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Contributed by The Global Leadership Summit
The best leaders never stop learning.

Every year, leaders from all over the world come together at the Global Leadership Summit to grow and lead with greater purpose. It’s the world’s premier leadership event, reaching more than 350,000 people each year.

Here are four lessons from a few of the experts taking the stage at this year’s Summit.

Leaders gathered at the Global Leadership Summit

1. Have the Hard Talk

Kwame Christian, CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, says leaders often stay quiet — even when they know something needs to be said — because they want to keep the peace.

But he sees conflict differently. To Christian, a hard conversation is a chance to grow, learn, and get better at leading. As he puts it, the best things in life are usually on the other side of a difficult conversation.

Where are you staying quiet when you really need to speak up?

2. Make the Call

Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, CEO of Wonder Project, spent decades making big decisions in the fast-moving worlds of Netflix and YouTube.

Her advice? Get comfortable with uncertainty. Leaders rarely have all the facts, and waiting for perfect clarity can cost you. Sometimes you have to make the tough call before everything is clear.

Where do you need to stop hesitating — and just make the call?

3. Get to the Root

Craig Groeschel, founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, says the most frustrating problems usually aren’t new — they’re the same ones that keep coming back.

What leaders tolerate, reward, and repeat quietly shapes their team culture and their results. In other words, what you repeat becomes what you produce.

What are you tolerating — and what do you want to reward instead?

4. Make People Belong

Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral researcher, says the most charismatic leaders aren’t the ones who talk about themselves — they’re the ones who make others feel at ease.

When we want to impress people, we tend to focus on ourselves. But real charisma comes from focusing on them. The most magnetic leaders send one simple message: “I like you, and you belong here.”

In your conversations, are you focused on yourself — or are you drawing others out?

Bring Your Team

2026 Main Stage

Who You’ll Hear

  • Craig Groeschel
  • Priscilla Shirer
  • Jim Collins
  • Vanessa Van Edwards
  • Kwame Christian

These are just a few of the ideas your team could walk away with this year.

Going to the Summit together changes how you lead as a team — it lines up your vision, your culture, and the way you make decisions. You’ll gain practical tools and fresh inspiration from world-class leaders like Craig Groeschel, Priscilla Shirer, Jim Collins, and Vanessa Van Edwards.

Bring your team to the Global Leadership Summit and lead better — together.

Global Leadership Summit 2026

Convene Member Offer
Save $50 on Every Ticket
S26CONVENE
Use this promo code when you register.
August 6–7, 2026

About the Contributor
The Global Leadership Summit
The Global Leadership Summit is the world’s premier leadership event, reaching more than 350,000 people each year. It gathers leaders from every sector to grow their skills and lead with greater purpose, learning from a world-class lineup of speakers. The Global Leadership Summit is a proud Convene Partner.


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