Leading Second Podcast

The leadership game changes for every generation. Millennials are almost 40 now and Gen Z are coming up on 25. Are you a Gen Z leader? Maybe you lead a team of them? If you don’t already, you’re sure to lead them in the very near future. Wherever you are on that scale, this conversation is for you! I hope this speaks to Gen Z leaders themselves, as well as to the pastors or people who are leading...

This is the first installment of a series that we will be periodically doing called, 'I Am With You.' Where we sit down and have a conversation with a lead pastor and of their key team members. A couple of weeks ago, we had a live meet-up with Pastor Chris Durso and Ralph Castillo from Saints Church in New York. Chris has been planted at his father’s church for many years and was the youth and you...

Join us as we have a conversation with truly life-saving potential for leaders of any capacity and people from any walk of life. We have John Morgan talking with us about identifying and guarding against division. John has been in ministry for more than three decades now, serving in many different roles. He is a coach, a strategist, and a communicator who lives to see the local church healthy and...

For this episode, I have a conversation with our great friend Joshua Bingle. He is the Pastor of Genesis Church in Spokane, WA, and has such a brilliant mind. We talk all about the necessity of a Biblical Worldview (especially for those of us in Church leadership), postmodern thought, and digging wells. So many of the big conversations our culture is having this year really stem from the ecosystem...

There is a question I've been asking myself this summer. What does the message of authority sound like now, to a world that is increasingly "anti-authority?" Join me and our guest, Nicole Smithee, on this episode of the podcast as we wrestle with this complex question. Nicole is a friend of Leading Second who has joined us on the podcast before. In case you missed the last time she was with us, Ni...

We are back to Season Three of the Leading Second podcast!! It is our honor to lead this tribe of UNCOMMON leaders. In this season, we believe that UNCOMMON leaders have never been so essential. We're picking back up with a conversation about the differences in Rebuilding vs. Reopening. It is a conversation for teams, not just individuals. So share this episode and don't listen alone. A bit has ha...

We sit down with Julian Lowe to have a crucial conversation. Joined by some of our favorite Leading Second leaders, we ask Julian for wisdom in a pivotal time in history. He gives us his perspective on race relations in the church and how to navigate supporting our pastor through this season. SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected to all Leading Second has to offer...

The best leadership opportunity you'll ever have is leading the person you see in the mirror. To make this dream a reality you'll have to get in the leadership gym. While it's tempting to want everything to go "back to normal", we shouldn't try to leave this season prematurely. In difficult times our faith is forced out in the open and shows its true colors. What if this is exactly where God wants...

When job descriptions change and routines are flipped upside down, what do pastors expect from their team? This week we sit down with Pastor Kevin during the COVID-19 pandemic to see things from the pastor's perspective, as we continue our series on how to have a personal revival. During what may be the biggest transition in our lifetime, Pastor Kevin gives us the lead pastor perspective. SUBSCRIB...

We're back! After a brief hiatus, the Leading Second is back for several weeks with some fresh content and perspective for all of us leading in this very critical time. There's no doubt in our minds that this season has been very recalibrating for all of us as leaders. We've put together several episodes that we pray will speak into your soul as a leader as we move forward into all that God has ne...

This week, we had an online meet-up and incredible conversation with Larry Brey from Elevation Church. He is undoubtedly one of the best second chair leaders in the world, and it is our absolute honor every time we get a chance to have his voice in our tribe. He brings so much wisdom and timely advice in our current climate. We couldn’t let this conversation just be a one time deal, so we’re relea...

How blessed are we to lead in a season like never before for our generation? We are truly in the local church’s greatest hour, despite the rampant fear, anxiety, and confusion that swirls around us, and quite possibly within us. Isaac Newton was faced with a similar situation in 1665 - and while sitting in his garden at home, an apple fell from a tree. The rest was history. Have you asked yourself...

Have you ever been on an airplane? If you have, you’ve experienced functional leadership. The flight attendants have authority over you from the second that you step on that airplane. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how much money you make, or even if you may know more about airplanes than the flight attendants. None of that matters. The flight attendants have been given authority over you fo...

Am I a leader or a follower? Do I take charge or do I sit back? Do I forge a new path or do I make a u-turn? If you are leading from the middle, the answer to all of these questions is yes. Yes, you lead. Yes, you follow. Yes, there are times where you are expected to take charge. Yes, there are times when you need to sit back. A lot of times, the answer is even yes, to both questions at the same...

We're joined by Lindsay Stewart and Pastor Joshua Bingle for a discussion in a new panel format. When leading from the middle, we encounter numerous tensions that we are forced to navigate. However, just because tension exists doesn't mean that there's a problem. Let's learn how to manage tensions well. Discuss these questions with your team: 1. What is the greatest tension you are currently exper...

When you are leading from the middle, you will often experience tension. We’re not talking about disagreements with your leader or another team member. When we say tensions, we’re referring to the pressures we face as leaders in the second chair. There is a tension of being in charge, but also having somebody in charge of you. There is a tension in making sure you’re doing the right thing in a giv...

Happy New Year! As we head into a new decade, our prayer for you is that you wouldn’t just thrive in ministry... but that you would thrive spiritually. Too often in ministry, we can be guilty of succeeding in everything we’ve been asked to do, all while neglecting our own soul. This year we’re calling our tribe to have a personal revival. We believe that, as you do, Jesus will meet you and show Hi...

Today’s podcast is our second installment of a series that we began last week, called “Culture Carriers,” where we talk to entire teams about their culture and what it means to lead on behalf of their pastor. This conversation is with a few team members at Fresh Life Church in Montana where Pastor Levi Lusko has built something that is thriving and has grown to multiple campuses in the western par...

This is the first installment of a series we’re starting called Culture Carriers. For this first episode, I’m sitting down with the team at Shoreline City in Dallas, Texas, as we talk about culture, and being a culture carrier. Show Credits: Host and Creator: Brandon Stewart Producer: Clarke Burton Content: Ryan Creglow Music: SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected...

This episode is kind of a two-for-one. We got a great listener question, that Brandon spends some time answering, about transition and knowing when it’s time. We also have a great conversation with Noah Herrin about being a young leader today. We talk through some of the challenges that come along with that, like building credibility and dealing with comparison. Show Credits: Host and Creator: Bra...

Jedidiah Thurner joins us on the podcast today with some truths and challenges about how we can better lead from the second chair. Your calling and your covenant are vital in serving and leading under your senior leader. Show Credits: Host and Creator: Brandon Stewart Producer: Clarke Burton Content: Ryan Creglow Music: SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected to all...

Mental health is a big issue in today’s culture and few people tackle it like Kayla Stoecklein. God is raising Kayla up as a new, strong voice and advocate for mental health issues and I’m so honored that she sat down with us to share with the Leading Second podcast. She helps give language to some very real and difficult parts of ministry and in life. Show Credits: Host and Creator: Brandon Stewa...

Whether you know it or not, you are in a fight for your life. Every single day, situations come up that require you to fight physically, mentally, and spiritually. There will be battles that you need to fight daily and this episode with Jodi Cameron will help you in making sure that you only fight the right battles. Join us as we hear about her new book “Fight of Your Life”. Show Credits: Host and...

Do you have a dream that is in your heart but have hit some roadblocks? Maybe you don’t even see a way for that dream to come to fruition? This episode is for you. Pastor Dan Lord shares his incredible story of leading in the second chair; a long season of patience and honor while putting his dreams on the shelf; to where he is now, leading a healthy and life giving church. Show Credits: Host and...

October is pastor appreciation month so we thought that we would do an episode on the phrase, “I am with you.” In 1 Samuel 14:7, Jonathan’s armor-bearer tells him, “Go ahead, I’m with you heart and soul.” That attitude and that verse have shaped Leading Second. In this episode, we talk about David’s mighty men and show that they had that very same attitude. Show Credits: Host and Creator: Brandon...