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Leadership Conference
Stay tuned for 2025 details
About the Highlands College Leadership Conference
Leadership Starts with You.
The Highlands College Leadership Conference is a premier event designed to empower leaders with the insights, skills, and strategies needed to make a lasting impact in their businesses, communities, and organizations. This in-person conference brings together passionate individuals from a variety of fields who are eager to grow in their leadership capacity and align their efforts with purposeful, mission-driven work.
Whether you're a business executive, educator, church leader, or aspiring leader, this conference offers a dynamic learning experience that will inspire and equip you to lead with excellence and integrity.
Proceeds from the Highlands College Leadership Conference directly support the mission, vision, and goals of Highlands College—America's Ministry Leadership University. By attending, you contribute to the development of future leaders, advancing our commitment to equipping individuals for transformative impact in the world.
Join us for a half-day of inspiration, networking, and practical leadership development—all while supporting the next generation of leaders!
2025 Speakers
Dr. John C.
Maxwell
Read Bio
Chris
Hodges
Read Bio
Guest Speaker
Coming Soon
John C. Maxwell
John C. Maxwell, the #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, and speaker who has sold more than 30 million books, has been identified as the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association® and the world’s most influential leadership expert by Business Insider and Inc. magazine. Dr. Maxwell has also received the Horatio Alger Award, as well as the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership from the Luminary Leadership Network. His organizations—The John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell Team, EQUIP, and the John Maxwell Leadership Foundation—have trained millions of leaders from every nation in the world. For more information, visit JohnMaxwell.com. Because of his passion for leadership training, John has requested all event proceeds from Leadership Conference benefit Highlands College, a higher education institution where learning, mentoring, relationships, and spiritual growth are top priorities.
Guest speaker — coming soon!
Chris Hodges
Chris Hodges is the founding and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands. Since it began in 2001, Highlands has grown to have campuses across the state of Alabama, and we’re known for our life-giving culture and focus on leading people to an intimate relationship with God.
Pastor Chris has a deep passion for developing leaders and planting life-giving churches. He co-founded ARC (Association of Related Churches) in 2001, which has launched hundreds of churches across the United States. He also founded GrowLeader, specializing in training and resourcing pastors and churches to help them break barriers and reach their growth potential. Chris is also the founder and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that trains and launches students into full-time ministry careers.
Chris and his wife Tammy have five children and live in Birmingham, Alabama, where Church of the Highlands began. He speaks at conferences worldwide and is the author of Fresh Air, Four Cups, The Daniel Dilemma, What’s Next?, Out of The Cave, Pray First, and co-authored Jesus, the High Road Leader with John C. Maxwell.
Ed Mylett is a highly successful entrepreneur who has blended his unique experiences with a diverse set of practical strategies that have made him one of the most sought-after inspirational speakers in the world today.
As a young man, he attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he was a three-time academic All-American before an untimely injury ended his dream of playing in the major leagues.
At his father's urging, Ed became a counselor for disadvantaged children in what turned out to be one of the pivotal turning points of his life. It was there he first started to appreciate the importance of serving others and laying the foundation for success principles he would put into practice later in life.
Ed is a serial entrepreneur who has enjoyed considerable success in part through his unrivaled work ethic and ability to fire up people with his dynamic, high-octane presentations. Over the years, he has been involved in several tech, real estate, medical, and food ventures, among many others, leading him to be named a Success Magazine SUCCESS 125 most influential leader in 2022.
With a strong desire to help people, Ed began sharing his inspirational and performance strategies live and online. In four short years, he amassed more than two million Instagram followers, wrote a best-selling book, and launched a popular weekly podcast, The Ed Mylett Show. Ed thoroughly enjoys engaging with his followers and is active on several social media platforms where his posts are viewed several million times each month.
As a keynote speaker, Ed has spoken to millions of people. He is equally adept at delivering relatable strategies in intimate gatherings, to arenas filled with 50,000 people, or online to audiences in the hundreds of thousands.
He is well known for combining spirituality, faith, the inner workings of the mind, and tactical thoughts and actions to help people produce real changes in their lives.
Ed remains humble about his success, attributing his good fortune to his faith in God, his mentors, and the lessons his father taught him throughout life.
In his free time, Ed is an avid golfer, health, and weightlifting enthusiast. He and his wife Kristianna are the proud parents of two adult children.
Mark Pettus
Lauren Sisler is a two-time national award-winning sports broadcaster who joined ESPN and SEC Network in 2016 as a sideline reporter for both college football and gymnastics. In addition, she serves as a sports reporter and host at AL.com where she covers a multitude of teams and sports in the state of Alabama.
Lauren is passionate about sports, but even more passionate about telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, and fans who make it more than a game.
Her journey was not always full of victories and celebrations. In 2003 as a freshman at Rutgers University, tragedy struck Lauren's world. Through her grief and despair, Lauren found the courage to continue moving forward and find success. Lauren now shares her story across the country in hopes of spreading awareness while breaking down the barriers that stand in the way of us living our best life.
Sisler, a native of Roanoke, Va., was the captain of her gymnastics team at Rutgers University and graduated in 2006 with a communication degree.
For more information about Lauren Sisler www.LaurenSisler.com. You can also follow her on social media @LaurenSisler.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the name of the event?
The event is now called the Highlands College Leadership Conference (formerly known as the Impact Leadership Conference).
Is the conference in-person or virtual?
The Highlands College Leadership Conference is an in-person event only.
Is there a cost to attend the conference?
Yes, the cost is $99 per person. However, if you are registering a group of 10 or more, the cost is reduced to $89 per person. All proceeds from the Conference support the mission, vision, and goals of Highlands College—America’s Ministry Leadership University.
How do I register for the conference?
You can register for the conference on our official website. Simply follow the registration instructions, and you will be prompted to enter your payment details.
Can I still attend if I don't register early?
We encourage early registration to secure your spot, as space is limited.
What is included in the registration cost?
The registration cost covers all event sessions, materials, and boxed lunch provided during the Conference.
Are there any group discounts?
Yes, if you are attending as part of a group of 10 or more, you can register at a discounted rate of $89 per person.
Where will the conference be held?
The Highlands College Leadership Conference will be held at Highlands College in Birmingham, AL.
Can I get a refund if I am unable to attend?
All registration costs for the Highlands College Leadership Conference are non-refundable. By registering for the event, you acknowledge and agree that no refunds will be issued for cancellations or no-shows.
Will there be any accommodations provided?
The Conference does not include accommodations.
What topics will be covered at the Conference?
The Conference will focus on leadership development, equipping leaders with practical tools and insights to enhance their impact in their respective fields.
Will the Conference be streamed?
We believe the in-person experience is invaluable for connecting with speakers and other attendees and therefore the Conference will not be streamed. We hope you can join us in person!
Will there be a recording available to view the Conference later?
At this time, we will not be providing a recording of the Conference. We encourage you to attend in person to fully engage with the sessions and make the most of the event.
Hosted by Highlands College
About Highlands College
At Highlands College—America's Ministry Leadership University, we are dedicated to developing Christ-centered leaders through a holistic approach of academic instruction, ministry training, character formation, and spiritual development—equipping every student to lead within the local church and ministries worldwide and to live a life of eternal impact.
Community Partners
Organizations and individuals have the opportunity to become conference sponsors by joining the HC Community Partners program. Partners network with other business leaders who want to collaborate and develop neighborly connections with Highlands College. Community Partner benefits include promotion, exclusive events, and in-person access to the Leadership Conference.
