I am so stoked about the “Leading From Alignment” podcast that dropped on September 6! Our conversation was supposed to cover some things from my book Shepherd Leadership but we got into so many other topics.
Check out this fantastic interview on YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Romans 8:28 assures us that God uses everything for His glory. Even our pain. Here is when I learned this painful but precious truth.
On the Leading From Alignment podcast, John Opalewski asked me about lessons I have learned from painful experiences.
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Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
I had a great time on the Leading From Alignment podcast with Jim Wiegand and John Opalewski.
One of the loudest, most persistent advertising messages is about speed: Take action now, get immediate results as soon as you sign up, don’t miss out, act today! Because of this sentiment that appears all around us, many people often think that any life changes they make should bring about immediate and lasting results.
I’ve often joked that I wish I had the superpower to zap myself or a friend—“<Poof!> There, you’ve got it now. You’re all set!” Unfortunately, that’s usually not how it works.
Instead, we need to be ready for a lengthy process—possibly even a lifelong process—of the Holy Spirit helping us to make the micro-adjustments that are necessary.
Check out this part of my conversation with Jim and John as we discussed this idea.
I like this line from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
The Holy Spirit knows exactly where we need to change and how much we need to change. Let’s trust Him in this process. Then take some time to look back and celebrate how far the Holy Spirit has matured us so that we can be re-energized to stay in this lifelong process.
If you would like to watch this full interview on the Leading From Alignment podcast, please go here.
I’ll be sharing more clips from this interview soon, so please stay tuned. My book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple.
►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
As I was being interviewed on the Leading From Alignment podcast, Jim Wiegand and John Opalewski were asking me about back-to-back chapters in my book Shepherd Leadership where I discuss how a leader’s confidence and humility should be in a healthy tension with each other.
There is an alter-ego superhero I created to help me learn this lesson—his name is Plungerman!
You can also check out more of my book Shepherd Leadership by clicking here.
►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
I had a great time on the Leading From Alignment podcast with Jim Wiegand and John Opalewski.
On the heels of our discussion about leaders that are too confident or too humble, John asked a vital question: How is the balance between confidence and humility an asset to a leader’s vision casting?
In my book Shepherd Leadership, I talk about the simple three-word phrase that has helped me maintain this balance: God chose me. The fact that God did the choosing should give me the confidence to cast vision, but the humility that God chose me—out of all of the other people He could have chosen—should bring an appropriate humility that allows me to involve other leaders on my team.
If you would like to watch this full interview on the Leading From Alignment podcast, please go here. And if you would like to check out other clips I’ve already shared, please click here.
I’ll be sharing more clips from this interview soon, so please stay tuned. Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple.
►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
I had a great time on the Leading From Alignment podcast with Jim Wiegand and John Opalewski.
These co-hosts wanted to discuss two back-to-back chapters in my book Shepherd Leadership where I talk about the balance between leading confidently and leading humbly. Most of us are wired to lean toward one of these poles, but godly leaders are learning how to find the healthy tension between them.
In this part of our conversation, we talked about leaders who haven’t learned to add confidence to their humility.
I’ll be sharing more clips from this Leading From Alignment interview soon, so please stay tuned. Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple.
►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
In my book Shepherd Leadership, I take two chapters to dive deep into the healthy tension that is helpful for leaders. This is an important tension to maintain our effectiveness as leaders.
When I was interviewed on the Leading From Alignment podcast, we took two episodes to talk about this healthy tension.
As I said in this interview, every leader should take the proactive steps to make sure that our healthy leadership confidence doesn’t cross the line and become unhealthy leadership hubris. Keep healthy friends around you, enlist the help of a wise mentor, pray that searching prayer from Psalm 139, and pick up a copy of Shepherd Leadership.
I have a special offer just for pastors (and for those who love their pastor). For just $12 I will send you an autographed copy of my book and a download link to get the audiobook of Shepherd Leadership free of charge. All you need to do is complete this form and I’ll have the materials right out to you.
►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Check out a snippet of this conversation I had with John Opalewski and Jim Wiegand on the Leading From Alignment podcast. If you want to watch the full 30-minute interview, check out this link.
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I have posted quite a bit this week about a leader’s self-awareness—from my book review of John Maxwell’s The Self-Aware Leader, to my training with a pastoral team in South Carolina, to the clip I just shared from this interview. This aspect is so crucial for leadership success.
As one of my friends commented to me this week, “Your timing on this is incredible—I was just thinking about self-awareness this morning. It’s probably my biggest fear as a leader: am I accurate in my own self-assessment? am I who I think I am?” These are questions that all leaders should be asking regularly.
I’ll be sharing more clips from this Leading From Alignment interview soon, so please stay tuned. Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple.
►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
In my book Shepherd Leadership, I have two back-to-back chapters where I explore how leaders can properly leverage the way God has wired them to be successful. Check out this paragraph:
“God has created each of us uniquely—implanted with the temperament, talents, and personality He wanted each of us to have. God made you on purpose, and He made you for a purpose. But that being said, shepherd leaders are almost never perfectly balanced. If you’ve ever taken a temperaments assessment or any other kind of personality test, you know that you had some attributes that were more prominent than others. God never gives us weaknesses, but our areas of strength can become a self-imposed weakness if we rely on our strength instead of on our Strength Giver.”
When I was interviewed on the Leading From Alignment podcast, John Opalewski was especially interested in that line, “our areas of strength can become a self-imposed weakness if we rely on our strength instead of on our Strength Giver.” Check out the conversation that followed between John, his cohost Jim Wiegand, and me…
It’s true that having honest, loving feedback from a mentor, friend, or coach can be invaluable in helping us avoid getting tripped up by our God-given strengths. As I said in the interview, you are probably unaware of how your own strengths may be sabotaging your full potential as a leader. Don’t let your strengths become your weaknesses—allow a friend or coach to help you address these areas.
If I can be of assistance, please contact me. I believe Shepherd Leadership can also help you. As Jim mentioned, “That’s why I love your book and I hate your book!”
I’ll be sharing more clips from this Leading From Alignment interview soon, so please stay tuned. Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter is available in print or ebook, and in audiobook through either Audible or Apple.
►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎
Craig T. Owens 