Leading Simple with Rusty George

I had the chance to sit down with Shawn Lovejoy, an incredible leader and former pastor who shifted his focus from vocational ministry to developing a coaching program sure to change the lives of so many leaders. Shawn was coached by Dan Reiland, a guest on the podcast (you can listen to his episode here ), and is now coaching pastors and business leaders on how they can make the days between thei...

It’s not often that we talk politics on this podcast, so I know this will be controversial. I wanted to sit down with Theresa Brennan to help make sense of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, what it means for us, and how to better understand the variety of perspectives on this issue. I’m grateful that she took the time to sit down with me and process not just what happened, but what our responsibilit...

How can you prepare for sabotage? What does it look like to build resilience as a leader in a time of conflict and controversy?  Tod Bolsinger explores these questions and more in his book Tempered Resilience, which I loved. Now, I hadn’t had the chance to meet Tod before we recorded this episode, but I learned so much from his input into how people can lead through uncertainty. Tod is a seminary...

Drew Moore is my guest this week, and I’m so glad to have him on the podcast. Drew is the lead pastor of Canyon Ridge Church, a church in Las Vegas that has an incredible legacy. The founding pastor is my friend and friend of RLC, Mike Breaux (you can hear Mike on the podcast here ). Watching Drew's journey, I can say that I've learned so much from him about what it means to make disciples and I h...

If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, then you've heard me speak to some incredible pastors who have led their churches through different tragedies and transitions. Navigating through a crisis is no easy feat. I know on our end, we've done some things right and we've done some things wrong. But through it all, we've had these experiences that we don't feel like we should keep to our...

My guest this week is Andrew Stanley.  If his name sounds familiar, it’s just might be. His dad is Andy Stanley (you can listen to Andy on the podcast here ), and his grandfather is Charles Stanley, both well known pastors. And Andrew’s carrying on the torch of on-stage communication in a different way as a stand up comedian. I had a chance to sit down with Andy to hear more about how he got into...

I love getting to talk sports on the podcast, and man, have we had had some incredible guests this year, including Ned Yost from the Kansas City Royals and Marty Lamb from the LA Dodgers. (You can listen to my episodes with Ned and Marty here).  Today, you’ll get to hear from Kevin Burrell. Kevin is a talent scout for the Chicago White Sox. I sit down with Kevin to talk shop as he takes me through...

Monte Wilkinson is a pastor, a mentor, and one of my closest friends. I have to say that I wouldn’t be the pastor I am today without his example. He’s the lead minister at NorthEast Christian Church out in Lexington, Kentucky, and has seen a thing or two when it comes to leading a ministry. I can’t wait for you to hear the wisdom Monte shares. Take a listen to our conversation as Monte talks about...

Volunteering at church looks different in today’s landscape. How do you navigate those waters? I had the chance to sit down with Scott Magdalein for this episode to tackle that issue.  I know leaders are trying to figure out how to recruit and support their volunteers. I hope this episode is a helpful resource for you. Listen in as Scott and I talk about how to find healthy spiritual rhythms after...

Podcasts have been such a valuable part of my life.  From Craig Groeschel and Andy Stanley to Annie F Downs and my friend Michael Hinton, I’ve been able to learn from the things they’ve shared over the years. And when I started sharing my own experiences and conversations with different leaders on Leading Simple, I had no idea where we would be 217 episodes later. I’m grateful for every person who...

Leadership looks like getting comfortable with growth, taking risks, and appreciating the journey along the way. And this week, we have someone who is a living, breathing example of how to live that out that well. Dan Reiland is an author, leadership coach, executive pastor, and a legend when it comes to innovation in the world of ministry. He’s passionate about developing and empowering leaders;...

Jodi Tonarelli is my guest this week, and it's an honor to have her on the podcast.  Her background in broadcast journalism (and a lot of prayers) led her to the role of Executive Pastor at The Ridge Community Church, where Mark Weigt is the lead pastor. You can hear my conversation with Mark on the podcast here . I enjoyed hearing her take on what an executive pastor does and her journey navigati...

What do Notre Dame, the Coachella Valley, and John Adams have in common?  Ricky Jenkins is the Senior Pastor of Southwest Church in Indian Wells, CA, a Gospel-Centered, Multiethnic, Intergenerational church. We had the chance to talk through what it’s like leading a church that has navigated difficult transitions and trauma. He also highlighted why authenticity is key to leading a multiethnic chur...

90% of new churches in America are small churches, and there are some incredible lessons we can learn from what those are doing well. Our guest, Karl Vaters, is a champion for building a healthy small church, and I'm glad to have him back on the podcast. You can take a listen to the first episode we recorded here . Karl sheds light on small churches' advantages when connecting with new people and...

Planting a church isn't easy. There are so many factors to consider, like where you'll plant the church and how to support the community you'll serve. Carl Kuhl knows a thing or two about that experience, and I'm glad to have him on the podcast this week to share his insights. He's a pastor, a church planter, and an incredible leader with a fascinating perspective on leading a church. Not only do...

Everyone has opinions, and as a Pastor, I have the pleasure of hearing a lot of them, particularly regarding my teaching style.  You're not deep enough.  You talk too much sports. We want more Bible. We want less Bible. How about some Greek or Hebrew. I wish you would __________________. (You can fill in the blank)  For a long time, I didn't know what to do with that feedback. So I broke how I pre...

Marty Lamb is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s signed some incredible talent from high schools and colleges. Learning how to spot talent early isn’t an easy feat, so I’m grateful to hear some of his insights on what it takes to do just that every day. We get a chance to talk about some of his learnings on the road and the highlights of his career so far. Marty also takes time to share abo...

Some of the best leadership lessons I've learned have come from conversations I've had with sports legends like Ned Yost on the podcast (you can listen here as he talks about how to build a winning team culture). But there's nothing like learning alongside a friend. That's why I'm glad to have Brad Williams back for this episode of Leading Simple. Join us as we sit down to talk about the lessons o...

Kyle Idleman from Southeast Christian Church is my guest for this week's episode. What you may not know is that Kyle is the one who planted Real Life Church, where I am today. As we sat down, I learned a bit more about what it was like for Kyle to grow up under the microscope as a pastor's kid. (Something my daughters know a little something about. You can listen to their take on being a pastor's...

The Kansas City Royals were a significant part of my childhood. So, imagine how excited I am to have Ned Yost on the podcast. Ned Yost was the manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2014-15 when they went to the World Series and won. Ned and I sit down and talk all things baseball, of course. I got to hear some of the lessons he’s learned as a coach, how he listened to his instincts and honed his ab...

Lance Witt joins me on the podcast this week, and we’re talking about burnout. Burnout is an issue that I think every person, no matter their industry, has had to navigate. Lance openly shares his experience as a pastor at Saddleback and the pivotal moment when he realized he needed a shift in his life. Lance also provides some helpful tips on combating burnout and increasing your self awareness,...

Savannah Kimberlin is the Director of Research Solutions at Barna Group, and I am honored to have her as a guest on the podcast this week. Sometimes, data and statistics can be a little intimidating to people (myself included). Thankfully, there are people like Savannah and the incredible team at Barna Group who are called to research so we can see how the numbers reflect the world around us. Join...

Kye Chung and Lee Coate from Growmentum sit down with Rusty and share their insights on what it takes to grow your organization. Special thanks to Growmentum for sponsoring Leading Simple throughout the month of June.

There are so many great articles and podcasts out there about how to create a healthy staff culture . This is not one of them. This week, Rusty reflects on how he broke his staff culture, and what it took to repair it.

Paul Hicks joins Rusty on the podcast this week. He is a part of Search Ministries based in Texas, along with another Leading Simple guest, Bruce Matthews . When we think about evangelism, our minds can immediately go to planning some big event with a lot of people. But in Rusty's conversation with Paul, he breaks down a process to share your faith that is centered on one person, one day at a time...