The Leader's Journey Podcast

In the final installment of this series on healthy organizational systems, Trisha and Mac unpack the last three practices from Peter Steinke's work on strengthening an organization's "immune system." Together they explore why healthy leaders focus on process along with content, the entire system, not just symptoms, and direction, not just current condition. Through stories from ministry and organi...

Growth rarely happens in comfort. In this episode, Trisha and Mac continue their discussion of Peter Steinke's framework for healthy leadership and organizations by exploring the tension between comfort and challenge. They examine why leaders often rush to relieve discomfort, fix problems, or protect people from struggle, and how those instincts can actually undermine growth. Through practical exa...

In this episode, Trisha and Mac begin their series on leadership responses to build health by exploring two foundational practices for leadership: focusing on self rather than others, and choosing integrity over unity. Together, they unpack how anxiety pushes leaders to become reactive, emotionally fused, and overly focused on managing other people's responses. They discuss the hard work of clarif...

Do we love people by tolerating their terrible behavior? How do we stop demonizing people who get in our way? What about when I am the one who is sabotaging change? In our conversation with Steve Cuss, author of Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs, we look at the reality of sabotage in the process of leading change. Because anxiety spreads in a group and because typically the most anxiou...

In this episode, Trisha and Nate talk about how to get the most out of a coaching relationship. They explore what makes coaching effective, why it requires active participation, and how clients can show up in ways that lead to real growth. From setting the agenda to asking better questions, they offer practical insights for both new and experienced coaching clients.   Conversation Overview Coachin...

*This episode was originally published in July, 2023.  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...

Asking a question seems simple, but it's often where communication breaks down. In this episode, Trisha focuses on how the way we ask questions shapes the responses we get, the relationships we build, and the outcomes we experience. She explores the difference between genuine curiosity and hidden agendas, how poorly formed questions can create confusion or defensiveness, and what it looks like to...

In this episode, Trisha sits down with Mac to explore what happens when dialogue has run its course, and agreement still is not possible. While healthy organizations value conversation, listening, and discernment, there are moments when leaders must move forward even when consensus cannot be reached. Together, they examine two common leadership traps. Some groups skip meaningful dialogue and rush...

In this episode, Trisha sits down with Rick to talk about how communication really works inside organizations. They move beyond announcements and memos to look at communication as an ongoing cultural process that shapes trust, clarity, and effectiveness. Together, they explore how messages change as they move through layers of leadership, why first-line supervisors matter so much, and what makes l...

We communicate every day, yet we rarely stop to think about what we are actually doing when we enter a conversation. In this episode, Trisha and Elissa explore the basics of communication through a simple but powerful metaphor: conversation as a game of catch. What does it mean to throw well? To catch well? To take turns? To play generously? Together they unpack how conversations flow, how they br...

Jim Herrington has been a steady voice on The Leader's Journey Podcast  for years. In this episode, Trisha Taylor reflects with him on the long arc of his life, leadership, and learning as he steps into a slightly different role at The Leader's Journey. Together they explore the leadership principle that has shaped everything Jim does: leadership is all about learning. From early experiences of tr...

As a new year begins, leaders are often faced with uncertainty, change, and challenges that cannot be solved with a predetermined plan. In this episode of The Leader's Journey Podcast , Trisha Taylor welcomes Megan Mills for a thoughtful and practical conversation about improvisation and its surprising relevance to leadership and everyday life. Together, they explore how the principles of improv s...

In this episode of  The Leader's Journey Podcast , Trisha Taylor and Edie Lenz delve into the complex role of nostalgia within faith communities. They examine the emotional pull of "the way things used to be" and how leaders can honor the past without letting it prevent forward movement. Through personal reflection and practical examples, they invite listeners to cultivate a healthier relationship...

In this episode of  The Leader's Journey Podcast , Edie Lenz is joined by Ken Eriks and Chelsey Harmon of Churches Learning Change for a rich conversation about the power of mental models in congregational life. They explore what mental models are, how they shape the way churches function, and why unearthing and reforming them is essential for leading meaningful, lasting change. Through stories, e...

In this episode of The Leader's Journey Podcast , Jim Harrington sits down with pastor and coach Mac McCarthy to explore how emotional intelligence shapes the life of a leader and the health of a congregation. Together, they discuss what emotional intelligence truly means, why it's essential for spiritual formation, and how leaders can embody and cultivate it within their teams and churches. Throu...

In this episode of The Leader's Journey Podcast , Trisha Taylor and Michael DeRuyter explore empathy as a guiding principle for leaders. Is empathy always a strength, or can it sometimes get in the way? Through stories, humor, and systems thinking, they unpack what empathy really is, why it is often misunderstood, and how mature empathy helps us stay grounded, connected, and responsible. This conv...

What does it mean to be truly welcoming? In this episode of  The Leader's Journey Podcast , Trisha Taylor is joined by author and spiritual director Laura Murray to explore welcome as a guiding principle for life and leadership. Together they unpack how hospitality goes deeper than surface-level friendliness, why boundaries are essential to real welcome, and how leaders can create environments of...

Introduction Life and leadership inevitably bring seasons of disruption and instability. What do we do when the ground shifts beneath us, and the places we thought were safe no longer hold? In this conversation, Trisha Taylor talks with Rusty Mackey about resilience as a guiding principle—learning to live with instability, to cultivate presence, and to find stability not in circumstances but in Go...

What does it really mean to live with integrity? In this episode, Jim Herrington and Trisha Taylor unpack the guiding principle of integrity, not as a rigid rule, but as a dynamic, life-giving process. They explore how our words create reality, why honoring our commitments matters, and how integrity helps us align with God's design for our lives, families, and communities. This conversation offers...

Join Jim and Trisha as they discuss how we, as the church, can embrace the paradigm shift to a new structure in a church without walls. Their insightful conversation with this week's guest, Terry Walling, offers a unique perspective on how nomadic believers are truly helping grow the church as they act as disciples within the community. Terry Walling is a pastor, professor, and author of Unlikely...

In Part 2 of this conversation, Trisha Taylor continues her dialogue with Mac and Josie McCarthy, diving deeper into what it means to lead churches and communities where people with disabilities can truly belong. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution or launching a new program, this episode encourages leaders to shift their attention, challenge their assumptions, and engage the theolog...

In this episode of The Leader's Journey Podcast , Trisha Taylor is joined by Mac and Josie McCarthy for a deeply honest conversation on disability, faith, and the church. Sharing their journey as parents of a child with Down syndrome, Mac and Josie open up about the grief, growth, and spiritual reframing they experienced, and how it has changed the way they see God, themselves, and their community...

In this candid bonus episode of The Leader's Journey Podcast , Trisha Taylor, Michael DeRidder, and Aundrea Baker open up an honest conversation about the realities of abuse and misconduct within faith communities and organizations. Sharing insights from their ongoing learning, including reflections from a recent conference, the team explores the power dynamics, cultural patterns, and systemic iss...

In this episode of The Leader's Journey Podcast , Jim Harrington is joined by coaches Rick Rorick and Nate Pyle to unpack what culture actually means within a church or organization—and why it matters more than we think. Together, they explore why "culture eats strategy for breakfast," how culture shapes daily experiences for staff and volunteers, and how leaders can take intentional steps to buil...

In this episode of  The Leader's Journey Podcast , Jim sits down with Houston-area pastor Melissa Emerson to explore what it means to live faithfully in the midst of deep church change. After stepping into leadership of Mosaic Community Covenant Church following her father's sudden passing, Melissa and her husband have led their community through a nomadic, experimental journey—redefining what chu...