Leading From Alignment

Discernment is an often overlooked and underutilized tool in a leader’s repertoire. Finely tuned discernment can become one of a leader’s best friends. It can spare you heartache, save you time, and protect the people you lead and serve. In today’s episode we unpack three ways discernment helps you as a leader, and then explore four practical ways you can hone this most important skill

In the final segment of the Leadership & series, John and Jim unpack Leadership & Soft Skills. You as a leader are the biggest contributor to your team’s level of production. And most of the things you can do to increase good outcomes have to do with soft skills. Today’s episode outlines eight powerful contributors to a team’s productivity and five impactful soft skills that will help your team co...

John & Jim are in the third segment of the Leadership & series. In Episode 205, they explored Leadership & Communication. In 206, Leadership & Seismos Moments. Today’s episode focuses on Leadership & Delegation. In today’s pod we unpack five helpful delegation tips, and five levels of delegation that will allow you to successfully share the ministry load

Leadership tosses a variety of storms our way . . . some are garden variety storms, others are more intense. Today John and Jim tackle the subject of Leadership and Seismos Moments. They explore some of the larger storms leadership tosses at us, and then outline four helpful and encouraging tips.

Effective communication is a super important leadership skill, but it is hard. In today’s episode we explore four types of communication and then share three secrets to doing it effectively. If you want the culture of the organization that you lead to be healthy . . . effective communication is non-negotiable.

In 2015, more than 38% of pastors in the U.S. were co-vocational. In today’s episode, we unpack three of the many challenges facing co-vocational pastors and offer helpful tips in navigating the often-exhausting world of co-vocational leadership.

Humility . . . a word often misunderstood and misapplied in the world of leadership. Our culture bombards us with images of leaders who are strong, smart, skilled, super-men and super-women who lead their organizations to triumph. In today’s episode we unpack six powerful ways humility shapes our leadership and sets us up not only to bear good fruit . . . but to do so over a long span of time.

In Part 2 of our conversation with JD Wiegand, JD unpacks what he wishes he could have said to his parents, shares insightful advice for pastors who have children, and offers encouragement to kids whose parents pastor a church. If you are pastoring a church and still have children at home, you are not going to want to miss today’s episode

In Part 1 of a two-part conversation, we interview JD Wiegand, Jim’ son. We explore a few of JD’s favorite things about being a pastor’s kid, some of the challenges he experienced, and three things he wished he could have said to the congregation his dad pastored

As we approach our 200th episode, we thought it might be fun to re-release our most popular five podcasts. Today’s episode is our most listened to and watched episode of all time: Shaping the Culture You Need. Culture is fuel. You can craft an amazing vision, have a dynamic playbook, but a healthy culture provides the fuel for that vision and playbook.

Sometimes a leader has to . . . well . . . lead. Some situations call for swift action instead of collaborative consensus. And in those situations, leaders lead. In today’s episode we unpack how to lead confidently without being too full of yourself or running over the team you lead

When you love what you do for a living—when work doesn’t feel like work because of your passion for it—you’re at more risk than most of falling into the workaholic treadmill. Workaholic behavior puts leaders, their families, and their ministries at serious risk. Today’s episode unpacks three hidden dangers of workaholic addiction, and what you can do to protect yourself from them

Words are one of the most powerful forces for good in the organizations we serve. Our teammates often rise to the level of the words we speak to them. For every human, words matter. For humans that lead, they matter even more. In today’s episode, we explore how leaders can leverage the power of words in a way that moves their organization—and the people in their organization—in a positive directio...

Lead pastoring is quite possibly the ultimate bench vise. The lingering sense of weight, the messiness of people, and the unrelenting demands of the role squeeze even the best leaders. Here’s the good news: When difficult challenges emerge, all is not lost. In fact, something good is on the horizon. We hope you enjoy this episode today!

The first 30 days on a new team are the most important 30 days in that person’s experience with you, or whoever is leading the team they’re on. In today’s post, we unpack how to implement this often-missed step that helps a new teammate get off to a great start, and why it matters so much

It is amazing isn’t it that the Bible never gets boring, stale, or old? In today’s episode John and Jim explore one of the many timeless principles found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 . . . Rhythms of the Garden

What are you 40 days away from if you tried and had a plan? In today’s pod John & Jim reveal their thoughts on what we might be 40 days away from if we tried and had a plan . . . and the incredible impact following through will have on both our life and our leadership.

We live in a world where success is idolized and so-called shortcuts to success abound. If we are not careful as leaders, we can find ourselves frustrated, confused, overwhelmed, and maybe even burned out by the relentless pursuit of success. In today’s episode John & Jim explore four ideas reimagining success in a way that keeps us healthy and in the game for the long haul

Did you grow up in an environment where failure was embarrassing, hidden from, and often considered fatal? Was failure treated as the enemy? In today’s episode we focus on reframing failure and why it matters so much to your leadership longevity and fruitfulness

Small is not a problem, a virtue, or an excuse! In today’s episode we welcome Karl Vaters back to the mic for Part 2 of an insightful and truly powerful conversation around what it takes to lead a vibrant, healthy church—regardless of its size.

In today’s episode we chat with Karl Vaters about the positive trends he is observing with churches across the country, a few challenging trends, and what leaders can do about those challenging trends

Today’s episode focuses on getting a leader ready to enjoy an amazing vacation this summer. In Episode 188, John and Jim focus on three foundational pieces to getting the best out of your time off . . . Pre-vacation planning; the vacation itself ; and then re-entry to work afterwards

More pastors tell us in July they want to quit than in any other month of the year. In today’s episode John & Jim unpack a fresh perspective that outlines two ways you can grow deeper and wider during the summer months

In today’s episode we continue our conversation with Sean Nemecek, author of The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout. In Part 2 we dig into how anxiety and shame fuel burnout, and then we outline a practical pathway toward recovery

The latest report from Barna (2023) reveals an explosive statistic: 40% of pastors report they’re suffering from burnout. In 2015, that number was 11%. In today’s episode, we interview author Sean Nemecek about his book, The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout. Together we unpack why this is happening, and share dashboard warning lights that alert us to looming burnout