The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Welcome to The Reluctant Leader Podcast —where we talk   real leadership for those of us who sometimes feel like we’re not cut out for it… but keep showing up anyway. In this episode, I’m unpacking what I learned from posting 21 straight days of hope-filled, one-minute videos on TikTok. I’ll share what surprised me, the comments that reminded me why this...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! In a world overflowing with noise and polished personas, authentic leadership cuts through like a beacon of trust. In this episode, Paul unpacks why it's so powerful when leaders actually do what they say—how integrity, vulnerability, and consistency can create a kind of credibility that commands attention without shouting. Whether you lead a team,...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Ever feel stuck between where you started and where you want to be? The messy middle can be frustrating, filled with uncertainty, doubt, and the temptation to give up. But what if this season isn’t a roadblock—it’s the real work of transformation? In this episode, we’re diving into what it means to trust the process when things aren’t happening as fast a...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! In this episode of The Reluctant Leader Podcast , we dive into the biblical wisdom of seeking godly counsel and why no leader should make decisions in isolation. Proverbs tells us that wise advisers lead to success, but pride can keep us from listening. We’ll explore how humility opens the door to growth, how God often speaks through others, and why even...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! The Bible has a lot to say about staying alert and keeping watch. If we aren't vigilant as leaders, the churches and organizations we're responsible for are often left in disarray and vulnerable to attack and vision creep. As Jesus often told his followers: watch! ⬇️  ⬇️  ⬇️  ⬇️  ⬇️ Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Too many of us are so addicted to the rush of something new that we've accepted that anything that gets repeated has to become boring or stale. But repetition is only a bad thing when we're repeating bad things! I repeat: repetition is only a...  You get the idea. So let's change the narrative, and get busy repeating what needs to be repea...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! I've always been motivated by JFK's "we do them because they are hard" speech, and clearly, so was our country because we did get to the moon (regardless of what conspiracy theorists might think). But what happens after we've done hard things and we need time to rest and recover? Maybe more importantly, how do we find the strengt...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! In this interview, we take a deep dive with Karl Vaters, a seasoned pastor and author, as he challenges the conventional obsession with church size. For over 40 years, Carl has been an advocate for small churches and has worked to redefine success beyond just mere numbers. Whether you're a church leader feeling the pressure to grow or just curious a...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! All of us know that our words have power but too many times we talk as if they don't. In this episode, Paul shares how one simple statement ignited passion and launched him into action. We're sure that you'll be encouraged, and will be challenged to consider the kindness - or lack of - in the words you speak to those around you. ⬇️  ⬇️  ⬇️...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Does God ever seem distant when you ask him about things that really matter to you? Of course, he does. But the good news is that you aren't alone! Anyone who has ever spent any amount of time in prayer has felt that way, and often, the more desperate we are, the longer he seems to take. In this episode, Paul walks us through Luke 18 and shows us wh...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! As we wrap up our "Restored to Health" miniseries in Psalm 126, the psalmist reminds us that even after we've been restored, there is work to be done. Even more importantly, he reminds us that the work often still feels like work, and yet he holds out the very real hope that when the sowing brings us pain, the reaping will bring us bounty....

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! We've all been there. We've gone public about something amazing that God has done in our lives, churches, businesses, or ministries only to wake up the next day and find ourselves wondering if it really happened? In this episode, we can take comfort in the fact that the people of God also lived in the "now and not yet" places we find...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Sometimes the process of being restored to joy is just that ... a process. That process can be daunting and overwhelming if we think it's about being the perfect leader or the perfect person, but when we accept as fact that the Lord has restored us to health, then the process can become a celebration of all that the Lord has done to this point. No m...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! As we continue our miniseries in Psalm 126, let's talk about the things that mark us when we're living lives that have been restored to health: joy, song, laughter, and the global influence that comes with a life of integrity. Will we always feel like we're living up to that list? Of course not. But as we'll see in this episode, that...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! In this episode, Paul kicks off a miniseries diving into the game-changing truths found in Psalm 126, and takes us deeper into the profound wisdom that verse 1 offers for modern living Learn how gratitude transforms our perspective, calms anxieties, and deepens trust in God's faithfulness. Discover how practicing gratitude reshapes your spiritual jo...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Is hell "down there?" If it is, then why do we often talk about "hell on earth?" Why does the regret we experience at night as we replay the day feel so much like hell already, and how can we learn to live beyond it? Is peace even possible, or are we destined to stay stuck in a Groundhog Day of bad decisions and painful regret? In thi...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! What's the biggest difference between Tiger Woods and me when it comes to playing golf? Well, we both hit bad shots from time to time (I hit a lot more of them), but we don't recover from them the same. In this episode, let's talk about how important it is for us to be healthy enough as leaders that we can recover from the bad shots, and h...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Welcome to the last episode of 2023! In this episode, Paul walks us through Psalm 126 and shows us how what the Lord told His people then still speaks to His people now. As the Year of the Door, 2024 holds so much promise for us, and as Paul explains, it's a year that will mark the church with joy, laughter, hope, and health. ⬇️  ⬇️  ⬇️  ⬇️  ⬇️ Than...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! After a fast-paced, family-filled wedding weekend, Paul came home with three things: 1. A new daughter-in-law, 2. A wicked head cold (he's all about that bass in this episode!), and 3. A fresh revelation of what the power of the gospel can do in us. If you've got your Bible or your Bible app, turn to Ephesians 2;11-19 and follow along. If you d...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! So often in leadership, we talk about having a faith that can't be shaken, but in this episode, Paul points out what it looks like to have a faith that can be forsaken. It's important, too, because - wait for it - we're going to be. Thanks for being a faithful listener of The Reluctant Leader Podcast!! To enjoy a free coffee on me, simply...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! What if it was possible to live free from having the pressure to perform for God's love, and instead, live free in the reality that we've already been given God's love? In this episode of TRLP, Paul interviews Robby Angle, a former staff pastor at North Point Community Church, and current CEO of Trueface, a ministry committed to creating a...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Have you ever noticed that sometimes we get what we pay for? We buy cheap stuff to save a buck or two, only to have to buy that same cheap stuff over and over and over... Sometimes, it's much better to pay the price in order to obtain something of value because we know that it will last. Join Paul on a journey through a moment in a king's life...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! It should come as no surprise that depressive episodes exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 18-25 year-olds are twice as likely to struggle with depression as people over 50, and that number is only rising. Does that mean the older generation should write off the younger one? Far from it! In fact, it means that older leaders have a unique oppo...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! Have you ever felt like you had whiplash because of all the starts and stops as you tried to develop a new habit? Why do so many of us never actually achieve and stay at new levels in life and leadership? In this episode, Paul takes us through a key moment in the life of Daniel and helps us understand why occasional effort will never result in consistent...

Got questions or comments? Text them to me! What happens when God rescues a life out of a broken home and foster care that loves hip hop but has country music in his roots? He opens the door for Rare of Breed, a leading artist in the genre of Country Hip Hop. You read that right. Country Hip Hop. You’re going to love this interview with Rob Hardin about his latest project, GodTwang, and how God is...