LEAD: Jimmy Carter

Bill Hybels is setting the stage by talking about who we can learn from. The need is to be open to learn from God through very diverse people and approaches. I totally agree, "It's all about learning." Bill says and he is so right. If we aren't learning we aren't leading!

Building Humanity

• In the different roles he never changed who he was or the basic nature of how he approached life.
• Looking for characteristics in others of: honesty, integrity, loyalty, deep wisdom in their specific areas, willingness to engage in disagreements
• Carter was in trusted with leadership at an early age. From selling peanuts to buying rental property before he turned 16.
• The leadership opportunities at many times are adversely affected by issues and events that are completely outside of the control of the leader. Carter illustrated this with discussion about the Iran Hostage situation, third party candidates, and other issues.
• In Carter talking about his growing up in a racially diverse situation he illustrated the necessity of seeing each other as human, not differently human, made in the image of God.
• People who are poor are just as intelligent, just as capable, just as worthy as the President of the United States.
• "What human beings ought to do is what Jesus Christ did."
• "We can accommodate changing times by clinging to unchanging themes."

Just listening to Pres. Carter speak about his experience and the reasons why it is clear what leadership is all about. It is about an honesty and integrity in all things, when things go right and when things are going wrong around you. It is clear that in many ways Carter was a man ahead of his time. In the writing of history and the perspective of time Jimmy Carter I believe will be seen as one of the five people who impacted the world for positive change during the 20th Century and into the 21st. May his leadership and ministry continue and multiply.