Podcast: The Emotionally Healthy Leader

We’re in the thick of the holiday season – a time full of joy, yet jam-packed with people, parties, and productions. This season has a dizzying effect on everyone – but especially leaders. One temptation is to put a smile on our face while…

To be an emotionally healthy leader requires many skills, practices, and rhythms. Over the last several weeks, we’ve explored many relationship skills that are non-negotiable for leaders. But if there is just ONE skill I’m convinced every leader must…

For the first 17 years of my Christian life, my emotional life was completely divorced from my spiritual life.  Or so I thought. When sadness, anger, or disappointment surfaced from my soul, I did not see them as gifts. As a leader, I saw my…

Leaders, by definition, are captivated by the future – moving forward, making progress, and changing the world. But what many leaders fail to appreciate is that we are all anchored in our past. In other words, none of us are “blank slates”. We each…

When was the last time someone let you down? Or can you think of a recent moment where YOU let someone else down? I’ll bet the catalyst of these disappointments comes down to one thing –  unmet expectations. The truth is – unclear and…

Leadership can be a painful journey – especially in a church or ministry that depends on the depth and quality of the relationships within. Yet, in over 4 decades of leadership, I’ve found that so much of this pain is completely UNNECESSARY. Why?…

In over four decades of leadership, I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the biggest gaps in our leadership training comes down to one essential skill… Creating safety where everyone around you feels empowered to communicate clearly…

Could you forgive someone if you knew they murdered your entire family? It sounds far-fetched. But this is the question posed in As We Forgive – a documentary about the tragedies of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the stories of two…

Language builds culture. Recently on the podcast, I shared  – portable and powerful phrases that have become adopted by emotionally healthy leaders all around the world. For example…”Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your…

Movements with longevity are sustained through shared, easily understood language. This most often comes through the development of axioms – short, memorable phrases that capture the essence of truth in simple ways. Reflecting on the last two…