Take-Aways from Global Leadership Summit 2025

Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel spoke about the importance of consistency… even if/when it seems boring! He illustrated numerous examples of a proven formula:

Who doesn’t want that! Whether it’s at home, in your place of business, in your side-hustle or even a hobby, in an entrepreneurial endeavor or maybe at your church or in a community group, we all desire to leave a lasting contribution; as John Maxwell teaches, to move from merely success to significance.

Undoubtedly, we become frustrated when we don’t see progress fast enough…. We are living in a microwave, social-media paced society. But Craig described how the accumulated, small decisions over time are what define you. The scary part? Not only the small, good decisions, but every small, bad decision as well. “Your life is the sum total of your small decision.”

Juliet Funt

Juliet Funt explained the importance of minimizing distractions so that we can FOCUS on what is important. She challenged the mantra of multi-tasking and dared to suggest that it leads to the absence of precision and inattention to detail. Can we reduce and refine and edit the “noise” around us so that our efforts are directed into the high value work that we choose to prioritize?

Erica Dhawan

Erica Dhawan spoke about how we can create not just a “new normal,” but a better “normal.” Through:

Erica encouraged transformation for teams through assessing our “digital body language!”

Coach Nick Saban

One of the highlights of Day 1 was an interview with legendary coach, Nick Saban, who provided motivating insights into his mindset as a mentor to his team. Leading with a reminder that we are never going to improve without first developing the ability to self-assess and following with the admonition to stay focused on what I can control on a daily basis; Coach Saban gave us a brief glimpse into how he led his teams to BE CHAMPIONS versus simply winning championships.

Thasunda Brown Duckett

Coming from a background in finance, Thasunda Brown Duckett encouraged us to lean into opportunities and live our lives like a diversified portfolio, being certain to intentionally allocate everything that you love within your selections! She reminded us that “Excellence requires you to do things when no one else is watching!”

David Ashcraft

David Ashcraft brought the moment of self-reflection when he spoke about how comparison breeds self-doubt and how that self-doubt becomes the enemy of leadership. He challenged us to reflect on times that we may have sabotaged our dreams because we began comparing ourselves with others and doubting that we could succeed. Comparison is the thief of joy; we only need to be ourselves and share the benefit of our innate gifts and abilities.

Tasha Eurich

Tasha Eurich spoke from themes in her book Shatterproof (Little Brown & Company, 2025), defining the realities of our capacity to cope in today’s fast-paced world and exposing some of the myths of “resilience” as a foolproof strategy. We are human beings with a finite capacity. So, how can we thrive? Tasha introduces three important checkpoints of confidence, agency and connection.

Bradley Rapier

The creative and inimitable Bradley Rapier encouraged us to “jump in the circle!” Using the metaphor of dance, Bradley challenged us to engage! Don’t be afraid to “look silly.” Don’t be afraid to fail, afraid to mess up, afraid to be made fun of, afraid to be BOLD. Instead, get in the groove… it’s not the moves… it’s the groove. As a leader, we need to jump in and motivate others to do the same!

John C. Maxwell

Finally, the legendary John C. Maxwell sent us back out into our individual spheres of influence with three measures of progress: the compass, the clock, and our companions.

All three define our course.