THE ELC 2011 POST CONFERENCE REPORT

The biennial Eagles Leadership Conference 2011 Heart, Mind, Habits opened this year on Thursday July 21, 2011 with worship by Pastor Andrew Yeo, followed by Mr Michael Tan, Chair of ELC 2011, inaugurating the conference. Dr John Ng, President of Meta and Chair of Eagles Communications Board of Governance, gave the commencing address by reminding us that we are to “go for God and not Gold” as we do God’s work in the Church and marketplace.

The first day of the three-day conference gave us plenary speakers, each resonating the theme of the conference Heart, Mind, Habits. Dr Low Guat Tin, Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education, spoke to the heart of the leader through her use of humor and a lively presentation. She indicated, "If there is no enemy within, then the enemy on the outside cannot harm us." It is the heart of the leader that must be guarded, so that their effectiveness may shine through.

Mr Peter Chao, Founder-President of Eagles Communications, outlined habits that will develop the whole leader, such as “keeping your eyes on the windscreen, not the rearview mirror; the finish line and not the starting line.” Thus, it is our past that must not hold us back, but rather we should look to the future, leaving our hindrances behind us.

In his plenary presentation, Dr Tim Elmore, Founder of Growing Leaders, gave us insight into the mind of leaders and how they lead by looking to the different characteristics of leaders that the past several generations have produced.
            
Dr Elmore indicates that our leadership style will determine whom we attract; therefore we have many considerations to evaluate as we lead self, people, and organizations, so that we can not only prepare ourselves, but also the next generation.

The second day of the conference brought many workshops with a wide range of subjects that were thoughtful and engaging. Dr Chew Weng Chee gave one workshop that was filled to capacity entitled  Leadership Burnout – How to Prevent it?  Symptoms of burnout include irritation, sense of isolation, boredom and others. Dr Chew gave biblical examples of people who were burnt out or stressed such as Moses (Num 11:10-15) and Elijah (1King 19:1-9). These examples helped to give perspective to the problem of burnout that so many in the marketplace and Church can become entangled in.

Dr Chew suggests to take time off from work such as in scheduling vacations and to have a peer group that is supportive, encouraging, and willing to listen. Another way to diffuse burnout is to “learn to recharge yourself on the run,” by making room for daily prayer, Scripture reading and taking moments throughout the day to reflect upon God. These suggestions will help to slow you down.

Another workshop that was overflowing was given by Bishop Dr. Robert Solomon entitled Developing God-Centered Conscience in Leadership. In his workshop, participants learned that the conscience simply expresses judgment without giving reason and everyone stands guilty and accused by it. The conscience is shaped and influenced by our home life, society and church, thus when we come to Christ we must shape it by the Word and Holy Spirit.
 
The final day of the conference brought everyone back together in Ballroom 1, 2 and 3, where we gleaned knowledge and wisdom from the discussion panelists. Tan Sri Chan Ah Chye demonstrated not only how he had handled difficult times through relying on Jesus, but also his knowledge of Scripture. He has been in the Lord for five years, yet his practical application of Scripture to his daily life blessed everyone as he spoke with wisdom and humbleness.

The session regrouped after lunch and everyone was enriched with the singing by nine year old Nadya Liyi Tan. Shun Ng also engaged us with his unique style of Blues music followed by two plenary speakers Mr Edward Ong and Rev Edmund Chan. Through Mr Ong’s property development ventures, we were able to see God’s mighty hand at work in reclaiming land that was once wasted and transforming it into highly acclaimed properties.

Mr Edmund Chan highlighted how our postmodern culture has weakened our spiritual formation through our spirit, struggles, stress, and superficiality. He indicated that spiritual formation is intentional and is absolutely needed to nurture the spirit within us and to move forward in the likeness of Christ. The process is done in community and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Through spiritual formation, we will be able to fulfill the will of God and purpose of the Church, which is to glorify God.

As an observer of the conference, I felt that there was a great sense of appreciation for the speakers, workshops, and staff that made it all possible from the delegates and others involved with the conference that I spoke with. Prior to arriving in Singapore, my expectations were to learn from those who would speak, not only from the staff who dealt with each item that needed to be done, but also from the Eagles leadership so as to understand the structure and presentation of the conference while maintaining a foundation rooted in Christ. My expectations were not only met, but they were surpassed.

I arrived in Singapore and hit the ground running, learning, but not being left behind in any detail as everyone without exception made sure that I was involved and taken care of. My overall impression of the conference was tremendously positive as was the quality and attitude of each individual on the ELC team. I take away much information that was absorbed into my heart with practical suggestions to apply that knowledge in my life and the lives of others.  

The honesty and vulnerability of the panel speakers at the dialog sessions were palpable. They demonstrated their convictions under the tremendous pressures of financial downturn, wrong decisions and relational breakdowns. At every difficult turn in their professional and personal lives, they saw the viability of a Jesus-option. And, in deciding to be faithful to Jesus in the crucible, they persuaded the participants at ELC 2011 to make similar decisions in life.

These business owners and CEOs are all disciples of Christ desiring to make God-honoring decisions in their lives. In doing so, God has transformed them, rewarded their efforts and used them as channels of divine blessings. Their honest disclosures at the conference inspired many who are struggling to make good leadership decisions in their lives. A delegate from China remarked how honest the panel speakers had been and desired the same peace, resolve, and blessings in her life that she gave her life to Christ at the close of the conference. Another Singaporean participant also opened his heart to Jesus after hearing the speakers over the three days.

Although ELC 2011 was not intended as an evangelistic platform, the Gospel was incarnated in the life and testimonies of the speakers, participants and program content. There was a coherent thrust towards the life of the Gospel in all that was said and done in the conference, which in turn became persuasive towards a decision for Christ. That is at the heart of the hosting organization, Eagles Communications that seeks to Present Options and Persuade Decision.

Founder of Eagles, Peter Chao, kicked off ELC 2011 with a powerful plenary session with his talk on developing Habits for Life - Developing the Whole Leader. Many of the participants' spoke of the great inspiration they received from the three critical habits that Chao elucidated in his talk: (1) a discriminate forgetfulness of the past, (2) an inspirational dissatisfaction with the present, and (3) a focused reach for the future. Chao posited, "If you are not willing to pay the price, then the goal is not important enough for you." As one young participant, J.J. (aged 23) put it, "Peter Chao's message touched me really close to my heart."

The eminent investment banker from UK, Ken Costa, followed Peter Chao with a stimulating address entitled, Leadership Choices – Success, Stress, and Purpose. Here, Costa highlighted the unbearable tensions Christians in the workplace face. Costa described how as a young man he was an atheist, and gave his life to study economics. However, this pursuit left him empty as he recollected, "Marx had a view for economics, but he couldn't change my heart." The problem of modern people today is that "they have too much to live with, and not enough to live for."

The third plenary session was given by Dr Michael Burchell, VP of the Great Place to Work Institute. While there are a number of dimensions of organizational culture that are important to creating a great workplace, Burchell elevated the key dimension of trust as the most critical. He exclaimed, "Leaders need to be as passionate for their cultures as they are for their products and services, i.e., we need to be asking the question, 'How does this create more trust in our workplace?'" After his session, the excited chatter among groups was, "we need to create a great workplace…that is so important, that is what we need."

Dr Tim Elmore's talk entitled Leading for the Future, introduced insights on the emergence of a new kind of leadership style needed for the future - the poet-gardener. One of his most creative ways of depicting how leaders need to lead in the future is "to play chess, not checkers." The chess master must know that each piece has a particular role, limit, and move that it can make. That is opposed to the game of checkers where all the pieces are the same. You can no longer lead people by treating them all the same.

The final speaker of the first day was Dr Low Guat Tin who heralded the issue of Leading from Within. Her entire lecture spliced with whacky and bizarre pictures and videos had participants reeling with laughter - some on the verge of tears. Her work to build laughter and humor into the spirits of the participants was not without theological significance. She flashed a quote from Kierkegaard to disclose a simple wisdom, "laughter is a type of prayer." She declared, "most of us lead from without," i.e., our self-worth is derived mostly from what others think of us. She went on to describe the role of a leader which is not to find out all the flaws and gaps in those we lead, but to "enhance their strength and to make their weaknesses irrelevant."

A group of about eighty ELC 2011 participants visited the Northlight School as one of their workshop choices on the second day of the conference. The principal Mrs Chua-Lim Yen Ching shared about the values of the school that was founded to help those who are unable to proceed with the normal education process after primary school. Respect, trust, character building, and hope are the values and ideals that participants got to see in action at this unique workshop experience at Northlight School.

The secret of its success is its single-mindedness in helping students develop their character because of the belief that good character will sustain a person through life and to keep them on the straight and narrow path. Classes have also been designed based on the way these students learn best. The content, delivery and assessments are based on the 70-30 rule (70% experiential-30% pen and paper). This is to cater to the learning style of most students in the school who do not learn or perform well with traditional pen and paper learning and exams.

Edmund Tay, a principal from Sabah, commented, "I came to this workshop because I wanted to see how this school works. I left feeling that this is a school that caters to the needs of the students. For me, I noticed that this school truly puts 'People First, Policy Second.' It has touched hearts and transformed lives."

Another person, Kedma Mukhiya, a Leadership Trainer and Sunday School Teacher from Nepal remarked, "The teachers have a close relationship with the students unlike many schools today, where it is about results and programs. I found the way it treats its students very touching. I learned that we need to understand the reason why kids act up instead of simply punishing them. I hope we can do something like that when I get back."

Word on the Street

"I am touched by both speakers. Peter's spirituality and relationship with God and Ken's awareness of God in his workplace and the living out of his faith at even at work. I feel renewed and refreshed just after these two sessions" - Zhou Chun Xia, Wuhan China

"For me, the lesson that struck me is how you view God leads you in how you live. Are you lying to yourself or are you real as He has called you to live and do in this world? Even in God’s ministry I have to make decisions based on God’s calling and Kingdom, and I have to be clear that it is not about doing it for me and the world." - Nongnuch Meetang, working in Compassion International, Thailand

"Great Places to Work (by Michael Burchell) resonates with me. How can I create a great workplace is a challenge. How can I groom future leaders and importantly, I need to review the leadership style and work culture in company so that I can foster a great workplace environment" - Rod Chieng, Malaysia

“I will be applying the lessons learned in my teaching and pastoral ministries. Your contribution makes me significant.” - Peter Thein Nyunt, Scholarship Senior Pastor, Myanmar

"Thank you for providing such inspirational speakers – It has been a real blessing. God bless Eagles Communications.” - Col. Gillian Downer, Singpaore

“This is my first conference and it has opened up so many possibilities for me.” - Nguyen Ngoc Thinh, Student at SMU, Vietnam

“This is awesome! This is the greatest conference and workshop that I have ever attended. I am deeply impressed by the passion, energy and instructive and useful messages in this conference. Hearts, mind, and habits are inter-reflected and work together closely.” - Terry Tang Wei, Pudong, Shanghai, China

“I really liked the perspective on how to do business in the marketplace given by Burchell from the Great Place to Work.  It is hard being a younger person [in the marketplace], and it is very encouraging to know that I can excel being a ‘poet-gardener’ leader [as taught by Tim Elmore].” - Esther Ektrakul, 26, Bangkok, Bilingual School

“I learned about ELC from their website, it was very helpful, and I wanted to come because all of the speakers are well known. Tim Elmore was great in his explanation, clarity, humor, and his enthusiasm was so memorable.” - Pastor C. Thaveethu, 37, Thailand

ELC 2011 are now availble
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