I spent the last two days at the Willowcreek Leadership Summit. If only leadership happened by osmosis. There were some high-octane leaders. Here are some of the take-aways for me:
The bigger the vision the bigger the price tag. Leading a growing church versus leading a stagnant church is the difference between a leisurely walk on level ground and climbing a sixty-degree slope. Growth is breath-taking. It is exhausting. But the view from the top of the summit is worth all the effort.
Every idea has a shelf-life. A good idea ten years ago is bound to be a bad idea now. Good ideas get old. Too many churches try to ride dead horses! I never want to see with old eyes. I always want to know the "new thing" God wants to do (Isaiah 42:9). Unlearning is more important than learning. A "stop doing" list may be more important than a "to do" list.
No conflict = passive commitment. Conflict = active commitment. Too often we settle for commitment without conflict, but it's short-lived and shallow. We need to allow each other to challenge the process. Friction is a good thing. Iron sharpens iron. We need to be "fierce with reality."