For two days in August, leaders meet at satellite locations all over the world, in over 675 cities, and in more than 125 countries, to attend The Global Leadership Summit. The summit is not just a conference, but a transformative tool where attendees can learn practical leadership skills, gain inspiration and focus their vision.

For the second year in a row, I was given the opportunity to attend, and I was blown away by the passion of the people involved and inspired by the speakers who shared their knowledge with leaders all over the world. Below are 15 inspiring quotes, one from each of the 2016 faculty.

1. "Legacies can change in an instant - even yours... Let God rewrite the narrative of your story."

- Bill Hybels

Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church

Bill Hybels spoke this year on The Lenses of Leadership. Do you wear the bright red specs of a passionate leader, or are your lenses shattered? Maybe your leadership lenses are adjustable, requiring you to correct them often. What do you see when you look through your legacy lenses? What type of impact has been left by your leadership?

2. "It's about people working together for the good of all of us."

- Alan Mulally

President and Chief Executive Officer, The Ford Motor Company (2006-2014)

Alan Mulally recounted the story of his transition from The Boeing Company to The Ford Motor Company, and how when everyone is included and on the same page, progress is made. With a clear plan and a "find a way" attitude, the possibilities are limitless.

3. "There is no difference in what we want for our children - it's only the ability to give it to them."

- Melinda Gates

Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Melinda Gates shone in her interview with Bill Hybels, speaking about her foundation and the resources and empowerment that it works to bring to people across the globe. "Every life is an equal life," she said, speaking of how every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy, educated and safe.

4. "See risk as your friend to love, not your enemy to fear."

- Jossy Chacko

Founder and President, Empart Inc.

Jossy Chacko spoke on enlarging your vision (while staying focused), building character and empowering your people through relationships and embracing risk.

5. "The biggest obstacle to increasing your self-awareness is the tendency to avoid the discomfort that comes from seeing yourself as you truly are."

- Dr. Travis Bradberry

Bestselling Author; Co-Founder of TalentSmart

Travis Bradberry shared that emotional intelligence (or EQ) is an important life skill, and one that can be improved with self and social awareness.

6. "Humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking about yourself less."

- Patrick Lencioni

Bestselling Author; Founder of The Table Group

Patrick Lencioni, through Venn diagrams, mapped out the ideal team player as a mix of humble, hungry, and smart. Are you an ideal team player or are you more of a loveable slacker or even a bulldozer?

7. "There will always be more good ideas than there is capacity to execute."

- Chris McChesney

Bestselling Author; Executive at Franklin Covey

Chris McChesney warned against setting too many goals at once, and how, when we spread ourselves too thin, we accomplish even less.

8. "Cultural differences affect our impact."

- Erin Meyer

Professor at INSEAD; Author and Consultant

Erin Meyer spoke on how cultural differences can hinder good communication. What is viewed in one culture as acceptable may make people from another culture uncomfortable. For communication to succeed, multi-cultural teams must learn to balance low context methods while increasing their ability to "read the air."

9. "Everything worthwhile is uphill. People have uphill hopes... and downhill habits."

- John C. Maxwell

Leadership Expert; Bestselling Author and Coach

John C. Maxwell shared the five things he does every day to intentionally add value to people, and the importance of "intentionally leading" your life, rather than just accepting it.

10. "You have to be intentional about love."

- Bishop T. D. Jakes

Founder and Senior Pastor, The Potter's House

T. D. Jakes, continuing in the spirit of being intentional, said that we must be selective in the things we manage, not spending too much time on any one thing. He also spoke about the healing that the world needs.

11. "You have to let your needs be known, and there has to be someone there to meet them."

- Dr. Henry Cloud

Clinical Psychologist, Leadership Expert, Author

Henry Cloud spoke briefly on how important it is to have the right person on your side.

12. "Love... is never found in the hustle."

- Shauna Niequist

Writer

Shauna Niequist read an excerpt from her book, "Present Over Perfect."

13. "True humility is agreeing with God about who you are... True dependency is agreeing with God about who He is."

- Danielle Strickland

Senior Officer in the Salvation Army; Leader and Author

Danielle Strickland told the story of Gideon, showing that "the Shalom of God" is the sweet spot between humility and dependency.

14. "We are all in the hospitality business."

- Horst Schulze

CEO, Capella Hotel Group; Founding President, The Ritz-Carlton Group

Horst Shultze explained that no matter what your business is, customers always expect your hospitality.

15. "No one drifts upstream... Going upstream takes effort."

- Wilfredo De Jesús

Senior Pastor, New Life Covenant Church; Community Leader and Author

Wilfredo De Jesús rounded out the summit with a lesson in being intentional, staying the course and resisting the urge to drift through life.

After leaving the summit, I feel that I have learned more about myself and more about what is expected of me as a leader. For more information, please visit the GLS website. Also, check out #GLS16 on Twitter for even more insight.