Beyond You Experience: Leadercast Conference

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a great experience, the Leadercast conference. I personally found out about the event maybe a week or so before it happened, just when I started the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover plan. ha. So I reached out to the local coordinators of the event and asked if I could volunteer to attend the event, explaining that I was on the Dave Ramsey program. Josh wrote  saying that he didn’t need more volunteers but appreciated that I was willing to earn a ticket, in addition, he understood the program I was on. He gave me a free ticket to the event, which was really amazing of him.

Going into this I did not have expectations of what would happen. All I knew was Malcolm Gladwell was speaking and I think it he is utterly brilliant. The purpose of the conference is to go beyond you in all areas of your life. From work, business, home, community and the world.

The actual conference was in Atlanta and being streamed live across the world. When I got my nice notebook for the day, I became even more excited when I learned Andy Stanley was speaking. He is my old pastor from Buckhead Church in Atlanta. If you have not had the pleasure of hearing him speak I highly suggest you do.

Here are some points from Andy’s speech:

Increase influence in your community

Beyond Leaders Do:

• Leaders who fearlessly and selflessly empower leaders around them — as well as those coming along behind them.
• Pour into younger leaders who might take my place.
• They leverage their power for somebody else in the room.
• The value of life is always measured by how much of it was given away.
• If your leadership is not all about you it will beyond you.
• We celebrate generosity – we envy accumulation

Becoming a Beyond You Leader

• Make as few decisions as possible
• empower those around you to make decisions. Say, “You decide”
• Decisions are not bad. It’s the follow up that matters

Work For Your Team

• What can I do to help LEVERAGE you higher.
• Empty your cup. Pour into someone else
• Leaders worth following. Bad leadership holds us back. Good leadership propels us.

These are all amazing tips to really think about. He mentioned how his mentor would take him out for lunch or call him and ask him “what’s something big you are doing?” Andy didn’t know how to answer. Finally he called one day and Andy told him what they were doing. His mentor was like, that’s something big. Also he notes he takes mid-level management out to breakfast weekly to discuss books, life and more – they lead the conversation. It is important to pour your cup into the younger leaderships, they will shape our future.

The other highlight was hearing Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak. Yes, I got to hear Desmond Tutu speak. That was literally mind blowing and a once in a life time experience that I am so thankful to have. He spoke about a Beyond You World. Mentioning his dear beloved friend Nelson Mandel several times in the stories. The importance of “our well being contingent on the well being of others.”

Here are some points from Archbishop Tutu’s speech:

• Good leaders listen
• Good leaders have nothing to hide
• Good leaders are accountable
• Good leaders are there to lead
• Good leaders know when to retire.

I will be honest, I loved hearing every word he spoke, but what I got those most out of was his joyous laugh; it was like seeing an innocent child laugh. A pure experience that reminded me to be in the now and be happy.

Next was Laura Schroff who shared the story I most connected to personally. In 1986, she had a Beyond You Moment. She met Maurice, a young boy standing on the corner asking for money to eat. She made it half way down the street before she turned around to talk to him. Maurice shared his story of being in a drug invested family that lived in a small room with he and his siblings. Laura started taking him to dinner on Monday nights, then it turned into her making his lunch daily. This was a very real moment. Honestly I do not feel anyone should ever be homeless, and a child should not have to be on the streets begging. So many times we see less fortunate people and do nothing, we think it is not our problem. We are all connected. She changed the course of his life by simply saying I am going to take you to dinner. You can read about Laura’s story in An Invisible Thread.

Malcolm Gladwell, the person I was most looking forward to hearing did not disappoint. He spoke on the subject matter of “Lower Falls Curfew” and how a leader can change the course of lives by simply not listening. In addition, he spoke about how a community can rally to save itself. After hearing him speak I had to learn more about The Lower Falls Curfew. Very interesting.

I actually left the conference early so I could go attend an entrepreneurial development event, so I did not get to hear the other speakers speak. However, I got more than what I expected with the ones I did hear. This was a powerful event. So many times we do not think beyond us — consumed with our own outcomes versus the outcomes of the world. It really opened my eyes to life and how it needs to change, not a drastic change, but small changes of more empowerment in my community.

What are your thoughts on a Beyond You leaders, moments, community, worlds and more? Is it something possible that can change the course of our world? This was the 6th year of the conference and I urge you to learn more about Leadercast especially as small business owners and what it means for you.