Global Leadership Summit: Anticipate Instead of React

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What a powerful two days it’s been at The Global Leadership Summit! To catch up on all the leadership principles and tips, check our social feeds and here on the Open Network blog.

Pastor Craig Groeschel ended the event strong in the closing session of the Summit with a talk titled “Anticipatory Leadership.”

The difference between a good leader and a great leader is that a great leader learns to anticipate rather than react.

Craig shared how to become a leader who anticipates rather than one who reacts. Reacting comes naturally to us; anticipating is something we must learn in order to be stronger leaders.

Why must we be an anticipatory leader? Because the lifespan of your current systems, structure, and strategy is diminishing.  What you are doing won’t work forever. You must anticipate what’s coming.

3 Actions of an Anticipatory Leader

Develop.

Develop situational awareness—about the state of your leadership and the state of your organization.

Personally: The Dunning-Kruger Effect shows that people have difficulty recognizing their own incompetence. The study found that people who rank themselves as most skilled are generally least skilled. People with the lowest competence generally have the highest confidence. On the other hand, those who are generally most capable don’t even know it.

Organizationally: Look at everything in your organization. Where are you in everything that matters most to you? If something isn’t working, ask: Why is it not working? If something is working, ask: Why is it working?  

Discern.

Discern future threats and opportunities. What is a threat to one organization is an opportunity to another. We have to realize that what’s working now isn’t going to work forever. When you see a problem, train yourself to think of it as an opportunity.

Disrupt.

Disrupt what is with what could be.

What do Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos have in common? They see possibilities before others see them.

Questions to Help You Anticipate

1.  What is the true current state of your organization? Your leadership? Why are you successful? What is flat or struggling?
2.  If you were starting over today, what would you not do that you’re currently doing? Why are you doing it?
3.  If you were starting over today, what would you attempt? When are you going to attempt it?

Want to become a more anticipatory leader? Listen to the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast on “Anticipatory Leadership.”

Leadership all year

We’ve been so honored to be at The Global Leadership Summit sharing some of the world’s best leadership principles with you. The combination of leadership and ministry is something that’s at the very core of Life.Church Open Network, and we focus on becoming better leaders all year-round.

Check back here often for tips in every area of church life, and visit our training page for in-depth, step-by-step coaching in ministry.