LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 158: INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA BASSETT – PART 2
In today’s episode, Andrea Bassett joins John and Jim again to talk about trauma, anxiety, and the damaging lies people tell themselves. Andrea unpacks practical pathways to successfully deal with these three challenges that threaten our well-being. You can listen to...
ACQUIRING THE ART OF PIVOTING
One of the hardest things to do for most leaders is to separate from work. Pivoting from their professional life to their private life. I know this from personal experience. I had to work hard as a lead pastor to shut off work once I entered our home. According to the...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 157: INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA BASSETT – PART 1
In today’s episode, we interview Andrea Bassett, founder of Cora Journey. In this powerful conversation, Andrea explains how traumatic events can result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and outlines a pathway to help those suffering with PTSD. This is a can't miss...
LEADERSHIP THAT DISAPPOINTS
Jesus—more than once—disappointed people. There, I said it. This profound truth was brought to my attention two years ago while recording a podcast with Josh Spurlock, the founder of My Counselor Online. His words hit like a ton of bricks . . . “Jesus often...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 156: WHEN PARISHIONERS ATTACK – PART 2
No matter how great a leader you are, there will always be a few parishioners who don’t like you and feel it’s their calling to criticize you. In part two of their conversation, John & Jim unpack two more behaviors that help leaders when those they lead attack...
ARE YOU ONLY DOING WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO?
It was a sunny summer morning, circa June 2019. At the gym, earbuds plugged in, listening to a podcast, when suddenly, my day was rocked by the words of the person being interviewed on the pod: “Leaders need to ask themselves . . . am I only doing what only I can do?”...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 155: WHEN PARISHIONERS ATTACK – PART 1
Criticism hurts. No matter how great a leader you are, there will always be a few parishioners who don’t like you and feel it’s their calling to criticize you. Both Jim and I could recite multiple instances during our tenures as lead pastors where the vocal minority...
The POWER OF SAYING NO
Do you ever struggle saying with “no”? In his 2014 book—The Power of No—James Altucher writes: “How many times have you had to say ‘no’ only to have it cause anguish, arguments, and anxiety? Even the hours, days, and months before you say no you are filled with...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 154: INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG OWENS – PART 2
In today’s episode John and Jim welcome Craig Owens back to the mic. In today’s conversation, they unpack the adjustments humble leaders need to make and why these tweaks matter so much. Review Episode 153: Acknowledge the healthy tension between confidence and...
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CALLING GETS TOUGH
“God I’m doing everything you’ve called me to do—why are things so hard right now?” Ever thought that? Told God that? I have. And I know I’m not alone. A while back I had breakfast with a friend who has an amazing call on his life. God is using him and his wife in...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 153: INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG OWENS – PART 1
In today’s episode John and Jim welcome Craig Owens to the mic. Craig is a pastor, a consultant, and author of the book, Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics that really matter. Pod 153 explores how our strengths can become our kryptonite if we’re not careful. Here are...
INCREASING YOUR TEAM’S LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT
Your team is the most important asset in the organization you lead. But this is true only when they are engaged. In 2017, according to a Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 15% of employees worldwide were engaged at work. By engaged, Gallup means...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 152: INTERVIEW WITH CHIP JUDD – PART 2
In Part 2 of my interview with Chip Judd, Care Pastor at Seacoast Church in South Carolina, John and Chip focus on the inner life of leaders, and also on what can be done about the shrinking leadership pool. Here are the show notes: Let’s talk about the inner life of...
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE TOO BUSY
If you ask twenty people how many hours per week is reasonable for a leader to work, you’d probably get twenty different answers. Researchers from the business world have proven time and again that once you hit forty-five hours in a week, productivity (for most normal...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 151: INTERVIEW WITH CHIP JUDD – PART 1
In today's episode, John interviews Chip Judd, Care Pastor at Seacoast Church in South Carolina. This powerful conversation unpacks important insights into the call of God on a leader's life, and the top challenges they face in a quickly changing culture. Here are the...
THE HIDDEN TRAPS OF SUCESS
When success arrives, it’s easy to get full of ourselves. We can let our accomplishments go to our head. Or think we’re better than we really are. I’m 100% in favor of success—but hidden within it are dangerous forces that if we’re not careful, can ruin our lives, and...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 150: FOUR BEHAVIORS OF HEALTHY PASTORS_PART 2
As the leader goes, so goes the organization they lead. What does health look like for a leader? In today’s episode—Part 2 of a 2-part series—John and Jim unpack two more consistent behaviors observed in pastors who’ve maintained robust health over a long period of...
WHEN PARISHIONERS ATTACK
Criticism hurts. No matter how great a leader you are, there will always be a few parishioners who don’t like you and feel it’s their calling to criticize you. This group of people who think you suck can—although they are in the minority—tend to be the most vocal...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 149: FOUR BEHAVIORS OF HEALTHY PASTORS_PART 1
As the leader goes, so goes the organization they lead. What does health look like for a leader? In today’s episode John and Jim unpack two behaviors they’ve observed in pastors who’ve maintained a good level of health over a long period of time. Here are the show...
FOUR BEHAVIORS OF HEALTHY PASTORS
The word “health” gets tossed around a lot regarding pastors. So much, that it begs the question: What does health mean? What does it look like for a pastor? I reached out to a few of my pastor friends and asked for their definition. Here are their responses: “The...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 148: INTERVIEW WITH JP DORSEY
In today’s episode, John interviews JP Dorsey, former President of Northpoint college. In this compelling conversation, JP and John unpack important questions around the movement of leaders, the two biggest challenges currently facing the Church, and what we can do...
Faked Out by Busy
Distraction . . . sometimes our friend. Most of the time, not so much. Occasionally we need a healthy distraction from the rapid pace of our lives. Playing 18 holes, walking the beach, planting flowers, etc. These pursuits can help us detach from work and catch our...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 147: MONDAY MORNINGS IN PASTOR LAND
Monday morning . . . The sworn enemy of pastors. It’s said that many pastors quit every Monday morning, only to re-up sometime later in the week. On Monday morning, Sunday gets replayed in our head. The good and the not-so-good The question is: What can we do about...
WORDS & MULLIGANS
I like to play golf. Golf isn’t super-exciting. In fact, it’s kinda boring. But hitting a little ball hard with a club can be therapeutic. I’m a below average golfer. Golfers at a below average level use mulligans occasionally. If you’ve never played golf, you...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 146: HOURS OR OUTCOMES?
We need to put in hours to obtain good outcomes. Although, putting in hours doesn’t guarantee good outcomes. In today’s episode, John & Jim unpack how managing to outcomes instead of hours helps you get the results you want and have more fun along the way. Above...
THE HIDDEN HOOK OF HURRY
Today we welcome back to the blog our teammate Jaime Hlavin. Jaime opens up about the fast pace of her current season, and what she's doing to fight back against the vicious cycle of "busy." Enjoy ~ John “The hurried life is a harried life.” ~ John Opalewski Have you...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 145: THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER
Jealousy is an emotion almost every leader deals with. The “green-eyed monster” is a thief. It robs us of healthy relationships. It steals our joy. In today’s episode, John and Jim reveal three signals jealousy is getting a foothold in your life, and then outline four...
MONDAY MORNING IN PASTOR LAND
Monday morning . . . The sworn enemy of pastors. It’s said that many pastors quit every Monday morning, only to re-up sometime later in the week. On Monday morning, Sunday gets replayed in our head. The good and the not-so-good. “Thank you, Lord for Your felt...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 144: THE BIG FOUR-ZERO
Increasing your team’s weekly hours by 50 percent (from 40 to 60 hours) does not result in 50 percent more productivity. Most leaders assume the extra hours will produce an equally matched extra output . . . but usually, this formula fails. In today’s episode, John...
HOURS OR OUTCOMES?
Several weeks ago I was working with a wonderful client of mine who is recovering from severe burnout. He is doing much better, not all the way back yet, but making great strides. And we had an interesting conversation . . . he was really struggling with the idea of a...