Last week, our team attended the Q Ideas Conference in Nashville. Little did we know, we would be contending with the NFL Draft, Rock n’ Roll Marathon, and a number of celebrities in town (Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift, for example.) The city was buzzing, but it was the perfect context for the cultural moment we discussed at this year’s Q Conference.
A few highlights…
We felt honored to be included on a panel with some incredible innovators.
A few of our team members participated in an engaging innovation workshop with our friends at We Are Curio. (We also had a blast partnering with them in Atlanta following the conference with a joint workshop experience!)
The Q Ideas conference is “Ted Talk style” with 40 speakers giving 9–15 minute talks about a wide range of relevant topics for this cultural moment. We kept reminding ourselves that it’s not possible to digest all of the information, and part of the experience is reflecting on the insights that resonated most for each of us individually.
Here are a few takeaways we gleaned from the conference overall. We are so grateful to each speaker for bringing truly enlightening, challenging, inspiring, and educational presentations. We are also grateful to Q Ideas for engaging in conversations that Christian leaders are often not exposed to in a church setting.
Building Habits of Renewal, Connection, and Focus
Q Ideas Founder Gabe Lyons opened the conference with a reminder that we live in an age of growing distraction and amusement that is threatening our well-being and relationships. He introduced this common thread that would be heard throughout the conference; highlighting the cultural reality of technology addiction, false connection, and overstimulation.
A number of presenters spoke about technology’s affect on mental health. Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse emphasized the current epidemic of loneliness, declining friendships, and increasing isolation. We resonated with his final challenge, “Don’t be free to roam, be free to commit to a home.”
This reinforced our emphasis on wellness in the workplace. It was a reminder that it’s incredibly important to provide teams with a space and culture that improves their mental and physical health.
Building intentional intersections for relationships at work is needed now more than ever. Face-to-face collaboration is at an all-time low with growing technology. While productivity may increase with remote work, growing isolation and weariness is a troubling reality to confront as well.
Relevant Presentations:
- The State of our Union, Ben Sasse
- Daily Liturgy, Justin Whitmel Earley & Douglas McKelvey
- Rhythms of Renewal, Rebekah Lyons
- A Theology of Cyborgs, Andy Crouch
- Can AI Be Intimate? Dr. Curt Thompson
- Rules for Rules, Travis G. Mason
Check Your Bias and Your Privilege. Listen and Live Intentionally.
Echo chambers are the norm on social media and the news as we continue to curate our feeds and self-select our preferred media to consume. Technology is making it even more difficult to encounter and engage with people who have a different perspective or life experience, because we can easily become unaware of the biases that shape our network.
Our team appreciated Q Ideas for acknowledging and intentionally inviting speakers from differing perspectives to create a robust discussion around important subjects.
As collaborators, we know it takes a lot of generosity, trust, and mutual respect for a diverse group of people to work together well. Thank you, Q Ideas for modeling this well and taking an intentional, collaborative approach.
Relevant Presentations:
- Repairing the Breach, Dr. John M Perkins
- Interpreting News, Paula Faris
- Confronting Identity Politics, Justin Giboney
- The Rise of Democratic Socialism, Elizabeth Bruenig
- Virtues of Capitalism, Anne Rathbone Bradley
- A Communist Ideology, Andrzej Turkanik
- Cross-Cultural Leadership, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
- Addressing Climate Change, Jason Fileta
Social Impact Business is the New Norm
This was no surprise to us, because we have many peers at Q who are leaders of social impact businesses! Businesses that are taking a stand on social issues, and leading with courage, inclusivity, and empathy are attracting next generation talent. Not only are these businesses (TOMS shoes, Sseko Designs, and Sackcloth and Ashes to name a few at Q) successful, they are increasing common good around the world. We hope this trend only continues to grow as we see major crises in the world being solved with marketplace solutions!
Relevant Presentations:
- Aspirations of Gen Z, Mark Matlock
- Voice of the Young, Cassandra Dorsaint
- Social Entrepreneurs Panel
Lead with Empathy, Compassion and Vulnerability
Christian leaders often struggle with the balance between “grace and truth”. In the church and in the marketplace, leading with vulnerability and empathy shows strength, and models healthy emotional intelligence. A stronger team is built when the person at the top can empathize, listen, and show compassion.
It was a good reminder for us as we enter into communities and organizations with our ears and eyes wide open to understand the people we are ultimately there to serve. In order to improve collaboration and team culture; listening, empathizing, and finding solutions that serve everyone well is vital.
Relevant Presentations:
- The Harm of Privilege, Amy Julia Becker
- Forgive me Daisy, April Hernandez-Castillo
- Lessons from a Salt Mine, Margaret Feinberg
- Irresistible Kindness, Scott Sauls
- Forgiving the Unforgivable, Alice Mukarurinda
- On Marriage, Austin and Christi Davenport
- Church Discipline, Matt Chandler
- You Matter, Matthew Emerzian
