Leading From Alignment

It’s not the external obstacles that trip leaders up most—it’s the internal ones: self-doubt, fear of failure, ego, perfectionism, or an unwillingness to listen or adapt. But when leaders grow in self-awareness and learn to manage their inner dialogue and emotional triggers, their influence and effectiveness increase significantly. Today, John and Jim dive into four powerful strategies for overcom...

Today we welcome back our good friend, Josh Spurlock. Today is part two of our series: How to Heal Deep Pain. Whether you're carrying past wounds or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers hope and practical steps toward healing. Once again . . . Let’s lean in.

Today we welcome our good friend Josh Spurlock, founder of My Counselor Online, which provides faith-based counseling worldwide. We're kicking off part one of a two-part series: How to Heal Deep Pain. If you're carrying hurt or walking with someone who is, this conversation offers hope and guidance. Let’s dive in!

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation on navigating organizational change. In today’s episode, we dive into three more essential behaviors that will help you confidently and compassionately pastor your people through the necessary changes that come with pursuing your church’s full potential.

Today’s episode kicks off a two-part conversation where we unpack six key behaviors that help leaders navigate organizational change with greater confidence and clarity. Whether you are leading through a season of transition or preparing for what's ahead, these behaviors are practical, grounded, and tested in real-world leadership

Struggles often strip away the illusion of control. It's an unsettling process, but it can also be freeing. It reminds us to lean into trust rather than self-reliance. Today, John and Jim welcome Jason Holdridge back to the mic for part two of their conversation on leadership and vulnerability. In this episode, Jason courageously shares his gripping journey with anxiety—and how he’s learned to nav...

How open should a pastor be when it comes to sharing their personal struggles? That is such a good question—and one a lot of pastors wrestle with. Today, John and Jim welcome Jason Holdridge to the mic. Jason is the lead pastor of Impact Church in Lowell, Michigan. They dive into Jason’s personal faith journey, his calling into vocational ministry, and the unexpected twists, surprises, and growth...

In today’s episode John and Jim welcome Karl Vaters to the mic to discuss his bestselling book, De-Sizing the Church. We dig into Karl’s research on the church growth movement and explore how discipleship and integrity are the answers to every problem a church encounters.

In today’s episode John and Jim welcome Karl Vaters back to the mic to continue our conversation around his compelling book, De-Sizing the Church. Today Karl reveals what he is most optimistic about and most concerned about regarding pastors and the local churches they serve.

It is amazing what God can reveal to us when we slow down and listen. In today’s episode we unpack the first three of six inspirational moments from John’s vacation earlier this year. If you feel tired, or discouraged, or even a bit distant from God, this episode is the medicine you need.

In Episode 284, John and Jim covered the first three of six inspirational thoughts from John's February vacation. Today in Episode 285, they present three more insights from his time soaking in God’s awe-inspiring and creative masterpieces.

How we forgive is a harbinger of leadership fruitfulness and longevity. In part two of their conversation about Leadership & Forgiveness, John and Jim focus on extending forgiveness to ourselves, and then close with four powerful forgiveness principles we need to know.

One of the hardest things to do for most lead pastors is to separate from work. Failure to pivot from work to our personal life leads to overscheduling, overcommitting, and rest-deprivation. So here is the question: How do we work hard, how do we fulfill our calling, without running ourselves into the ground? We learn how to pivot.

Leadership is a journey fraught with peril. Numerous temptations lurk. In today’s episode John and Jim explore three less talked about, more subtle temptations that threaten to sneak up on and ambush a leader.

Hurrying seems to be our national pastime. And pastors are among the biggest hurry-ers. The question is—how do we deal with the tension between our God-given assignment and His call to stop hurrying? How can we be productive without always being on the move? Into today’s episode John and Jim unpack four master keys to embracing a less-hurried life.

You do not exist to cater to every whim of those you lead. It’s not good for them . . . or for you . . . nor the organization you lead. In today’s episode John and Jim explore three ideas that help leaders locate the middle ground between the extremes of people-pleasing yeses and people-dodging no’s.

Are you in pain today? Even while the organization you lead is growing? Growth, while often desirable, is usually accompanied by pruning, both in our personal and pastoral lives. And pruning often is joined by an unwelcome companion . . . pain. In today’s episode John and Jim outline four ways pruning brings more fruit into our life at home and at the church or ministry we lead.

The top contributor to pastoral burnout? The ongoing stress of the role. If you have answered the divine call to pastoral ministry, you have signed up for both a fulfilling and stressful journey. In today’s episode John and Jim work through five of the most stress-inducing realities of the pastoral role and then offer a practical tip to successfully navigate each of those five stressors.

It’s not easy to finish. It’s even less easy to finish well. With the attrition of well-known ministry leaders over the past several years, you can begin to wonder, does anyone finish well? The good news is that with intentionality, God’s help, and the help of our Christian community, we can finish with a flourish. In today’s podcast John & Jim consider three ideas that increase the chances of fin...

Last week John and Jim started a two-part series about casting your 2025 vision. In today’s episode they continue their conversation on vision with extremely practical vision development exercises that will help you begin the vision-development process.

In the past two episodes John and Jim focused on vision development and vision-casting. Vision answers the question, where? Today they begin another two-part conversation on the irreplaceable role core values play. Core values answer the question, how? How do we behave on our way to where God is telling us to go?

Last week John and Jim began a two-part conversation on the irreplaceable role core values play. Core values answer the question, how?. How do we behave on our way to the vision God has given us? Core values provide the fuel that thrusts our organization toward that vision. Today’s episode unpacks how leaders can utilize core values to shape the culture they need.

In 1900, the Ford Motor Company commissioned a series of tests to determine how long a workweek should be to optimize productivity. Ford discovered the “sweet spot” was 40 hours per week. If you are a pastor, a 40-hour work week is likely elusive, not practical, even difficult to conceptualize. But the question remains, how do pastors migrate toward a smarter, more reasonable weekly work rhythm? I...

What is the top contributor to the ongoing burnout crisis for pastors? The ongoing and immense stress of the role. The solution is not the total elimination of stress. The truth is some stress is actually good for us. But the unrelenting variety of stress is where challenges emerge. So, what is a leader to do? In today’s podcast we unpack three big ideas and five practical behaviors that will help...

Vision is a clear, compelling, mouthwatering picture of where God wants to take the organization you lead. In today’s episode contains part one of our conversation around this most important leadership skill: Vision development and casting. We are cheering for you to dream big this year!