2014 Global Leadership Summit Highlights

Overview

The 2014 Global Leadership Summit was a worldwide event (105 countries) viewed by more than 200,000 people either live or by satellite.  It was an outstanding event featuring an abundance of superior speakers.

Key Speaker Overviews

Joseph Grenny
Co-Founder, VitalSmarts; Social Scientist for Business Performance
Mastering the Art of Crucial Conversations

Joseph Grenny is a superb speaker (my personal favorite of this event), made the point that what may be holding you back as a leader are the one or two key conversations you need to have effectively in order to move the ball forward.  Key points:

1. Are you acting it out or talking it out?
2. Come from your heart. Show you care.
3. While new forms and processes are important the key factor to success is having effective/crucial conversations with the important people in your life.

Tyler Perry
Filmmaker, Actor and Philanthropist
One-on-One interview with Tyler Perry by Bill Hybels

Tyler Perry’s story told how the story he rose from poverty and abuse to become a leading film director, actor and philanthropist.  This interview alone was worth the price of admission.  Key points:

1. He hires “underdogs”
2. Takes lots of energy to forgive
3. Has an “artist” and “entrepreneur side of him and structures his life to support both.

Carly Fiorina
Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard; Chairman of Good 360
Defining Leadership
www.carlyfiorina.com

Carly Fiorina spoke in a very hard hitting way about how to get the 60% of people who are on the fence to come down on your side. That way you can have the buy-in you need to enact the culture changes any organization needs to survive and thrive.

She also feels:

1. Everyone has potential
2. Your human resources are limitless so fully utilize them.

Jeffrey Immelt
President and CEO, General Electric
Positioning Your Organization for the Future

Jeff Immelt was also interviewed by Bill Hybels (who does a superior job). He said that General Electric spends one BILLION dollars a year on training at their facility. He noted that he and other key leaders give hands-on sessions designed to touch all employees.

Some key points he made

1. Take the fear out of the work place
2. Live your dreams (similar to Jobs)
3. No job is beneath you. We are all workers.

P.S. Jack Welch was interviewed by Bill Hybels on his book, Winning at the previous Global Leadership Summit (available on DVD).

Susan Cain
Best-selling Author, Viral TED Speaker on The Power of Introverts
Quiet: Challenging the Extrovert Ideal

Susan Cain, an introvert, talked at length on how the world population is comprised of at least 50% introverts. She discussed how to work with them and how they need to use their natural leadership style (my phrase not hers) instead of trying to be someone they’re not.  Key points:

1. Introverts are expected to be extroverts
2. Introverts have different biorhythms
3. Impromptu group brainstorming is overused and not effective with introverts
4. Introverts need space (time), quiet and solitude.

Erica Ariel Fox
New York Times Best-selling Author of  and President of Mobius Executive Leadership
Winning from Within

Erica Fox talked about negotiations (she is a famous negotiator) from the point of view that you are an “orchestra” not a soloist.

These are the 4 keys parts of yourself you should use in negotiation.

1. The dreamer (CEO)
2. Lover (HR)
3. Thinker (CFO)
4. Warrior (COO)

This was a brilliant model and presentation which explains the need to understand, accept and support yourselves (notice plural).  If you are interested in learning more about this subject check out my article, “Are you chasing your tail?”

Patrick Lencioni (Speaker at the Global Leadership Summit for the last 3 years)
Best-selling Business Author; Founder and President of The Table Group
The Most Dangerous Mistakes Leaders Make

1. They become a leader for the wrong reasons
2. They are unwilling to be vulnerable
3. They make leadership too important