The Global Leadership Summit Nigerian Chapter was held in the city of Jos, Central Nigeria where speakers called on delegates to relentlessly pursue excellence and renew their commitment to ministry for true transformation.
The two-day Summit that kicked off on Oct. 31, 2024 brought together church leaders and workers was held at the auditorium of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN). 17 speakers from Nigeria and across the globe spoke on the themes around transformational leadership at an individual and corporate level.
Rev. Prof Caleb Damin, the Lead Pastor at COCIN Church in Jos urged delegates to approach the leadership “wholeheartedly” due to the critical role leadership plays in the growth of the Church.
“Leadership remains one of the glaring needs of the Church and society. Leadership must proceed influence. Nothing more, nothing less. If you’re to be the salt and light as Jesus commanded, then you must start to obey God’s call to leadership,” said Rev. Damin at the start of the Summit.
Gabriel Makan, a team member of GLS in Nigeria, added that the Global Leadership Summit aims to inspire and equip its beneficiaries with basic tools to bring about transformation in their lives and that of their various communities and churches.
Makan said that the GLS attracts an audience that represents various industries, including marketplace, non-profit, healthcare, education, government, ministry and corrections. He added that “The GLS has become a unique platform, unlike any other, bringing people together not only to empower better leadership within the organizations they represent, but in a growing number of cases around the world, this event also acts as a catalyst for organic local movements initiating systemic, city-wide change.”
Craig Groeschel, Founder and Senior Pastor of Life.Church and the GLS Champion speaking on the theme “Permission to Obsess” encouraged the attendants to be strategically obsessed and focused on kingdom excellence and impact.
He reminded the delegates that Christ-centered leaders have the potential to change the lives of people but warned that there are negative forces pushing Christians to conform to worldly standards, “but you are to do your best to overcome these challenges as average cannot change the world.”
“We are all created and craftingly made to make a difference in the world. The journey will not be easy as you may be pulled down, but you’re granted Permission to be obsessed, inspired, and encouraged to do great things,” said Groeschel.
Knowing when to say “No” to commitments, Groeschel told the leaders, is an essential part of prioritizing what is important. Quoting the relentless focus of Nehemiah when he was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Groeschel said that leaders should not only preach the Word of God to everyone but “you must be obsessed in doing it.”
“Turn down things that distract you and focus on the essential things. Care deeply about people. Love the people as it is the best way to lead them. Appreciate them more than you think you should. Be an encouragement to others. Encourage, build leaders, focus, care, and be committed completely. Be obsessed completely with whatever you do in ministry. You must create impact. And don’t forget that in whatever you do, Do as unto the Lord and not unto men,” added Groeschel.
Author and speaker, Kindra Hall, in her session on ‘Harnessing the power of story’ said great leaders share their stories and build bridges because people remember stories. She guided the delegates on the four components of crafting a story: Characters, emotions, specific moments and specific details.
“History should be told in story form and they’ll never be forgotten. Stories should present your values. Make a list of values in your life. Make a list of important people and what they taught you. Never underestimate the power of a story,” said Hall.
Renowned basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski in his presentation on ‘Victory Through Teamwork and Leadership’ said leaders call the shots, but it is the players who play the game.
Krzyzewski presented what he said are the three fundamentals of leadership - Agility, Adaptability, and Accountability. He added that unfortunately, most leaders are not agile, not adaptable, and not accountable.
“You have to change, you have to adapt. Use humor in providing leadership. A leader must get information from his team. Leadership is all about people. Spend time and empower people,” said Krzyzewski.
Christian author and founder of Joni and Friends, Joni Eareckson Tada, spoke on “The Paradox of Leading from your weaknesses”, a personal testimony of serving God for four and half decades despite her disability. A diving accident in her teens led to her becoming paralyzed from her neck to the feet. Tada said her calling in Christian ministry is brought about by her disability where God has used her to reach millions of people in the world.
“God leverages weakness. That’s how God wants to display his powers. Gideon was a coward but God used him. Paul prayed for healing but God said His grace is sufficient for him. God changes his powers for our weakness,” said Tada.
“Effective leaders lead through their weaknesses. Jesus is commanding my ministry. We have been given a task to finish. I will lift up my weakness for sake of the gospel,” added Tada.
The GLS started as a single event in the 1990s and has now grown to attract tens of thousands of people across multiple countries in different languages. Every August, a two-day infusion of actionable leadership insights and inspiration is broadcasted to hundreds of host sites across the United States. In the following months, GLS is translated, contextualized and hosted by local leadership committees at hundreds locations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.
