Links & Quotes

March 15, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

Why do you love the power? Servant leaders love what their leadership role allows them to do for other people.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“Friendship is a path that leads very close to the perfection which consists of the enjoyment and knowledge of God, such that a man who is a friend of man is made into a friend of God, according to what the Savior said in the gospel: ‘Now I will not call you servants, but My friends [John 15:15].’” —Aelred of Rievaulx

In studying the intense volcanic activity on Jupiter’s moon Io, the ICR concludes, “Since 2013, evidence of a youthful solar system has only gotten stronger. Scientists have been forced to acknowledge that Saturn’s rings are indeed young, and belief in deep time continues to pose real problems for conventional scientists.” The prestigious Nature concurs, saying, “Some such proposals make planetary researchers uncomfortable, because it is statistically unlikely that humans would catch any one object engaged in unusual activity—let alone several.”

Parents and teachers trying to keep up with the ever-changing lexicon of today’s youth will really appreciate this list of slang from Axis.

“Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world’s estimation.” —Susan B. Anthony 

The story of Esther in the Bible is one of my all-time favorites. “While Esther herself has not been identified, nor has the plot to destroy the Jewish people been confirmed, the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” To that point, here are 10 pieces of archeological evidence related to this amazing story. 

Charisse Compton asks, “When was the last time meditating on your body elicited worship?” She goes on to make this case from Psalm 139: “Your body, as much as your soul, is one of God’s glorious works. It bears the unmistakable signature of the divine Artist so that, like creation, your body ‘declare[s] the glory of God’ (Psalm 19:1).”

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The Craig And Greg Show: Jargon

March 13, 2025 — 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 the expected target metrics of today’s program are met, we expect significant workflow performance advancements from team lead positioned individuals.

Does that seem a little complicated? Jargon in the workplace can very quickly cause significant problems, leading to confusion and disengagement in your team. The solution is simple—clear, concise communication. So let’s try this again without the jargon: Greg and I hope that this episode inspires you to remove the jargon from your communication, and as a result you will see your leadership influence grows.

  • [0:41] Today we are returning to Leadership Builders and Killers with a topic inspired by a series of videos I saw online about business jargon.
  • [3:21] Greg asks, “Why all the jargon?”
  • [5:34] Jargon can take away from what you want to communicate, and can cause others to disengage from the conversation.
  • [8:26] Jargon is antithetical to a commitment to clarity.
  • [9:33] I share a story of a conversation with students that highlights wisdom we can take into the workplace.
  • [12:06] One of the lowest form of communication is assumption.
  • [14:03] It’s important to circle back with people after a meeting to maker sure they understood.
  • [15:13] Jargon frequently shows up when there’s bad news to share, and when leaders are trying to cast vision.
  • [16:50] Sometimes we use jargon to hide.
  • [19:30] I share a story from the life of John Wesley about how he became a better communicator.
  • [21:14] It’s important to communicate with everyone on an even playing field, and not use jargon to avoid being pinned down.
  • [22:39] Using jargon can negatively impact your influence as a leader. Conversely, clear communication will lift your influence.
  • [24:58] Jargon can creep into your communication without you being aware of it. A coach from outside your industry can help you notice these blind spots.

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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What’s Inside?

March 4, 2025 — 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. 

Far too many leaders spend more time making sure things look good on the outside than they do addressing whether things are good on the inside. Of course, I’m talking about issues like character, and humility, and servant-mindedness. 

Greg and I addresses this on a recent episode of our leadership podcast The Craig and Greg Show. 

Check out the full conversation Greg and I had on this episode called Healthy Leaders. 

And I dive a lot deeper into the issue of true leadership coming from the inside out in my book Shepherd Leadership. 

►► 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: “The Business Baton”

February 27, 2025 — 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 business owner needs to be prepared for an eventual transition. Whether it be retirement, moving on to a new opportunity, or an M&A offer, nobody can run their business forever. In today’s episode Greg and I sit down to discuss Greg’s new book The Business Baton.

  • [0:35] “Keep your eye on the ball” is important for more than just sports, and far too often business owners forget this advice during the transition process.
  • [2:48] In chapter seven of The Business Baton, Greg discusses how to manage the pace of a transition.
  • [4:04] A Navigator can help you keep your focus on running your company during a transition.
  • [5:34] Greg talks about a few common reasons business owners take their eye off the ball.
  • [12:50] What does an owner disengaging do to the morale of the company?
  • [16:53] I share an interesting statistic from The Business Baton.
  • [19:26] An owners ongoing productivity is essential for maintaining the value of the organization.
  • [23:49] The Business Baton contains real case studies from organizations that Greg has worked with in the past, so you will likely see examples that line up with your industry.
  • [25:04] Greg and I share a section from The Business Baton about productivity.

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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Leaders Lift Up Or Push Down

February 25, 2025 — 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. 

As both a consultant and in one-on-one conversations with colleagues, I have lost count of how many times I’ve heard leaders tell me how incompetent their teammates are. When I have gently asked how they could help their teammates improve, the response is usually something like, “I think they are giving me all they have right now.” 

There is an age-old leadership principle that goes something like this—

A poor leader doesn’t believe his people can achieve more than they already are, so he stops training them and stops expecting great things from them. His people soon discover the level of performance their leader will settle for, and then gravitate to that level. 

The leader then assumes that’s all that his people are capable of achieving, so he accepts it as fact and quits challenging his people to get better. 

So both reinforce what the other believes, and the vicious downward cycle continues. 

How sad! 

But I have found that exemplary leaders believe the best is still to come. They challenge their teammates to strive for greatness. They take time to train, resource, and encourage them to strive for the next level. They don’t beat them up or give up on them when they stumble, but they treat stumbles as learning opportunities. They always believe their teammates can achieve more. 

If you were on a team with a leader like that, wouldn’t you want to live up to those expectations? Of course you would! So instead of the vicious downward cycle I just outlined, an environment like this creates a virtuous cycle that keeps pulling people upward. 

The apostle Paul talked in virtuous terms about his teammates. He wrote publicly about Timothy (I have no one else like him—Philippians 2:20), Epaphroditus (my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier—Philippians 2:25), Mark (he is helpful to me in my ministry—2 Timothy 4:11), and Luke (the beloved physician and faithful comrade—Colossians 4:14), to name just a few.

Even when he had to speak a challenging, correcting word to the saints in Corinth, he still believed the best for them—

I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. … I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you. (2 Corinthians 7:8-9, 16 NLT) 

I love that phrase: I have complete confidence in you! 

A mark of a godly leader is his supreme confidence in his people to grow and improve. 

If you feel like your teammates just aren’t measuring up, can I suggest that you take a look in the mirror? It may be that your expectations of them are too low, that your attitude toward them has been squelched, and that your words and actions are perpetuating a downward cycle.

By changing your attitude toward your teammates, you can put the brakes on that downward pull, and begin a brand new virtuous cycle that pulls your entire team—and your whole organization—up to heights where they have never gone before! 

This is part 82 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

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

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Links & Quotes

February 22, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

The best way to quiet all the voices in our head is to tune in to the only Voice that really matters.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” —Michael Jordan 

“The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.” —Galileo Galilei 

“Physical care is vital to vigilance. HALT is the acronym often used by therapists to remind people of when they can be most vulnerable it stands for: hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Simply going to bed on a regular schedule to get a good night’s rest can help one’s brain be more focused on positive habits and more alert to fight temptations. Not only eating but also eating well can improve mood and feelings of well-being. Regular exercise keeps the mind more focused, the body feeling great, and improve sleep.” —Sam Black, in The Porn Circuit 

“Leadership can be a lonely business filled with great amounts of soul-draining human interactions but little soul-filling intimacy. Without some safe-harbor relationships where we can lay down all of the armor and weapons needed to face the world and relax in confidence and unguarded communion, we become vulnerable to two debilitating frames of mind and spirit—the victim and the martyr. Allowed to blossom into resentment or a self-justification for seeking EGO-soothing instant gratification, these twin demons have been the downfall of many a leader in every walk of life.” —Kenneth Blanchard and Phil Hodges, in Lead Like Jesus 

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T-I-M-E

February 20, 2025 — 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 podcast partner Greg Heeres asked me if I had found one thing that really worked in developing or deepening relationships. My answer is short and to the point. 

Check out the full episode of The Craig and Greg Show where we use my book Shepherd Leadership to talk about the all-around healthiness of leaders. 

The Scriptures I reference in this video are John 13:1-4 and Proverbs 27:6. 

Here is a poem from one of my children that keeps me aware of the value of my presence in their lives. It’s called He’s Here To Keep. 

You might also be interested in these related posts:

►► 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: Healthy Leaders

February 13, 2025 — 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 today’s episode, Greg and I discuss what it means to be a healthy leader. We break down the various facets of leadership health, and highlight why each piece is part of an essential structure that supports all of the other parts. This was a very important part in my book Shepherd Leadership.

  • [0:12] Greg and I are looking dapper today!
  • [1:26] We have both gone through the process of writing books.
  • [2:30] I reveal the section of my book Shepherd Leadership that has gotten the most attention.
  • [6:01] I highlight the development of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.
  • [8:40] All aspects of health are important because they support each other.
  • [10:06] What happens when we get bumped?
  • [12:25] How do we maintain healthy relationships?
  • [15:11] Investing time into yourself gives you a greater capacity to serve others.
  • [16:50] What signs should we watch for that tell us a relationship is strained?
  • [17:52] Leaders should empower others to solve problems instead of always solving them on their own.
  • [18:54] It’s easier to avoid relational health in the short-term, but it will hurt you down the road.
  • [21:28] What’s the best way to improve a relationship?
  • [22:55] If we have a desire to improve a relationship, how can we get the other person to reciprocate?
  • [25:40] What was my “aha” moment when writing Shepherd Leadership?
  • [27:11] Maximize Leadership is a great coaching resource for 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.

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The Craig And Greg Show: The Silent Killers

January 30, 2025 — 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.

To you the term “silent killer” might conjure visions of a lone assassin from a spy movie, or perhaps more mundane but equally deadly things like high blood pressure or carbon monoxide leaks. In today’s episode Greg and I are discussing toxic behaviors that creep into the workplace. They aren’t quite as deadly as the ones listed above, but can still cause massive anger, frustration, and discord in your organization. Join us as we discuss some of the most prevalent toxins we’ve seen, and highlight how you as the leader are responsible for being the safeguard against them.

  • [0:20] Toxic things can sneak into our workplace unless we proactively look for them.
  • [1:35] Leaders need to be honest with their team so their team feels they can be honest with them in return.
  • [3:43] Greg and I discuss some of the toxic behaviors we have seen that create problems in the workplace.
  • [3:54] -Gossip
  • [4:51] -Office Politics
  • [6:42] -Negative Competition
  • [8:37] -Negativity
  • [10:20] -Bureaucracy
  • [12:46] -Braggadocio
  • [14:12] -Bashing
  • [14:46] Toxicity will come to every organization. We as leaders shine in the way we deal with it.
  • [17:47] When I wrote Shepherd Leadership, I spent two chapters discussing the balance between confidence and humility because of how important it is.
  • [19:08] One of our main jobs as leaders is to develop others, but toxicity squashes that.
  • [20:26] A coach can come alongside you to be the “detector” for the silent killers that might be lurking in your organization.

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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The Maturing Steward

January 28, 2025 — 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.

And the Lord said to [Moses], “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A rod.” … And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and he returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. (Exodus 4:2, 20 AMPC) 

What Moses originally called merely “a rod” he later called “the rod of God.” He recognized that what he thought was his was in actuality what God had given him to use. 

When we recognize that what’s in our hands isn’t our creation, but a God-given talent, it marks a defining moment in both our maturity and our humility. Or to borrow a phrase I elaborate on in my book Shepherd Leadership, this helps us view our God-given talents or positions with confident humility (or, if you like, humble confidence). 

With this shift in Moses’ understanding and language in mind, this is how we should treat every strength God has given us:

• It’s not mine, but God’s 

• I am only a steward of this talent 

• I must use this God-given strength only for God’s glory 

• I will have to give an account to God for how I invested or squandered what He entrusted to me

When we realize that we are not self-made men or women, but that any talents, abilities, or opportunities we have are God-appointed, we show a marked maturity in our understanding of our stewardship of God’s gifts. As our maturity grows, our confidence and our humility will grow proportionately. And as we become more confidently humbled in the way we steward God’s gifts, our leadership cannot help but exhibit more of God’s blessing on it. 

All of this growth starts with just the simple recognition that what’s in my hands is there only because God placed it there. 

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

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