Saturday, August 8, 2009


Eyewitness to Power- David Gergen (Interview with Bill Hybels)

- A teacher of leadership cannot make a leader. He can only make people aware of the principles of leadership and expose them to role models.
- We must create a culture of service and leadership
- Leaders have to learn to get better. Their lives must include a reflective practice, a combination of leading in the arena and of reading about other leaders learnings.
- After every game we MUST come together, reflect, write and discuss what we learned. How did I contribute? How did it happen in spite of me? What will I do differently?
Don’t confuse motion with progress- David Gergen
DISCUSS: What do I hope to accomplish in the next six weeks. Evaluate how did I do? This leads to self-leadership and accountability.

- Occasionally move from the dance floor to the balcony.

Learnings from the white house:
- Nixon white house advisor told Gergen that the thing to know was that there was a struggle in him between those who appeal to his bright side and those who appeal to his dark side. Isn't this true of all of us. How can we surround ourselves with people who appeal to our bright side and be people who appeal to others bright sides.
Sometimes INspect is as important as REspect in a leader.
- Maturity includes coming to grips with your own flaws. You have to learn to control them so they don’t derail you or hurt others.
Get up every day and just try to be better- N Mandela
- Your role as a leader is to inspire and lead a team of leaders, to partner and collaborate with other leaders.
“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go further, go together” – African proverb

On communication and symbolism
- Ghandi was a suit wearing lawyer who wore a loin cloth to show his solidarity with the poor
- Inspiring others to common goals requires trust and communication
- Remember that speeches take place within a context; who the speaker is, (who the audience is) speaks as loudly as what he/she says.
3 elements of a good speech- Aristotle
Ethos- the identity, believability of the speaker
Logos- the compelling logic
Pathos- the emotion you stir/share
If you are unknown to your audience you need to establish your ethos personally or in the introduction, then introduce some pathos, then the logos, then end with pathos- inspire people to do something

Personal Habits of the best leaders
- Self- discipline; control over your life and your body. This looks differently for everyone. Churchill worked from bed in the morning, then took a nap in the afternoon- creating two work days
- Strong leaders are physically fit- they have endurance for the hard tests
- They build time in their schedule for reflection and to spend time with those they love who love them.

Bill asked David what he hopes will happen when he comes to church
1- Place for inner peace, to be reminded that it’s not all about him, that there is something larger
2- To learn something from the teaching, from the Scriptures
3- Church provides a true north, an anchor, a spiritual foundation helps you find your leadership/moral compass

Reading List: Eyewitness to Power- David Gergen

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