Reflections on Maximum Impact

Maximum Impact is a leadership event put on by John Maxwell as an outreach for churches and a resource to the business community. It has high quality speakers, and some dud athletes. It's always a good day. This year I only caught about half, which was unfortunate. (My wife had a nasty reaction to something and was covered in hives! The ER helped her out.) Here are my reflections on a few of the speakers.

Liz Murray
Liz is a soon to be graduate of Harvard, having come from the Bronx. She was homeless and has worked her way into success. She has quite a story and one that's good to hear. She said one thing that I hope I don't forget. She described how the toughest part of her morning was when she would touch the doorknob of whoever's apartment she was sleeping at to leave for the day and looked back and saw maybe dozens of other people sleeping. She desperately wanted to go back to sleep. If she asked any of those other people whether she should go back to bed or go to school, they would have told her to go back to bed. She had it tough. It only made sense not to try. Then Murray said this: "Be careful who you get your agreement from in life." WOW. Great thought and idea. You will always find people who agree with you. Be careful who they are and what they agree with. The challenge for me is really listening to people in their trials while not agreeing with their despair and hopelessness.

Bill George
Bill is a business prof at Harvard and obviously has a passionate faith. Two things that he said stood out to me.

First, "Follow your compass and not your clock." Follow the direction you need to go and the character you want formed in you; don't follow the timetable you set for your life. This doesn't just apply in business and career, but in relationships, school, church, and other places.

Second, "Your playing small doesn't serve the world." Nobody does anybody any good with the "I don't matter" routine, the "I can't do anything" routine. Everyone influences someone. You might not be able to change the world, but you can influence someone's world for good. Playing small isn't humility; it's worshiping the small god made in the image of yourself.