Summit Session 7

John Ortberg is a great communicator. He always has impactful things to say, and he says them in a way that people want to listen to. His Summit Session was no different, as he addressed the topic "A Leader's Greatest Fear."

John reeled off several fears that a leader faces:

• The fear of failure: When a leaders fails, it's public knowledge.
• The fear of mutiny: As a leader, you are at the mercy of those who're supposed to be following you.
• The fear of criticism: The more diligently you lead, the harder life gets.
• The fear of disappointing people

And then he listed a leader's greatest fear: Choosing a shadow mission over our true mission. To understand this a bit, let me capture some of John's thoughts on "shadow mission."

• We are tempted to allow our lives to center around a shadow mission, which is dark and ungodly.
• This shadow mission is typically closely related to our gifts and talents, and can maybe best be described like this: It is our true mission hi-jacked by Hell.

This was a personal session, and these rambling notes may not make a lot of sense; it's very much one of those "you had to be there" kind of deals. So in closing, I will share a couple of other basic leadership highlights from Ortberg, and leave the deep stuff of shadow mission to a face-to-face discussion - let me know if you'd like to talk this over.

• The higher you rise in an organization, the less truth you are likely to hear.
• Do I want engagement or compliance?
• A huge challenge facing most leaders is facing a difficult task without becoming discouraged - we need a Mordecai in our lives to challenge us when we settle. Who is that for you?
• A question from Ortberg: When is the last time you and your team had an extended period of prayer seeking clarity and guidance on your mission?