Chick Fil A Leadercast

I had the pleasure of attending the Chick-fil-A Leadercast this month along side some of the top leaders in Atlanta and around the country.  It was extremely motivating.  Below are the notes I compiled from the event.  

Key note speakers included:

• Andy Stanley
• Urban Meyer
• Tim Tebow
• Soledad O'Brien
• Marcus Buckingham
• Dr. Sheena Iyengar

Some personal to do's include:

• Review my personal development plan.  Grow intentionally!  
• Create a mission statement – what am I about? 
• Tell my story "better" - update my personal profile to be centered around the choices I have made to get where I am

Andy Stanley – "the goal of leadership is not to eradicate uncertainty but rather to navigate it."

Leadership is uncertainty.  Leadership is about choices

Questions that can help you be a good leader:

1.  What would my replacement do?  Think about the idea around being too comfortable, embrace objectivity of the question “what would my replacement do?”

 

"If the board kicked us out and brought in a new group to lead, what would they do?  Why not walk out the door and do it ourselves."  -Andy Grove (author) Only the Paranoid Survive

2.  What would a great leader do?   Study some great leaders in our history.  Learn from them. 

Wealth isn’t worth it.  Truett Cathy “if we get better, customers will demand that we get bigger” an answer to the question around Chick fil A trying to grow too fast.  

3.  What story do I want to tell?  Every decision you make is part of the story you are telling. 

• Don’t ever choose anything that will make you a liar. 
• Money comes, money goes, your story is with you forever!
• Become a leader worth following

Tips of the trade: How to get ahead!

·         Be ready when your name is called

·         Focus on what you CAN control

·         What do you do when you are derailed – what do you turn to?  A drink, faith, family? 

·         What if someone says I am not a role model – “yes you are, just not a very good one”

·         Your outlook can change your life.  Wake up and say “I can’t wait to make someone’s day better today”  “I can’t wait to be better today?”

·         Effective leaders empower people with choice

·         Choice is the most powerful tool we have.  It allows you to go from who you are today to who you want to be tomorrow. 

·         Effective leaders see choices from other’s eyes

·         Be choosy about choices

·         A leader is someone who can live with nothing and have everything

·         Great leaders are vulnerable.  Develop that vulnerable trust

It was a fantastic event.  I will be there next year!