From Leadercast 2015 “Brave Ones Lead with Boldness” by Andy Stanley

This past Friday, May 8, 2015, I along with 40 of friends attended Leadercast 2015, which was simulcast across the country from Atlanta, Georgia.

Our first speaker was Andy Stanley, founder of Atlanta-based North Point Ministries which today is comprised of six churches in the Atlanta area, serving more than 36,000 people weekly, as well as a network of 30 churches around the globe.

This year’s Leadercast theme was “The Brave Ones.”

Here are my notes from Andy’s talk:

The Myths of Bold Leadership:

1. Bold leadership is reserved for bold people.
2. Bold leadership is reserved for fearless people. All the fearless people are dead.
3. Bold leadership requires a specific gift or talent. Giftedness can actually get in the way of potential.
4. Bold leadership is for the ultra-smart or ultra-resourced. Sometimes, smart people talk themselves out of really good ideas.

Most people start with ideas not resources.

Bold leadership is clarity around an unreasonable commitment to what should be.

Example:  It’s a middle school girl in pursuit of an iPhone. When she decides she needs an iPhone she will figure out a way to get one. She is resourceful:   If Daddy won’t, then Momma will.  If Momma won’t, then Grandma will.  If Grandma won’t, then Grandpa will!
She has all traits of “Bold Leadership”: Clarity, Focus, Stubbornness and Resourcefulness.

“Wow!” not “How?”

Bold leaders refused to be cowed by “How?”

You can “How?” a great idea right out the door.

Don’t shut down great ideas.

When people come to you with an idea, say “Wow!” not “How?” 

The “How?” question is a bad habit!

Nobody who ever accomplished anything of significance would have done so if they had started with “How are we going to pay for this?”

Question from Bob:  Did you catch what Andy just shared?  There are times when as a leader, you need to be cheer people on – not ask questions!  Unless your question is “How can I help?”

Two Breadcrumb Questions:

Breadcrumb questions lead you to where you need to go!  They will lead you to clarity around an unreasonable commitment to what should be.

1. Head Question:  What do I believe is impossible to do in my field but if it could be done would fundamentally change my business?

   (Question comes from Joel Barker, 1992, Paradigms)  Andy shared that this question hangs in all of his offices.  He shared that this was the question that led them to becoming a multi-site church.

2. Heart Question:  What breaks your heart?

   Every significant non-profit or social movement began with a brokenhearted issue.  This is an extremely important question.   TOMS shoes is a for-profit company born from a broken heart that popularized a one-for-one movement.  Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes was in Argentina where he saw thousands of children without shoes.  It broke his heart!  Today for every pair sold they give a pair away to a child in need. (Since 2006 TOMS Shoes has provided over 35 million pairs of shoes to children in need.)

Note from Bob:  These two questions were worth the price of admission.  You might also want to hang them on your wall! How would you answer these two questions today?

Andy was the first of 8 great speakers – every one of which gave me something significant to take away!  However the best thing of the whole day was simply being able to spend it with these incredible friends!