Global Leadership Summit a winner

"As a leader, develop a grander vision for your workplace than just success."

This week I am taking a right turn from writing about history to tell you about an amazing training I attended recently right here in Tehachapi.

I had the pleasure of going to the Global Leadership Summit with four members of the city's leadership team at the Tehachapi Mountain Vineyard. The two day summit was presented via satellite on a wide screen to churches all over the world.

Adventist Health was also in attendance sending 10 members of its staff. The summit was not "just another church event" but was attended by leaders from all walks of life from Fortune 500 companies to small mom and pop businesses, Christian based or otherwise.

Those of you who know me understand that attending conferences is not my favorite thing to do. I always say if I had a nickel for all the training I have had to go to in my career I would be rich!

I hope that I can at least get one "nugget" of knowledge that I can take back with me to use from the conference so it will not be a total waste of time. Some over the years did not even give me that.

I had a few reservations about this summit. I was not sure I would like sitting and watching a series of speakers presented from Illinois on a big screen via satellite. It is very hard to sit through presentations all day if the speaker is, just say it, boring!

I have had to sit through so many of these as a journalist, school district employee, and elected official in various positions that if the speaker is not good, I would rather take a bullet!

Within the first five minutes of the satellite feed I was enthralled and did not even notice the time or that I might need to check my emails on my phone.

Some of the presenters were pastors of mega churches who had discovered, no doubt by listening to God, the secrets of good leadership.

Others were from major companies such as Facebook and Google who, through the years, had learned to lead their teams with respect and success.

Our local host for the event was Pastor Barry Galloway from the Vineyard Church. He led us after each speaker for what was next, when to take breaks, etc.

So after that long introduction – what did we learn?

So much that I would never be able to include all the two days of knowledge imparted to us in this column, but I will give you what I considered to be the highlights, according to my notes.

The summit began with an opening presentation by Bill Hybels, founder and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. He is also the founder of the Global Leadership Summit that has been presented yearly for several years.

Whether you listen to God, meditate, or take a break to focus, his message was good.

His message - as a leader set the example. Never show up late, don't stereotype, do what you said you would do, have conversations without drawing blood and set rules of respect.

What impressed me the most was when he said that we should prayerfully seek His story for us. It reminded me of something that Kimberly Maevers, head of the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance, always says. She reminds us all in cities and communities to "tell our story" to those who might what to come here to work and live.

Whether you seek His knowledge, meditate, or take a break to focus, I think that our fellow workers and leaders need to know what our story is and impart it to others. Good leaders then can make sure that everyone on their team is on the same page, and if you do not like their story, you will be free to take your story elsewhere where others share it with you.

And as a manager, your story might be ready to change. Always be sensitive to the fact that God might have a new story for you. Be sure to listen, you won't want to miss it!