Craig And Greg Show | Craig T. Owens

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Links & Quotes

July 27, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Leaders should be able to use mistakes as growth opportunities. Check out these wise words from the book Spiritual Leadership.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

T.M. Moore encourages Christian to be ready to help their neighbors answer their burning questions: “Christians, Charles Taylor insists, must not be guilty of crushing human flourishing by a too-small vision of God and an unloving or unenergetic approach to our neighbors. Instead, we must study and prepare to ‘respond most profoundly and convincingly to what are ultimately commonly felt dilemmas.’ We must be ready to guide our neighbors out of the dark woods of wrong belief into the radiant meadows of the Sun of Righteousness, risen with healing in His wings. But to do this, we must be ready guides. We must anticipate the questions our groping neighbors will ask and prepare to answer them clearly and intelligently (1 Peter 3:15).”

True strength and courage only come to the one who thinks God’s thoughts and does God’s deeds (see Joshua 1:7). The strong and courageous leader is never self-made, but unshakably God-dependent.

On the latest Craig and Greg Show podcast, this the quote from Andy Murray that I shared: “A great team begins to happen when you have the right people on the bus in the right seats and the bus breaks down…. They work through the crisis, they get back on the bus, they’re sweating and tired. All of the sudden something magical happens: They begin to talk to each other. Culture happens through crisis. Unfortunately, many team environments have structured the crisis out.”

Mabel Dean went to Egypt at 40 years old and stayed there for nearly 40 years without taking a single furlough! “All of Dean’s life, people did not expect her to amount to much. Despite what others said, Dean believed that she had a mandate from God for missions work in Africa. She later stated, ‘I was the only homely one in my family. Yet I was the one that He chose for His work.’”

One of the prayers in the Songs of Ascent calls us to mature (or ascend) in our prayers for those who have hurt us.

“There is always a better way of doing things, and either you or your competitor will find it.” —Brad Anderson

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: 1 Peter, Assembly of God, Bible study, competition, courage, Craig And Greg Show, Henry Blackaby, innovation, Joshua, leadership, maturity, missionary, mistake, prayer, quotes, stress, T.M. Moore, video. Leave a Comment »

Bites Hurt!

July 25, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

When people attack their leader—or when sheep bite—it hurts!

Our first best response is to acknowledge, “That hurt!” but then we need to pause. Our natural response to an attack is fight-or-flight, but healthy leaders take time to learn why that bite occurred.

This is an excerpt from an episode of The Craig and Greg Show where Greg interviewed me about my new book When Sheep Bite.

If you would like to watch the full episode of our leadership podcast, you can find that here.

I am getting ready to facilitate a cohort for pastors who have gone through painful sheep bites—or perhaps they are feeling them right now! If you are a pastor, or if you know of a pastor who has been bitten, please check out this cohort here.

And if you would like to pick up a copy of When Sheep Bite for yourself, you can get that here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: cohort, Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres, leadership, pain, pastors, personal attacks, video, When Sheep Bite. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

July 20, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

You are more likely to act yourself into good feelings than you are to feel yourself into action. Leaders need to get moving and keep moving! Check out this full conversation from The Craig and Greg Show.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

In news that’s not surprising at all, many recent paleontological discoveries confirm to exactly what would be expected if we take the biblical account of Creation and a global Flood literally.

John Piper was asked to weigh-in on the value of repetitive phrases in worship songs. He said, “The issue’s not repetition per se but whether there is enough substance, enough rich content of truth about God woven into the repetitions to justify them, to warrant them. That’s the issue. There’s a difference between repetitions that are called forth by the repeated crescendo of new, glorious truth, and repetitions that serve as a kind of mantra without sufficient truth that is simply used to sustain or intensify a mood. Moods in worship should be awakened and sustained primarily by truth, assisted by music—not primarily by music with a little truth thrown in to justify the singing.”

Pastor John Piper used Psalm 136 as an example in the post above. T.M. Moore also shared this thought about Psalm 136: “The term most frequently used to describe this everywhere-present-and-always-at-work love of God is translated as ‘lovingkindness’ or, in some versions, ‘steadfast love.’ Especially Psalm 136, with its antiphonal arrangement of verses, insists that the cosmos is upheld, sustained, and pervaded by the lovingkindness of God. … It would improve our learning to pray without ceasing if we simply took some time out during the day to thank the Lord for the many ways His steadfast love surrounds, sustains, and swarms us at every moment!”

“When people refer to a man as a man of the Book, meaning the Bible, he’s generally found to be a man of multitudinous books, which simply isolates the one Book to its proper grandeur. The man who reads only the Bible does not as a rule know it or human life.” —Oswald Chambers

Men’s Health magazine shared an interview with Jeremy Renner, who was nearly killed in a tragic accident. I love his attitude about making today better than yesterday. His words remind me of a poem my grandma used to use to motivate me to keep “besting” what I had already done.

Christopher Ash writes about reading the Psalms through the lens of Jesus. He concludes this way: “I remember seeing on the wall of a church the words of Psalm 20:4: ‘May [the Lord] grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!’ How wonderful, you might think. The Bible promises me all that my heart desires. Until you read the psalm and realize that Psalm 20 is a prayer for the king in David’s line. Ultimately, it is a prayer that Jesus will have His heart’s desire granted and that His plans will be fulfilled. And they will! The Psalms are not all about me. If I think they are, I will end up disillusioned. But when I grasp that they are all about Christ, my heart lifts in joy that He is the blessed Man and I belong to Him.”

The Craig And Greg Show: Stress Can Be Good For You

July 18, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Stress might have six letters, but it seems like some leaders have a knee-jerk reaction to treat it like a four-letter word. While it might be nice to fantasize about an stress-free life, this is both entirely unrealistic and detrimental to your leadership. The truth is, a mild amount of stress can be helpful to you personally, as well as your organization as a whole. Join us as Greg and I unpack why you should embrace a bit of stress in your life.

[0:14] I have a brain block to start the show!
[0:59] Let’s define stress in a work environment, as opposed to simply work tension.
[1:51] An interesting study about allowing moderate stress to remain in the workplace.
[5:30] Mild stress is helpful for our brains.
[7:37] Stress expands and strengthens our team connections too.
[10:26] Can stress help increase someone’s work performance?
[13:01] Our physical bodies use a stress hormone called cortisol. How can leaders maximize its effects?
[14:38] Stress can help us rise to the challenge in a way that easy times can’t.
[16:02] I share an example of a teammate who grew through stress, as well as a supporting quote.
[18:40] Greg shares a negative example of an organization that became stress-free and drifted toward failure.
[19:30] When times are easy, we can begin to slide into apathy.
[22:40] Should we teach crisis leadership to our teams? If so, how should we do this?
[23:47] We love to coach leaders who are dealing with crisis in their organizations.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: apathy, brain, cortisol, Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres, leadership, mind, neuroplasticity, perseverance, podcast, stress, success, teamwork, video. 2 Comments »

The Craig And Greg Show: Lead With Empathy

June 27, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Empathy is an essential trait for leaders, but it’s not innate in any of us. As I joked, “behind ‘mama’ and ‘dada,’ the first word most babies learn is ‘mine.’” The skill of empathy is like a muscle, the more we practice, the stronger it gets. In this episode, Greg and I discuss why empathy is so important for leaders, and give helpful advice on how to remain proficient in your use of empathy.

[0:24] Empathy is a powerful leadership skill that underlines so many other leadership skills.
[1:08] Empathy has to be earned.
[3:07] What blocks empathy in leaders?
[4:02] When you start learning empathy it will feel awkward, but you have to stick with it.
[5:06] Empathy ≠ sympathy, but it is caring.
[7:07] How do leaders show their empathy to their teammates?
[10:10] Here is an example of how to express empathy.
[12:22] What lessons can we learn when we misfire on empathy?
[14:03] Three things Greg has worked on to enhance empathy.
[16:32] Sometimes leaders do for one team member what they cannot do for all.
[19:51] Leaders need empathetic eyes, ears, and heart. There is a huge leadership power in this.
[21:59] Greg shares an interesting study reported in Forbes.
[25:15] One of the most powerful leadership attributes is simply the leader’s availability.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: availability, compassion, Craig And Greg Show, emotionally available, empathy, Greg Heeres, leadership, podcast, sympathy, teamwork, video. Leave a Comment »

Don’t Let It Fester

June 18, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

The word sounds as painful physically as it is emotionally. I am talking about the word “fester.”

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

I truly believe that When Sheep Bite will be a healing resource for shepherd leaders who are still feeling the pain of their latest sheep bite. Please pick up a copy today!

If you would like to check out the full conversation Greg and I had on our leadership podcast called The Craig and Greg Show, you can find that episode here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: bitterness, cohort, Craig And Greg Show, healing, pain, video, When Sheep Bite. Leave a Comment »

The Craig And Greg Show: When Sheep Bite

June 13, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

As you may have heard, I have written a new book! In this episode Greg and I sit down and chat about When Sheep Bite, and discuss how the valuable lessons it provides are critical for leaders of any organization.

[0:21] I have a confession to make…
[1:43] This book is for both business leaders and church leaders.
[3:07] Attacks usually lead to to fight-or-flight, but When Sheep Bite offers a new response.
[5:21] It’s healthy to validate our feelings when we’ve been hurt, but then good leaders go deeper.
[8:39] Empathy is health, but making excuses is not healthy.
[10:37] Watch out for the sneaky bite of flattery.
[11:26] Leaders who have been hurt have to guard against harboring that hurt.
[13:23] Leaders need to learn how to confront misbehavior correctly.
[14:46] In order for sheep to bite, and in order for the shepherd to lead, they have to be close to each other. How do both sheep and shepherds set boundaries?
[17:46] We can disagree but we cannot disrespect!
[19:49] Bitterness can rob a leader of vitality, so we have to find effective ways to heal.
[22:46] Fight-or-flight is natural, but we need to strive for the supernatural response of faithfulness to our calling.
[23:40] In many ways WSB points to what a good coach does. Contact Maximize Leadership about how our coaching huddles can help your leadership soar—get in touch with us!

Order a copy of When Sheep Bite here.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: boundaries, Craig And Greg Show, empathy, faithfulness, feeling, fight-or-flight, Greg Heeres, healing, hurting, leadership, pain, podcast, recovery, video, When Sheep Bite. 5 Comments »

Links & Quotes

June 1, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Let’s change our leadership mentoring perspective. It’s not whether you dropped the ball or not, it’s what you learned from the time you dropped the ball. This is how we help others move forward. Check out the full Craig and Greg Show episode where we talk more about “untraditional” performance reviews.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

If it hadn’t been for J.R.R. Tolkien’s influence, C.S. Lewis may have remained an atheist. And if it hadn’t been for C.S. Lewis’ encouragement, the world may never have been able to enjoy Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. This truly was a friendship that blessed the world! A book that explores this relationship further is A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War.

“We don’t all have to be geniuses to innovate in the way we use culture. For example, what if we were to repudiate, once and for all, all gossip and all carping and complaining, and instead were to work hard day by day to redirect our tongues toward building others up (Ephesians 4:29)? We would have to innovate some new ways of engaging people in conversation, by getting to know people and taking a real interest in them, becoming better listeners, asking good questions, making sure all our words were seasoned with grace, and always speaking truth in love. Would that not be a radical and innovative improvement on much of what passes for conversation today? If every believer just worked a bit harder to innovate new forms of conversation, I’m persuaded the world would certainly notice the difference!” —T.M. Moore

I think anyone who has read the Bible has heard the amazing story that Jesus told about a wayward son, a loving father, and a struggling older brother (see Luke 15:11-32). Jon Bloom imagines a conversation that the brothers may have had with each other after the younger brother returned home.

J. Warner Wallace is a cold-case detective and a premier Christian apologist. Some Christians believe that we only need to use Scripture to form our trust in Scripture. In this video, Wallace explains from Scripture how even Jesus used evidence outside of Scripture to make His case that He was who Scripture said He was.

It is interesting how many modern-day scientists will accept without fact that an asteroid impacted Earth “millions of years ago” to trigger massive changes that resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs, but will flatly disregard the Flood recorded in the Bible. As a result of their false assumptions, they reach conclusions (like believing they have refuted Bergmann’s Rule) that are quickly refuted. Check out this insightful post.

If you are doing all the calculating with your money, then Jesus says you’re not rich toward God. Check out this full sermon here.

“When God brings new opportunities the path forward is often unknown; it’s a risky journey to start. After all, if you can see the path to the finish line, you do not need to trust the Lord. Why would God give a golden opportunity to those unwilling to trust Him for the unknown?” —Roger Parrott, Opportunity Leadership

(For security reasons, I cannot share a link to the following but I can verify its veracity). “Sam” is a Christian in an Arabic country who has been instrumental in starting and leading a church in his country for several years. He was arrested two months ago and held in prison for 55 days. He was interrogated the first 8 days, then left in solitary confinement for 47 days: the bright lights always on, Some Christians were able to meet with him after his release, listen to his story, share Scripture together, pray with and encourage him. Here is one of their main takeaways from their conversation with Sam.

“So, Sam, how did you make it 55 days in prison?”

Sam said, “The Holy Spirit was with me and was with my mouth. He gave me the words to say. But the devil also sat right next to me twisting Scripture.” Sam continued, “Tell those that will go to prison it is very important not only to know the Scripture but to be able to interpret it correctly as the accuser (I found out by experience) is so adept at twisting God’s Word to both tempt and discourage us.”

The Craig And Greg Show: Remembering The Details

May 30, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Greg and I think that a great way to take your leadership to the next level is by paying attention to people. Keeping an eye out for the small details and remembering them shows people you care, which in turn makes them much more receptive to the leadership you want to pour into their lives.

[0:15] Memorial Day is coming up
[0:54] Great leaders remember the little details about others
[3:05] We share how leaders can leverage their retention of the details of others’ lives
[6:37] Exceptional leaders give way more than they take
[8:21] How do we get out of our own way so we can get to know others better?
[10:47] Greg and I both have some personal examples of how we learned to remember the details
[14:26] Leaders can lift up those around them by just doing the little things well
[16:24] John Maxwell wrote a “people principle” that I unpack
[17:47] Greg learned a lesson from his grandparents about “taking a drive” to observe important people and places
[18:58] A powerful quote from John Ash
[22:55] Make every day special for others
[24:00] Greg and I can help you grow as a leader—get in touch with us!

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Craig And Greg Show, empathy, Greg Heeres, leadership, people-focused, podcast, remember, video. Leave a Comment »

Continuing To Walk With God

May 23, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

My leadership podcast partner Greg Heeres and I were discussing a leader’s epitaph. Greg asked me an unusual question: What did I want to be said on my own epitaph?

Take a listen to this snippet from The Craig and Greg Show—