Join Jim and Trisha as they discuss the concept of being vulnerable as a leader with author and keynote speaker, Jacob Morgan. Listen as they explore how the skill of balancing vulnerability and competency can empower leaders in both personal and professional settings.  Jacob Morgan is a remarkable and successful leader,keynote speaker, trained futurist, and author. His most recent book, Leading With Vulnerability, was published last year. Jacob pulls from his personal and professional experience as well as the results of many leadership polls and studies as he speaks to tens of thousands of leaders each year on how to fine tune their leadership skills.  Conversation Overview Personal vs. Professional Vulnerability Balancing Competence and Connection The Specifics of Vulnerability Naming Your Emotions The Right Place and Time to be Vulnerable When Vulnerability Hurts   Resources The Future Organization Jacob's Substack Leading With Vulnerability and Other Books by Jacob Morgan    

Join Jim and Trisha as they speak with pastors Ted and Jess from Evanston Vineyard Church about intentional change. Discover how their approach to transformation involves coaching, diverse perspectives, and the formation of clear, shared values. Ted Kim, who has been pastoring and ministering in churches for more than 20 years in Washington, California, New York, and areas outside of the US, is the lead pastor at Evanston Vineyard Church. He is passionate about leading people's hearts and minds toward Jesus. Jess, once an intern, is now also a pastor at Evanston Vineyard Church. She has been a big part of the intentional change and value focusing at the church.   Conversation Overview Forming Congregational Values: Ted and Jess share their experience in leading a congregation through the process of forming and embracing core values. Navigating Resistance: The leaders discuss the positive aspects of encountering resistance during the values formation process and how it contributes to a culture of authenticity. Cultivating Team Culture: The importance of team culture values and ongoing learning in maintaining alignment with the overarching church values. Practical Implementation: Simple yet impactful practices, including regular readings of values during meetings, emphasizing the role of coaching in decision-making, and fostering a sense of agency among team members. Real Change in Action: The messy and non-linear nature of change, showcasing the genuine transformation that can occur in a congregation through intentional and collaborative efforts. Resourses Evanston Vineyard Church

Being stuck in problems and situations can be a significant hindrance to your ability to effectively lead and inspire those around you. Rather than move forward, you may find yourself focused on problems that prevent you from reaching your goals. Learn to resolve those situations so that they become a source of growth. Listen in this latest podcast as Trisha, Jim, and multiple other members of The Leader's Journey share their solutions to getting unstuck. Start your new year off with resolving to not allow the muddy moments in life to dictate the way you lead Getting Unstuck Distinguish between technical and adaptive problems.  Talk with trusted individuals to process the ways you are stuck and find a solution.  Shift the mood. Practice breathing in the silence to embrace and examine your emotional responses.  Reject feelings of shame. Create space to pray and listen. Resources Internal Family Systems The Discernment of Spirits by Timothy Gallagher    

adership, shedding light on helpful practices that can guide church leaders through the shift from an attractional growth model to a missional one. Joining them on this insightful exploration is the experienced and dynamic Mac McCarthy, Lead Pastor at Crosspoint Community Church in Milwaukee. Pastor Mac McCarthy is a seasoned leader with over 15 years in ministry. Currently serving as the Lead Pastor at Crosspoint Community Church, Mac brings a wealth of experience and a unique journey, having transitioned into the lead pastor role as the church evolved. Ordained in the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination, Mac holds degrees from Bethel University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Beyond his pastoral role and contributions of expertise as part of the coaching team for The Leader's Journey, he's a CrossFit coach and a passionate advocate for holistic health. Key Takeaways: Unveiling the missional perspective Diving into the importance of cultivating new mental models and practices in alignment with God's mission. Joining God on Mission: Listen, Discern, Experiment, and Review.  Adaptive leadership in a changing cultural landscape.  Resources: Crosspoint Community Church Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future by Dwight Zscheile, Michael Binder, and Tessa Pinkstaff    

What if leadership is mostly about paying attention? In this episode, Trisha and Jim engage in a thought-provoking conversation with their guest, Ann Kansfield. Ann delves into her personal experiences with leadership and how important a role focus and attentiveness plays. A primary task of leadership is to direct attention for ourselves and those we lead. At the same time, in today's world, paying attention is hard and sustaining attention in the face of distractions and anxiety is even harder.  Listen as they discuss the simple but complex leadership principle in this conversation: We lead when we are able to focus our attention on what really matters and then help others to do the same in pursuit of a mission or task. Ann Kansfield, along with her wife Jennifer, serves as a pastor at Greenpoint Reform Church in Brooklyn, New York, and as a staff chaplain for the FDNY. Ann's journey, which you can read about in her book "Be the Brave One", inspires others to embrace their authentic selves and harness their innate potential. Key Takeaways:  Understand the crucial role of attention in effective leadership.  Recognize the importance of reflection and self awareness in managing attention. Explore the significance of building effective teams and fostering trust. Emphasize the value of routine in enhancing focus and productivity.  Links and Resources: Be the Brave One by Ann Kansfield Follow Ann Kansfield on Facebook Greenpoint Reformed Church  

Dr. Michael DeRuyter, an expert in Bowen Family Systems Theory and leadership development, shares his wisdom on balancing individuality and togetherness in leadership. He discusses how power dynamics and anxiety affect group behavior and decision-making. Practical strategies for fostering open communication and trust are highlighted, empowering leaders to create cohesive teams. Additionally, the importance of emotional growth and self-awareness in personal and professional settings is explored, revealing how these concepts can enhance organizational effectiveness.

In this episode, Jim and Trisha talk with Chris Field, founder of Mercy Project, author, and speaker. They dive into the significance of systems thinking for leaders, emphasizing how it can address complex problems and instill hope within their organizations. Through his own journey, Chris highlights the value of long-term commitment, warns against the allure of quick fixes, and champions the enduring power of persistence. Chris's story underscores the importance of understanding the intricacies of a problem before attempting to solve it. By identifying the root cause and working towards a sustainable solution, real and lasting change can be achieved. Whether it's tackling child trafficking or any other complex issue, the principles of systems thinking, persistence, and introspection are invaluable. "Transformation happens in years, not in days." - Chris Field Key Takeaways: Origin of Mercy Project Understanding the Real Issue Systems Thinking vs. Linear Thinking Persistence – "Transformation happens in years, not in days." Chris's New Book: Chris talks about his upcoming book, which is an introspective look at his life and the importance of understanding oneself. Resources Mentioned: Chris Field: Learn more about Chris's work at meetchrisfield.com. Disrupting for Good A Billion Hours of Good Mercy Project: An organization dedicated to ending child trafficking in Ghana through sustainable solutions. The Leader's Journey: For those interested in learning more about systems thinking and leadership skills, visit theleadersjourney.us.

Leaders who rigorously practice rest and who learn to work from rest, not work for rest, move past performance and entitlement and can sustain healthy leadership for the long haul. This episode delves into the importance of rest, relaxation, and sabbaticals for everyone, especially leaders in various organizations. Rusty discusses the need for individuals and families to discern what true rest means to them and how they can creatively and collaboratively attain it, emphasizing the importance of connection, enjoyment, and minimizing distractions. Conversation Overview: True Rest: Discerning what is restful is crucial. Individual Needs and Collaboration: Balancing time alone and time with others, assessing and communicating needs clearly, and offering mutual support. Importance of Sabbaticals: Sabbaticals are integral to long-term wellness and effectiveness in ministry and other professions. Importance of Rest in Organizations: Both religious and corporate entities are recognizing the value of sabbaticals in employee retention and well-being. Ongoing Practice: Developing restful practices is an ongoing process that may need adjustment, accountability, support, and continuous effort. Sabbatical Coaching and Resources Resources: Rusty’s Ministry: Steadfast Ministries Rusty’s upcoming book: “The Art of Stability: How Staying Present Changes Everything” (2024) Other coaching and support resources: The Leader’s Journey

If we can’t or won’t engage conflict, we can’t lead effectively. It’s as simple as that. Fortunately, managing ourselves in conflict can be learned, unlearned and re-learned as we use conflict as a powerful opportunity for growth and change. We wrapped up part 1 with a question from Trisha, how do we manage ourselves and stay open hearted even when the other person isn't? That's where we'll pick up in this episode. And we'll also explore the fascinating world of internal family systems and helping the organizations that we're leading develop more capacity for managing conflict. About Our Guests: Heidi De Jonge lives in Ontario, Canada and has been an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church for 17 years–serving as pastor for congregations, a seminary, a university and health care. She also works in the area of conflict transformation as a restorative practitioner with FaithCARE and a trainer with The Colossian Forum. Heidi received her doctorate in ministry from Western Theological Seminary in 2018, studying and writing about conflict as an opportunity for discipleship and transformation. She and her husband, Tim, have three daughters (Naomi, Samara and Zoe, 12 to 16) and a beloved husky-lab named Nevada. Brian Keepers has been an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church in America for 22 years. He has served three different congregations in the midwest, and he is currently serving as the lead pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, IA. He is married to Tammy (24 years this August) and they have two daughters–Emma who is 20 and Abby who is 15 years old. They also have a granddaughter named Luna who is 2 1/2 years old. Brian loves art, reading, being outdoors, spending time with people, and getting to be “Poppy” to his granddaughter. He also loves to learn, especially at the intersection of theology, psychology and leadership. Resources & Links: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni Christ the Center by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al. Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott. Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into Opportunities by Mark Gerzon.

If we can’t or won’t engage conflict, we can’t lead effectively. It’s as simple as that. Fortunately, managing ourselves in conflict can be learned, unlearned and re-learned as we use conflict as a powerful opportunity for growth and change. Conversation Overview: What is the goal of conflict? Mental models of conflict Formative experiences with conflict “Truth is not something in itself which rests for itself, but something that happens between two. Truth happens only in community.” Crucial conversations Growing our capacity to manage conflict Container conversations About Our Guests: Heidi De Jonge lives in Ontario, Canada and has been an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church for 17 years–serving as pastor for congregations, a seminary, a university and health care. She also works in the area of conflict transformation as a restorative practitioner with FaithCARE and a trainer with The Colossian Forum. Heidi received her doctorate in ministry from Western Theological Seminary in 2018, studying and writing about conflict as an opportunity for discipleship and transformation. She and her husband, Tim, have three daughters (Naomi, Samara and Zoe, 12 to 16) and a beloved husky-lab named Nevada. Brian Keepers has been an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church in America for 22 years. He has served three different congregations in the midwest, and he is currently serving as the lead pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, IA. He is married to Tammy (24 years this August) and they have two daughters–Emma who is 20 and Abby who is 15 years old. They also have a granddaughter named Luna who is 2 1/2 years old. Brian loves art, reading, being outdoors, spending time with people, and getting to be “Poppy” to his granddaughter. He also loves to learn, especially at the intersection of theology, psychology and leadership. Resources & Links: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni Christ the Center by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al. Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott. Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into Opportunities by Mark Gerzon.