You Have Influence
…And Your Leadership Health Matters
Whether you’re a business leader, CEO, pastor, teacher, nurse, student, artist, soldier, parent, doctor, volunteer, entrepreneur, or simply finding your place, you have influence. Every day you impact those around you through your influence—for better or worse, in both big and small ways. During a season that may have depleted your energy, stunted your growth or left you in the dark, it’s time to rediscover a new hope for your future in order to amplify the positive difference you can make.
What is the turning point for positive change? Your capacity to thrive and help rejuvenate the best in those around you, both personally and professionally, is dependent on your leadership health.
Your leadership matters. When you invest in developing your leadership skills, you also give back to everyone around you. You strengthen your relationships, build trust on your team, innovate toward a better future and face challenges head-on with fresh perspective—not only do you thrive, but your family thrives, your business thrives, your church thrives and your community thrives.
For more than 25 years, The Global Leadership Summit has delivered leadership insights with attendees reporting positive outcomes. (based on independent research by Excellence in Giving).
Get Your Infusion of Actionable Leadership Insights & Inspiration
The Global Leadership Summit is your two-day infusion of fresh ideas, actionable concepts, leadership principles and heartfelt inspiration.
We’ve convened a unique group of world-class faculty who will share their distinct perspectives, inspiring and equipping you with practical skills you can apply right away.
Topics our faculty will dive into this year include:
- Breaking free from the lies we believe about work
- Becoming more agile and inventive
- Identifying five permissions to multiply your time
- Overcoming fear and problematic power dynamics in teams
- Leveraging science-based research to increase connection opportunities
Craig Groeschel
United StatesCraig Groeschel
Globally recognized as a leader of leaders, Craig Groeschel is the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church, rated the #1 place to work in 2020 for small and mid-size companies by Glassdoor. Known for their missional approach to leveraging the latest technology, Life.Church is the innovative creator of the YouVersion Bible App—downloaded in every country worldwide. In 2020, Life.Church provided free tools to thousands of churches who quickly transitioned to a virtual church experience in the wake of the global health pandemic. Traveling the world as a champion of The Global Leadership Summit, Groeschel advocates for building leaders in every sector of society. He is also the host of the top-ranked Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast. A New York Times best-selling author, his latest book is Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life.
Shola Richards
United StatesShola Richards
Shola Richards is a best-selling author and sought-after workplace civility expert whose work has been featured on the Today Show, CBS, Forbes, Black Enterprise and numerous additional publications around the world. Recognized as an authority on workplace happiness and engagement, Richards’ articles and wildly popular “Positivity Solution” series have reached readers in over 160 countries. He is the Founder and CEO of Go Together Global, having shared his transformative message with leading healthcare organizations, top universities, Silicon Valley, the motion picture industry and on the TEDx stage; his greatest honor being the keynote speaker for the Department of Homeland Security three days before the 15th Anniversary of 9/11. A self-professed “kindness extremist”, Richards equips and inspires leaders to put positivity, strong energy, massive bravery, tremendous dedication and relentless humanity in the workforce to create collaborative, safe and healthy work environments where people thrive. Richards is a best-selling author whose research is featured in his books, Making Work Work and Go Together.
Juliet Funt
United StatesJuliet Funt
Juliet Funt is the CEO and founder of WhiteSpace at Work, a training and consulting firm helping organizations, their leaders and employees reclaim their creativity, productivity and engagement. With thought-provoking insights and actionable tools, she has become a globally-recognized expert in helping leaders cope with the “age of overload” in which we all live and work. A warrior against reactive busyness and a force for change in organizations around the world, Funt teaches a streamlined method for personal process improvement that reduces complexity in the workplace. Teams that incorporate a WhiteSpace mindset and skill set increase creativity and engagement, reclaim lost capacity and execute at their finest. Her clients include a number of Fortune 100 companies and span a wide array of industries, from financial services to technology, manufacturing to the military. Funt’s new book, A Minute to Think, releases at the 2021 Summit.
Malcolm Gladwell
United StatesMalcolm Gladwell
Recognized as one of the 100 most influential people by TIME magazine and one of the Foreign Policy’s top global thinkers, Malcolm Gladwell is a world-renowned, five-time best-selling author and sought-after thought leader delivering expertise and practical application on management, innovation, history and leadership. Through his writing and speaking, Gladwell takes you on an intellectual adventure and challenges your assumptions. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996 and has been honored by the American Psychological Society and the American Sociological Society. He was also previously a reporter for The Washington Post. As host of the popular podcast, Revisionist History, Gladwell re-examines an overlooked or misunderstood aspect of past events. Gladwell is the author of five New York Times best-selling titles including The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants. Gladwell’s latest book, Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know, offers a powerful examination of our interactions with strangers and why they often go wrong.
Bianca Juarez Olthoff
United StatesBianca Juarez Olthoff
Bianca Juarez Olthoff understands the power of words and is known to wield them wisely to help people navigate life, live significantly and connect in community. As both a pastor and author who has been in ministry for more than 20 years, she inspires people to live with passion. Her leadership at The Father’s House Orange County has allowed her church to reach people all over the world. As the founder and president of the nonprofit, In The Name of Love, she is committed to serving the incarcerated and equipping them to discover freedom despite their surroundings. Olthoff describes herself as a passionate, Jesus-loving, Bible-teaching, book-writing MexiRican. Experience her energy in her best-selling book, Play with Fire and her most recent book, How to Have Your Life Not Suck: Becoming Today Who You Want to Be Tomorrow, which explores how to win at work and navigate through life’s many decisions.
Jerry Lorenzo
United StatesJerry Lorenzo
Jerry Lorenzo Manuel is an American fashion designer and founder of the label, Fear of God. Raised in Sacramento, West Palm Beach and Chicago, Lorenzo grew up with first-hand understanding of the contemporary American landscape as he followed his father’s professional baseball career cross country. Concurrently, Lorenzo developed an appreciation for heritage through visits to vintage stores nationwide with his mother. His upbringing became the precursor of his idea for a new American classic now known as Fear of God. In 2013, Lorenzo chose fashion despite plans to follow in the footsteps of his father in sport and established the now renowned label, conceived through a union of his creative vision, menswear experience and market expertise. Equipped with an MBA from Loyola University Chicago School of Business and an intrinsic understanding of the missing gap between the runway and wardrobe, Lorenzo’s honest and opinionated approach to fashion continues to push Fear of God into an icon of contemporary American luxury.Most recently, he’s been honored to partner with Adidas and join their team as global head of Adidas Basketball.
General Stanley McChrystal
United StatesGeneral Stanley McChrystal
Recognized as a transformational leader with a remarkable record of achievement, Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star Army General widely praised for leading a comprehensive counterterrorism organization that fused intelligence and operations, redefining the way military and government agencies interact. Over the course of his career, he led a number of elite organizations including the International Security Assistance Forces, Joint Special Operations Command as well as the 75th Ranger Regiment. In 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. Since retiring from the military, McChrystal founded the McChrystal Group to deliver innovative leadership solutions to businesses and multinational corporations around the world in order to help them build stronger teams and succeed in challenging, dynamic environments. A passionate advocate for national service, McChrystal is also Chairman of Service Year Alliance. Additionally, McChrystal is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he teaches a course on leadership. McChrystal is the author of New York Times best-selling books, My Share of the Task and Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. McChrystal is also the co-author of The Wall Street Journal best-selling title, Leaders: Myth and Reality.
A.R. Bernard
United StatesA.R. Bernard
A.R. Bernard is an influential religious leader and transformative visionary, leading one of the largest congregations in the United States with more than 40,000 members. Before following his calling into ministry, Bernard enjoyed a successful career in finance which has positioned him in a place of influence among top leaders in business, entertainment and politics. In addition to mentoring pastors, has also counseled leaders while serving with the NYC Economic Development Corporation and the NYC School Chancellor’s Advisory Cabinet. He is a premiere thought leader in faith and culture and has been featured on Fox News, CNN, NBC’s Today, MSNBC, CBS News, BET, TBN and Daystar TV. He is a radio host for the New York based program, The Rev and The Rabbi on WABC radio. As a visionary who witnessed how faith has brought hope into communities that were mostly ignored or underserved, Bernard has led the Christian Cultural Center in a partnership with the Gotham Organization for a major development project to create over 2,000 units of income-based workforce housing, healthcare and educational facilities, retail stores, performance arts center and community service spaces. His transformative messages are also shared in his books, Happiness Is…Simple Steps to a Life of Joy and Four Things Women Want from a Man.
Dr. Francesca Gino
United StatesDr. Francesca Gino
Dr. Francesca Gino is a professor in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School recognized for her award-winning research and teaching on how to have more productive, creative and fulfilling lives. Dr. Gino has a diverse expertise on the psychology of organizations. She is a sought-after consultant and speaker—some of her clients include Disney, Goldman Sachs, Honeywell, Novartis, P&G, as well as the U.S. Military. Dr. Gino’s research has been featured in The Wallstreet Journal, The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, The New York Times, Newsweek, National Public Radio, Scientific American and Psychology Today. She has been honored as one of the world’s Top 40 Business Professors under 40 and one of the world’s 50 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. In Dr. Gino’s latest book, Rebel Talent, she shares her research behind why it pays to break the rules at work and in life.
Richard Montañez
United StatesRichard Montañez
While working at Frito-Lay as a janitor early in his career, Richard Montañez developed the ingenious idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos—now the Flamin’Hot line is a billion-dollar business and cultural phenomenon. During his leadership tenure at PepsiCo, Montañez was recognized for his visionary leadership, innovation and commitment to diversity. He has been named one of the most influential Latinos in corporate America and is the only four-time recipient of PepsiCo’s Chairman’s Award, the highest honor given to employees based on performance and work ethic. He has been featured for his leadership and innovation on Good Morning America, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Fortune and Newsweek. His story is also the subject of a forthcoming biopic by Fox Searchlight Films. Montañez’s inspiring leadership journey has made him a sought-after speaker for organizations including Target, Walmart, and universities including University of Southern California and Harvard. In addition to his corporate leadership, Montañez is a committed philanthropist and founder of Onelite, a nonprofit providing high-need families in the U.S. with food and school supplies. His new book, Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive, releases in 2021.
Michelle Poler
United StatesMichelle Poler
When Michelle Poler, Venezuelan native, art director and branding strategist, decided to start a project to overcome her own personal fears, she didn’t expect it to go viral—100 Days Without Fear caught the attention of the Today Show, Forbes, CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Fox News, Telemundo, Glamour, Elle, The Rachael Ray Show, Refinery29 and Daily Mail among many others. Gaining an audience captivated by her passion, bravery, creativity, humor and practical life-changing advice, Poler founded Hello Fears, a social movement reaching more than 70 million people worldwide, empowering them to step outside their comfort zone and tap into their full potential. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, having spoken for TEDx, Google, Yum Brands, Facebook, Wells Fargo, ESPN, Netflix, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Toyota and many more. Poler is the author of, Hello, Fears: Crush Your Comfort Zone and Become Who You’re Meant to Be, which helps people be their best selves and focus on the best possible outcomes.
Rich Wilkerson Jr.
United StatesRich Wilkerson Jr.
Rich Wilkerson Jr. is a dynamic communicator and author with a passion to encourage and inspire young adults. Born into four generations of church planters and leaders, Wilkerson started a young adults ministry called “The Rendezvous.” In 2010, this ministry grew to form both the VOUS Leadership Conference and later in 2015, VOUS Church where he serves as a lead pastor. Through his leadership, VOUS Church has become known as a catalyst of faith, creativity and diversity celebrating the unique culture of its vibrant city in Miami, Florida. Each Summer, he and his wife and co-founder, DawnCheré continue to host thousands of young adults at the annual VOUS Leadership Conference. Wilkerson Jr. is also the author of two books, Sandcastle Kings: Meeting Jesus in a Spiritually Bankrupt World and Friend of Sinners: Why Jesus Cares More About Relationship Than Perfection.
Ibukun Awosika
United StatesIbukun Awosika
Ibukun Awosika’s has vast combined entrepreneurial and high-level corporate and not-for-profit board experience across various sectors and geographies spanning over three decades. Globally recognized, she has received multiple awards, including the 2020 Forbes “Woman Africa Chairperson” award, and was also the first Nigerian recipient of the prestigious “International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge” award in 2008. Today, Awosika leads as chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, the country’s premier and most valuable banking brand. Additionally, as founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group, she leads manufacturing, retail and bank-way security system services. Over the course of her career, her leadership has given her the honor of influencing Nigeria’s economic growth by chairing a number of corporate and nonprofit boards including, d.light Design Inc., Convention on Business Integrity, Digital Jewels Limited, and Afterschool Graduate Development Centre, a facility which she promoted to help address youth employability and enterprise issues in Nigeria. She also sits on the boards of Cadbury Nigeria Plc and the International Advisory Board of IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. She was Chairman of GEMS Africa Limited, FBN Life Insurance Limited, FBN Capital Limited and Kakawa Discount House Limited. She also served on the pioneer board of Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, as well as the National Job Creation Committee. Awosika is a graduate of Chemistry from The University of Ife, Nigeria; an alumna of the Chief Executive Programme of Lagos Business School; the Global Executive MBA of IESE Business School (Barcelona); and Global CEO Programme of Wharton, IESE and China European International Business School. With high interest in social issues, including the plight of women in society, Awosika is co-founder and former chairperson of Women in Business, Management and Public Service, as well as the president of International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation. An ordained pastor and founder of the Christian Missionary Fund, her faith-based organization works with hundreds of missionaries across Nigeria to change lives with the provision of medical and educational supplies and resources. As a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative, Aspen Global Leadership Network, Institute of Directors and Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, Awosika aspires to use her opportunities in life to further the greatness of her country by raising entrepreneurs to create jobs. She is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, served on National Job Creation Committee, and sits on the International Advisory Board of IESE Business School, Barcelona-Spain, and the Governing Council of Pan-Atlantic University.
Dr. Henry Cloud
United StatesDr. Henry Cloud
Dr. Henry Cloud is an acclaimed leadership expert, clinical psychologist and New York Times best-selling author. His 45 books have sold nearly 15 million copies worldwide. He has an extensive executive coaching background and experience as a leadership consultant, devoting the majority of his time working with CEOs, leadership teams and executives to improve performance, leadership skills and culture. Dr. Cloud founded and built a healthcare company starting in 1987, which operated inpatient, and outpatient treatment centers in forty markets in the Western U.S. There, he served as Clinical Director and principal for ten years. In the context of hands-on clinical experience, he developed and researched many of the treatment principles and methods that he communicates to audiences today. After selling the company, he devoted his time to consulting and coaching, spreading principles of hope and life-change through speaking, writing and media. Throughout the same years and until the present, he has devoted much of his career to leadership performance and development, blending the disciplines of leadership and human functioning to helping CEO’s, teams, organizations and family entities. His book, Integrity, was dubbed by the New York Times as “the best book in the bunch.” In 2011, Necessary Endings was called “the most important book you read all year.” His book Boundaries For Leaders was named by CEO Reads in the top five leadership books of its year. His newest book, The Power of the Other, debuted at #5 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Dr. Cloud’s work has been featured and reviewed by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Publisher’s Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. Success magazine named Dr. Cloud in the top 25 most influential leaders in personal growth and development, alongside Oprah, Brene Brown, Seth Godin and others.
Jamie Kern Lima
United StatesJamie Kern Lima
Jamie Kern Lima started IT Cosmetics from her living room and grew the company into the largest luxury makeup brand in the U.S. When she later sold the company to L’Oréal in a billion-dollar deal, Jamie became the first female CEO of a brand in L’Oréal’s 100+ year history. Her love for her customers matched with her remarkable authenticity and belief has led her to be recognized as one of Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs and Forbes Americas Richest Self-Made Women. She has also received the 2019 Columbia University Medal of Excellence as well as the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women award, among several others. Featured on Good Morning America, Today, CBS This Morning, CNBC, Nightline and in The New York Times, Oprah Magazine and others, her work and passion to inspire and mentor entrepreneurs, build businesses and give back has become well known around the world. Prior to launching IT Cosmetics, she was an award-winning news anchor. She is also a member of Harvard Women’s Leadership Forum as well as the CBS Board of Overseers. As an active philanthropist, she has donated over $40 million in product and funds to help women face the effects of cancer with confidence. Her #1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times best-selling book, Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable released in February 2021, and helps leaders overcome doubt and find courage to lead and live authentically.
Invest in Yourself and Grow Your Influence: Attend the Summit at a Premier GLS Site
When it comes to leadership development we all have good intentions, but distractions abound. Yet, research says learning happens most effectively in community…a team setting. That’s why we partner with 1536+ sites in 124 countries to bring the Summit to your local community. In fact, we work year-round with Premier GLS sites to ensure your Summit experience is the best possible for you and your team.
Our Premier GLS site partners are committed to creating a world-class environment that enhances your Summit experience in the following ways:
- Distraction-free development for you and your team
- Impact your local community by gathering with other like-minded influencers
- Experience the world-class event through state-of-the-art technology in a team-friendly, welcoming environment
What Attendees Are Saying
Everyone has the capacity to lead—because everyone has influence.
Whether you’re an executive or a student, 97 years old or 11 years old, you can experience growth when you invest in developing your leadership skills.
“Go to the Summit for your growth, because what you bring back to your company or district is amazing. You’re going to be uplifted and reenergized in your role. And we all need that. No matter how good you are, you run out of juice sometimes. What is the Summit? It’s 16 hours of your year. You’re worth the time. You won’t regret it.”– Dr. Lily DeBlieux, Superintendent, Arizona
“The GLS has the audacity to say, I don’t care what you’ve been told before, but you’re a leader and you have influence. Everyday people can be great leaders. The GLS puts people in front of us to remind us of who we are. It reminds us that our leadership matters, wherever we are—what we do and who we are really matters. And then it stretches us to be better.” – Albert Tate, Pastor, Fellowship Church
“The Summit gave me the practical leadership tools I needed to make my vision for my nonprofit a reality. It’s one thing to dream. It’s another to be able to lead people in the fight.”– Rebecca Bender, CEO & Founder, Elevate Academy
“The Global Leadership Summit is quite arguably the most effective, purpose-filled leadership development experience in the world. I can say, without reservation, the high quality, inspiring content delivered via the Summit has made many people within our organization, better leaders…including me.”– John Venhuizen, President & CEO, Ace Hardware Corp.
“I’m thankful for the Summit helping me realize that I still have a life to lead and people to love. God made my calling clear to me all over again. He granted me a story to tell and not telling it would be a waste. Thanks to God speaking to me through the Summit, I decided to keep sharing my story and being a voice for the vulnerable.” - Tori Petersen, Advocate for Foster Youth
Register for a Location in Trinidad and Tobago
Join the GLS Movement
Leverage Your Influence to Build the Global Leadership Summit Movement…
As someone who has benefited from the Global Leadership Summit, you can leverage your influence to add more momentum to this transformational movement.
There are several ways you could play a significant role:
• Promote the GLS through your network of influence
• Provide financial support to enable others to participate in the GLS
• Join a local GLS organizing team
• Bring the GLS to your community
To find out how you can become more involved in the GLS movement, email us at glninternational@globalleadership.org.