When Leaders Invest In Leaders
As the founder and CEO of Carry 117, Henok Berhanu understands the cost of leading others. And that’s exactly why he attended the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October 2016. Check out some of his most memorable takeaways:
"I don’t think people understand how much courage and bravery it takes to be a faithful leader here in Korah,” Henok said. "It makes me emotional thinking about it. Every day, I try to be faithful and avoid bribes and loopholes. I let people bully me. It makes me emotional that I allow people to bully me for the sake of others, taking a punch for others.It’s one thing to be faithful just for yourself, but it reaches another level when you are faithful on behalf of the people who depend on you.”
These are the kinds of leaders that this two day, world-class training conference is designed for. Telecasted over 600 different locations across the world, in 125 different countries, and translated into 59 languages, the Summit gives big thinkers and aspiring entrepreneurs the wisdom and expertise of top leaders in their field.
“I feel like I am blessed with what I have learned,” Henok shared. "I love that there were talks about doing the right thing—we learned about corruption. It was so helpful that we heard from Nigerians and Ugandans. We relate to this stuff; we can apply it. In everything we do, we ask ourselves, ‘Does this honor God? Am I honoring my faith? Am I doing the moral thing?’”
Henok was specifically inspired by the story of a man who once lived on the streets under a bridge. "Nobody thought he could be anything, but now he’s overseeing 27,000 churches. It’s not about what you know or don’t know; it’s about what God puts in your heart.”
Through his two days spent at the Summit, Henok was not only encouraged to pursue the growth of his own ministry, but he was also challenged to dream even bigger.
“I want to have hundreds of women working for Carry 117. I want a big factory. God will work in me,” he said. "I have no idea how to do it. I don’t think I am even capable. I’ve never done something like this, but I believe God will send me the right people and will give me knowledge.”
The astounding growth that Carry 117 has already experienced in 2016 is proof that Henok is doing something right. As he ventures into the new year, he’s focusing on the small steps.
“We learned that if you want to achieve big, don’t go big. Focus. Go narrow. Go deeper.