leadership | Craig T. Owens

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The Craig And Greg Show: Reframe Your Fear

July 27, 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.

Fear is something every leader struggles with, but great leaders learn to reframe that fear into an opportunity to grow. Join Greg and me as we discuss overcoming fear, reframing fear, and helping your team to do the same.

[0:23] Good leaders learn how to frame their fear in a different way.
[1:09] Greg and I talk about our biggest fears.
[2:21] I share about having to overcome fears about making a decision.
[3:38] Most of fear is rooted in past experiences, but reframing as a learning experience can help you grow.
[6:17] Attempting to use fear as a motivation tool will backfire and restrict your team’s potential.
[7:23] Reducing the fears of your team begins with leading from a place of transparent humility.
[9:20] Self talk is important in your battle over fear. Lead by example and show your team how to reframe their mentality.
[11:55] Pride is a big stumbling block for leaders, don’t be afraid to include others in the decision making process.
[13:50] The top fears that paralyze leaders.
[19:55] Good leaders game-plan for future conflict, so when it comes their team is ready.
[20:34] Give your team opportunities to battle their fears and grow from them.
[22:51] Greg shares a quote from Henry Ford.
[24:11] I share a Little League story.
[25:03] Greg and I would love to come alongside and help coach you!

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: coaching, Craig And Greg Show, fear, Greg Heeres, humility, leadership, podcast, pride, quotes, self-talk, teammates, video. 4 Comments »

Opportunity Leadership (book review)

July 25, 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 wrote my book, I was attempting to bring church leaders back to the biblical foundation for what it means to be a pastor. In a very similar fashion, Roger Parrott does this same thing for ministry leaders in his book Opportunity Leadership.

Parrott is the president of a vibrant Christian university. As anyone who has been in the arena of higher education will tell you, making long-range plans is at the foundation of everything the administration and faculty do. But Parrott asks where did we get this model? Is this something we see in the Bible?

Actually, we see verses that subordinate human plans to God’s plan. Verses like, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21) or, “They tried [planned] to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7). This is why Parrott makes the case that we are missing out on what God has in store for us because we only want Him to work on our carefully-made plans.

Parrott makes the case that their university has grown and seized opportunities because they were open and responsive to the doors God presented them, instead of missing out because they were blinded by their plans.

Obviously, switching to this model will take tremendous buy-in from the point leader all the way through the entire organization. So the bulk of Opportunity Leadership helps prepare Christian leaders to change their paradigm, prepare for the inevitable pushback, and help their teammates move forward.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book—finding myself saying, “Yes!” frequently as I was reading it—and I am confident all Christian leaders will benefit from reading this insightful work.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: biblical, Book of Acts, book review, leadership, opportunity, proverbs, Roger Parrott, shepherd leadership, trust, university. 3 Comments »

Links & Quotes

July 22, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

There are two invaluable resources for Christians to process difficult situations the right way: the prayers in the Psalms and journaling. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“…[T]here is an enabling grace from God to endure in the strength he supplies and to do what ought to be done. Call it leadership for the long haul. And since great leadership serves the people, great leadership is servanthood, so we could also call it servanthood for the long haul. Meanwhile, merely enduring falls short. There’s something better. Great servants don’t endure merely. They endure by ‘being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy’ (Colossians 1:11).” —Sam Crabtree

I love the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26. This post dives deep into this blessing, and as an added bonus also tells of an archeological discovery that marks these verses as “the earliest biblical verses” for which we have archeological evidence.

…and here is even more archeological evidence of the Bible’s historicity. Once again, it can be stated that no archeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical claim.

It’s not just archeology, but astronomy as well that points to a perfect Creator. “Life requires many parameters in order to survive and thrive. The more data that are uncovered, the more evidence there is that Earth and its environs were specifically designed with the exact conditions needed for life.” This ICR article goes on to describe the perfection with which the sun’s radiation is used by Earth’s plants.

…and an extensive study of a species of octopi also demonstrates the genius of our Creator. “For an animal to adapt to its environment, evolution requires that animal’s DNA to mutate, giving the animal some new ability that helps them survive better. Mutations are permanent. According to evolutionary theory, over long periods of time and after several DNA mutations, a new animal arises that’s better adapted to its environment. But that is not how the octopus adapts to its environment. The changes in the created proteins are made by RNA, not DNA. These changes are not permanent and the DNA remains the same….” Check out the rest of this post.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: apologetic, archeology, astronomy, biblical history, biology, blessing, Creator, DNA, Earth, evolution, historicity, Institute for Creation Research, King David, leadership, Numbers, quotes, RNA, scientist, Sun, video. Leave a Comment »

The Power Of Using Names

July 20, 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.

It is important for leaders to use the right words to encourage their teammates. The most memorable, motivating, and beautiful word a leader can use is their teammates’ names.

You can check out this full conversation Greg and I had about taking people up with our words on this episode of The Craig And Greg Show.

And I would also invite you to check out this blog post and this blog post about significant name changes recorded in the Bible.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Craig And Greg Show, encouragement, Greg Heeres, leadership, name change, video, vocabulary. Leave a Comment »

The Leadership-Followership Paradigm

July 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 read something which is really challenging my leadership paradigm. It’s a challenge to look at successful organizations through the lens of both a servant-hearted leader and a servant-hearted follower.

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Resources I mentioned in this podcast:

The verse in Proverbs I quoted
Dick Brogden’s book Proverbs: Amplified and Applied
My book on leadership—Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Dick Brogden, followership, John Maxwell, leadership, paradigm, podcast, proverbs, servant-leadership, shepherd leadership, video. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

July 15, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

One of the things that contributes to “quiet quitting” is a lack of passion. But when the leader has conveyed a compelling vision for all that the organization is doing, that vision fuels the passion to work excellently. Vision can change a “have to” attitude into a “get to” attitude. Check out the full conversation Greg and I had about quiet quitting on the Craig And Greg Show. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” —Arthur Ashe

“Strange as it may seem, the first rule of gracious speech is sincere listening: ‘So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath’ (James 1:19). Being an attentive and sincere listener is like cutting a swath through the jungle. It creates a path along which conversations can develop and people can journey together.” —T.M. Moore

J. Warner Wallace discusses how scientists who were Christians used their biblical worldview to drive their scientific pursuits. As a result, Christian scientists have been awarded more Nobel Prizes than any other group of scientific contributors!

“The devil will not stand by quietly and watch his realm decline and erode. He counterattacks with rage; his onslaught is fierce. One of the tricks he uses is to preoccupy Christian workers with issues that are detrimental to a healthy relationship with Christ. The scenario is all too familiar: a Christian worker gets busy in the ministry and work takes priority over relationship with God. He no longer has the time to sit at Jesus’ feet in quiet solitude and listen to God’s Word. Spiritual emptiness comes unnoticed and with it vulnerability to satan’s sifting (Luke 22:31-34); dishonest handling of monies or power or an illicit relationship is justified, and whoa! immorality has lured and sent such a Christian worker tumbling. He commits what he has preached against. Sin is dangerous. Sin is destructive. Its price is very costly—separation from God, irreversible stigma, damage to family relations, loss of ministry, loss of reputation, a black mark on God’s work, and the list goes on.” —Sobhi Malek

Our Creator gave us an amazing gift of the human brain! I love the fascinating new discoveries that scientists are continuing to make. Like this one: “To be spatially capable creatures, humans need their brains to tell them 1) where things are in relation to themselves and 2) where everything is in relation to everything else—the so-called allocentric map of space. To navigate an environment, the brain seems to generate a mental representation of its surroundings. This is often called a cognitive map.” Read more about our cognitive map here.

I hope you have had a chance to see the movie “Sound of Freedom.” Thankfully, this has gotten a lot of people talking about how to eliminate sex trafficking. Fight The New Drug has an excellent post on how you can spot and report human trafficking, and you should also check out Operation Underground Railroad, which was founded by Tim Ballard (whom Jim Caviezel portrays in the movie).

“It will be a comfort to me all my life to know that the scientist and the materialist have not the last word, that Darwin and Spencer, undermining ancestral beliefs, stand themselves on a foundation of sand.” —C.S. Lewis

The Craig And Greg Show: Word Up

July 13, 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.

Words are incredibly powerful! With our tongues, we can elevate others to amazing heights, or tear them down completely. In this episode, Greg and I discuss how, as leaders, it is critical that we are mindful of our everyday words so that we ensure we are taking our team in the right direction.

[0:20] Sometimes leaders can forget how powerful their words can be.
[1:00] Words need to be used strategically and carefully.
[2:05] “Words of affirmation” is one of the love languages, but everyone needs to hear words that affirm and encourage them.
[3:40] Some of the most meaningful words are our apologies and requests for forgiveness. When we do this well, it opens up the door for deeper communication.
[6:00] Leaders should be able to see a visible and immediate difference in their teammates when they are speaking the correct words to them. If not, we need to quickly adjust our words.
[6:50] People don’t care how much their leader knows (or says) until they know how much their leader cares about them.
[8:25] Negative words can sour relationships.
[9:08] Leaders need to pay close attention to what words work best with each teammate.
[10:15] What is the difference between efficient communication and effective communication?
[12:40] We share some insights from two noteworthy books: Leadership Jazz by Max DePree and Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People by Rich DeVos.
[15:00] One of the most beautiful words anyone will ever hear a leader speak is their teammate’s name.
[19:02] Handwritten notes go the extra mile, but we need to slow down to think about who needs to hear an affirming word from us.
[21:20] Greg shares a memorable quote about the long-term results of our words.
[22:07] A good coach can give you more impactful insights than someone close to you.

Books referenced in this episode:

Shepherd Leadership by Craig T. Owens
Leadership Jazz by Max DePree
Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People by Richard M. DeVos

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: apologize, Craig And Greg Show, encouragement, Greg Heeres, leadership, love language, podcast, teammates, video, vocabulary, YouTube. 1 Comment »

Sage Advice (book review)

July 11, 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 have to be honest with you right up front: It’s nearly impossible for me to be unbiased in this book review. Sage Advice is written by my longtime friend and podcast partner Greg Heeres, and I couldn’t be any more proud of him!

In the 30+ years that I have known Greg, he has become one of my closest confidants. Next to my wife, Greg probably knows more about me than anyone else, and the same can be said for how well I know him. Several years ago, during one of our many heart-storming sessions, he shared a story about something his grandma said to him.

“I love that story,” I told him. “If you’ve got more like that, you should write them down.”

Thankfully, he did!

In fact, he wrote down twenty memorable stories from his grandparents and parents. Each story is intertwined with a practical leadership lesson for all of us. The subtitle of the book is: Listen to wisdom or learn the hard way.

Whether you had parents and grandparents that invested in your life or not, all of us can learn sound wisdom from our elders—from those who have “been there, done that” and care about us enough to share their hard-won wisdom.

Each chapter not only contains the sage advice from Greg’s elders and his leadership lessons that we can all apply, but he also shares interviews with other leaders who have learned the same lesson that each chapter is presenting.

Sage Advice is a delightful read. You will enjoy Greg’s storytelling so much that you may not even realize the leadership lessons that are seeping into your mind. You can pick up a copy of Sage Advice by clicking here.

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

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: autobiography, biography, book review, Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres, leadership, memoir, video. 6 Comments »

Links & Quotes

July 8, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

I shared several videos this week while I was on vacation. If you missed any, you can check them out on my YouTube channel.

A good definition of apologetics is found in Acts 17:2-3. We need to share (1) reasons from Scripture, (2) logical explanations, and (3) verifiable evidence. I have written quite a bit on my blog on the topic of apologetics, including several book reviews of apologetics books that you may want to check out.

The Babylon Bee cracks me up! I love this one: “It has been scientifically proven that it’s impossible to know what women want (and we all know you can’t question science). In fact, there is usually a vast discrepancy between what men think women want and what women actually want. You don’t have to despair, because The Babylon Bee is here to provide an invaluable translation to help give men an idea of what a woman really wants.”

“The life we speak over others they will pass on. While it is true that hurting people hurt others, it is just as true that healed people heal others, blessed people bless others, loved people love others, and ‘mercied’ people mercy others—if, that is, they have any sense of gratefulness.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied

“The Kingdom of God will be present within us to the extent that we maintain a clean and good conscience. The conscience is the valuing center of the soul. It holds the priorities which serve to clarify and direct both the mind and the heart for Kingdom presence. As thoughts or affections stir in the soul, the conscience reads the Law of God, which is written on the heart and settled in the mind (Romans 2:14-15), and engages the will to act in line with the vision of Christ and the counsel of His Word.” —T.M. Moore

“Value those people who tell you the truth, not just those people who tell you what you want to hear.” —Pat Summitt

Nabataean king Aretas IV is only mentioned once in the Bible, but once again archeology has bolstered the historicity of the biblical reports. Check out this archeological biography of Aretas IV here, and read more about the historicity of the Bible here.

Some people claim those with a biblical worldview and lifestyle are “extremists.” I think this chart (I cannot find the author to give credit on this one) explains it well.

“Life without love isn’t worth anything. Justice without love makes you hard. Intelligence without love makes you cruel. Kindness without love makes you a hypocrite. And faith without love makes you a fanatic.” —Mother Teresa

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: apologetic, archeology, Babylon Bee, biblical history, Book of Acts, Christianity, comedy, Dick Brogden, historicity, leadership, marriage, Mother Teresa, proverbs, quotes, relationships, Romans, T.M. Moore, video, world history. Leave a Comment »

Leaders Serve By Empathizing

July 7, 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.

The gauge of a leader’s level of servant leadership is measured by how that leader interacts with their most difficult teammate. Check out this full conversation from The Craig And Greg Show here.