

"Innovation means taking risks."

- Carly Fiorina at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, 2007 (in an interview with Bill Hybels)

Floyd Flake:

" ... moving people beyond their self-serving motives." (When describing one of the goals of leadership)

"You don't need a unanimous vote, but you need a majority support."

- Floyd Flake at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, 2007


Marcus Buckingham:

"Build on strengths and manage around weaknesses."

"You cannot understand excellence by studying bad examples." (paraphrased)

"What percentage of a typical day do you spend playing to your strengths?"

Marcus Buckingham at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, 2007


John Ortberg:

Ortberg told this joke:

Man to wife: When I think about facing (any challenge), my palms get sweaty.

A little while later, same man to wife: When I think about (same challenge), my mouth gets dry.

Wife: Why don't you just lick your palms?

He spoke about a leader's greatest fear. "The greatest fear is not what can happen to us, but what can happen in us."

From Esther, he drew out this question: "Why have you been brought to this place in your life?"

he noted several examples, from Esther of the difference between one's mission and one's shadow mission which is just a click or two off of the real mission, but keeps us from fulfilling it.

John Ortberg at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, 2007