The Leader's Journey Podcast

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.

Welcome back to another episode of The Leader's Journey podcast. Today we're sharing one of our favorite episodes from 2019, Quit Getting In Your Own Way. This episode is a deep dive into the complexities of leadership and the often-overlooked reality that we can be our own biggest obstacles. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your leadership journey, this episode offers valuable insights into self-awareness and the power of understanding and unlearning our behaviors. We hope this conversation is helpful on your journey to get out of your own way Conversation Overview True self and false self We all have needs and we all have wounds Meaning-making How do we learn to see ourselves? How do we reprogram the autopilot?

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Chuck DeGroat to talk about the natural reactivity we have to anxiety. We’ve talked a lot about fight and flight, conflict and distancing, but we don’t always add two other instinctive reactions: freeze and fawn.  We may aspire to peace-making but we often settle for peace keeping and people-pleasing. When we can see our fawn response, we can stop hiding and courageously choose genuine connection instead. Conversation Overview:  Chuck's tweet that inspired this conversation How does the fawn response mimic healthy connection while also undermining it? How does the fawn response show up in leadership? How do we connect the fawn response to anxiety? What might we do instead of fawning? References:  Link to Chuck's Tweet Chuck Degroat Website https://twitter.com/chuckdegroat @chuckdegroat on Threads Janina Fisher  The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

We grow our emotional maturity when we see ourselves and our relationships as part of creation and stay in touch with the natural world around us. Conversation overview:  Are we, humans, disconnected from nature? What is the relationship between emotional maturity and connection to the natural world? What are some practices that can bring us back into connection with nature? Links:  Steven Chase called Nature A Spiritual Practice iNaturalist Seek App "To make a prairie" by Emily Dickson The Peace of Wild Things Written and read by Wendell Berry