There is an idea that some are born leaders. That there are a select few who lead, and the rest of us follow. This idea destroys the value of individuals and limits what they can do to the box of followers. Now imagine a world where people humbly considered others better than themselves. A world where leaders saw their duty as not to achieve, but to serve. Not to hold power, but empower those around them. Giving them the power to accomplish and take ownership of not just tasks and goals but their lives, and the lives of those they serve, because when a leader gets better everyone benefits.
That is the vision of the Global Leadership Summit(GLS), to cultivate leadership excellence, and impact the world through tomorrow’s leaders today. This ethos is driving us to open (GLS) to youth, who are quite literally the leaders of tomorrow.
“Great leaders do not start as great leaders. They Grow into great leaders. The critical question is, will you do whatever it takes to scale your leadership as the demands of your enterprise grow.”
- Jim Collins, business consultant and author Level 5 Leader.
The (GLS) has become a place to sharpen skills and develop the people you lead, creating compelling outcomes and effective leadership. (GLS) is pioneered by the Willow Creek association. Founded in 1992, the Willow Creek Association (WCA) exists to cultivate leadership growth while maximizing the impact leaders would have on the world. WCA is committed to a singular idea: that inspired, encouraged and equipped Christian leaders create thriving local churches that redeem their communities for Christ.
Good leadership to develop communities goes beyond the scope of the church, and many corporations have joined (GLS). The summit has reached 305,000 leaders from 125 countries and has been held in 675 sites around the world. It has been held in Sri Lanka for the past 6 years, and has been a source of training and growth for both the church and the corporate sector, as well as becoming an annual opportunity to network and build connections through the diverse group of individuals that attend. “The power of diversity is so great, that diverse teams out perform smarter more capable teams.” – Sallie Crawcheck CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest.
The GLS youth summit will be held on the 2nd of July 2016 from 09:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Havelock City Club House. Some of the material we will be viewing will be exclusive sessions given by speakers such as Bill Hybels, The Founder and Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, Albert Tate, Founder and Senior Pastor of Fellowship Monrovia, Craig Groeschel, Founder and Senior Pastor of LifeChurch.tv and Steven Furtick, Lead Pastor Elevation Church. Their sessions will go far beyond leadership development, and dig into what it means to be a leader. Discovering the unique leader in us all.
The summit is open exclusively to youth and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24. Further details can be found on the GLS Youth Summit Facebook Page and Colombo Teen Club Facebook page.
Who knows what could be accomplished if we inspire people to lead. The smallest action can be the catalyst for something greater. If we inspire the young leaders of our nation, empower them, let them aspire to more than greatness and instead to a legacy of service, couldn’t they change the world? Maybe one day they would look back and see that this was where it began.