Sacred Cultural Cows

May 16, 2023 — 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. 

Every organization has a culture and has some sacred cows. 

I define culture as the unwritten rules that everyone who’s been around for a while knows, but seldom thinks to share with any newcomers. Those newcomers usually don’t know they have broken one of those unwritten rules until they actually break one of those rules! 

Sacred cows are the untouchable things in every organization. Those things that have always been in place and can never be changed or removed. 

But what if you’re the new leader coming into an organization? How do you navigate the new culture? How do you keep from messing with those sacred cows? Greg and I discussed this on a recent episode of our leadership podcast. 

Check out the full episode this clip came from by clicking here. 

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Links & Quotes

May 13, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

Unhealthy leaders don’t admit their need for help, and as a result they put a lid on their leadership potential. Check out more of this message here. And be sure to check out all of my videos on my YouTube channel.

A prominent Chinese scholar, Dr. Wang Yun Wu (1888-1979), abandoned atheism in 1924 after he witnessed the miraculous healing of his sister’s eyesight. Dr. Wang later became Vice Premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Check out this miraculous story in the Pentecostal Evangel.

The Culture Translator weekly email from Axis had some helpful information for Mental Health Awareness Month.

What it is: May is mental health awareness month, making mental health and suicide prevention bigger topics than ever. #mentalhealthmatters has around 42 billion views on TikTok, and #mentalhealthawareness has racked up 20 billion.

Why the conversation is changing: The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior survey showed that suicidal ideation, especially for teenage girls, is continuing on a concerning trajectory. In 2021, 30% of girls said that they had seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 24% said they had an actual plan to end their life. According to data published by Mental Health America, 16.4% of youth reported experiencing a major depressive episode within the last 12 months. This news comes at a time when adults are feeling so lonely that the US surgeon general has declared loneliness a public health emergency. Stigma around mental health topics appears to be eroding, but that isn’t necessarily leading to better mental health outcomes for teens and for the population at large.

Conversation Starter: What do you think are the biggest contributors to mental health issues for your generation? (Check out our new video series on Mental Health for more help having this conversation!)

One of the things contributing to the unhealthy mental state of many people (not just teens) is the negative impact of pornography. Fight The New Drug reports how watching porn hurts self-esteem.

“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.” —Harry Truman

Is pain good or bad? Dr. Matthew Loftus makes the case that avoiding suffering undermines the role of medicine and also stunts our ability to feel and express compassion. Check out this full article and the thoughts John Stonestreet shared about them.

“What a sweetness lies in the little word ‘our’; how much is God’s glory endeared to us when we consider our interest in Him as ‘our Lord’ [Psalm 8:1].” —Charles Spurgeon, in Spurgeon and the Psalms

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Healthy Leaders Ask For Help

May 10, 2023 — 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. 

Confidence can become a detriment to a leader’s growth when our confidence keeps us in a place where we refuse to ask for help. Nick Vujicic wisely noted, “An arrogant person does not ask for help and thus is helpless. An arrogant person claims to know everything and thus is clueless. A humble person attracts helpers and teachers.” 

Sadly, too many leaders think that if they admit they don’t know something, that will diminish their standing in the minds of those around them. I’ll be the first to confess that this is how I used to view myself in my leadership roles. 

But a huge breakthrough for me was in humbly admitting my need and seeing how others delighted to come alongside me to help. 

During a training time with some other pastors, I was asked what I thought about “self-help books.”  

There are many leaders that believe the lie that God helps those who help themselves. In reality, God delights in those who admit their need for help. The Bible says, “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6). Unhealthy or insecure leaders don’t admit their need for help, and as a result they put a lid on their leadership potential.

Swallow your pride … humbly admit your need for help … receive the help of God and others … and then watch your leadership influence grow! 

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Be Careful How You Arrive

April 27, 2023 — 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.

If you’ve been promoted to a new position, be very aware of how you arrive. If you come in overly confident, you could alienate your new teammates before you even get a chance to get started with them. We have an idea that will help you arrive well and make great connections right from the beginning. 

Check out this full conversation on The Craig And Greg Show by clicking here. 

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. ◀︎◀︎

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The Craig And Greg Show: Transition Gracefully

April 20, 2023 — 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.

Accepting a new position is a very exciting experience! Whether it’s a promotion in your current organization or an opportunity elsewhere, it’s very tempting to want to immediately throw your full attention into the next project. In this episode, Greg and I discuss the necessity of maintaining a balance between that excitement and recognizing that the people on your team now still need your leadership. This might create more work for you in the short term, but the long-term benefits of transitioning well will be huge for you! 

  • [0:33] Any fresh starts for leaders have to be handled thoughtfully. 
  • [1:32] We need to work hard to make sure we are leaving our previous position well.
  • [2:44] Leaders of integrity give their best effort all the way to the end.
  • [4:08] How can we maintain a humble attitude when we have been selected to be promoted to a new position?
  • [6:08] There are different things to keep in mind when moving to a new position in the same organization vs. moving to a new organization.
  • [8:02] Both of us share stories about friends who benefitted by leaving their old organizations well, and they identify what the true litmus test for leaving well is.
  • [10:14] Greg also has a negative example to share.
  • [11:03] How do senior leaders handle coworkers who leave poorly?
  • [13:06] How do we keep ourselves from being distracted by our new position while we attempt to finish well in our old position?
  • [16:15] How do we arrive well in our new position?
  • [18:35] We need to always keep in mind that we are leaving or joining a team of many—we aren’t a team of one.
  • [22:57] Finishing well is a compliment to the organization you are leaving, and beginning well is a compliment to the organization you are joining.
  • [26:03] We would love to help coach you through these types of changes—whether you are the one leaving for a new position or you are the leader who is losing a team member

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.

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Balanced Vision Casting

April 19, 2023 — 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. 

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. ◀︎◀︎

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Be An “Instead” Leader

April 18, 2023 — 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.

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. Not so with you. Instead…” (Mark 10:42-43).

A Christlike leader is an “instead” leader. 

Instead of exercising authority, exercising humility. 

Instead of being served, serving everyone else. 

Instead of being first in line, being last in line. 

Instead of seeking recognition, seeking anonymity. 

Instead of collecting titles, collecting calluses.

Instead of receiving, giving. 

Jesus, help me to be an “instead” leader—to strive to more consistently lead like You. 

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The Danger Of Being Too Humble

February 28, 2023 — 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. 

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. ◀︎◀︎

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You Don’t Have To Be The Answer Man

February 8, 2023 — 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 I was younger—and so much more immature—I thought it would diminish my leadership if I ever answered, “I don’t know” to any question. As a result, I fired off very self-assured answers that probably weren’t well thought-out. 

They probably weren’t very God-honoring answers either. 

Once a leader is “on the record” with an answer, they will usually defend their stance even if it appears to be wrong. After all, they must save face at all costs. 

A downward slide continues when a leader then uses their position of authority to say something like, “Because I’m the leader and I said so!” With this stance, people are often repelled from that leader. 

How much better to to wait before giving an answer—to give up the need to always be “The Answer Man”! 

And better yet, let’s not give anyone our answer, but let’s seek God for HIS answer! Not only will this be the best answer, but God will defend Himself without us having to step in to “help” Him. 

With this stance, the people are not only drawn to this godly leader but they are drawn to God as well. 

Consider these examples from Moses:

  • Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you. (Numbers 9:8)
  • So Moses brought their case before the Lord. (Numbers 27:5)

A mark of a godly leader is one who hears from God before answering men. 

So the next time someone asks your opinion, pause. Remember that it’s okay to say, “I’m not sure how to answer you on that one. I need to hear what God has to say about this.” Let’s give up the desire to be “The Answer Man” for everything. Instead we can simply announce the answer that God has given. 

This is part 69 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

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When Confidence Becomes Hubris

January 17, 2023 — 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. 

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. ◀︎◀︎

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