Advertise on podcast: The Called to Flourish Podcast

Most leaders will tell you they want innovation. The harder question is what happens inside an organization when a new idea challenges how things have always been done. Giselle Jenkins, a Senior Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explains how tradition, founding DNA, and a deep commitment to excellence can quietly shut down new ideas, even in organizations that sincerely want to change. She walks leaders through why conflict is easier to navigate while an idea is still taking shape, how innovation moves from creativity to testing to implementation, and why starting with small mistakes builds a team's capacity for change. For leaders who sense their people have stopped offering ideas, this offers a practical guide to what to examine first. You'll Gain Insight On How to recognize when tradition, rather than mission, is driving your strategy Why innovation and excellence can pull against each other, and how to tell which your culture values most Why inviting people in early means facing disagreement early, and why that is worth it How to build your team's capacity for change by starting small and learning from mistakes 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/how-to-encourage-innovation-in-christian-led-workplaces

Traders Point Christian Church's staff culture was once, in Greg Anderson's own words, "barely healthy." Since then, they've built a healthy, flourishing workplace culture — and the church itself has become one of the fastest-growing in the country. Executive Pastor Greg Anderson makes the case that those two facts are directly connected. He traces the turning point back to the humbling season after COVID, when an Employee Engagement Survey revealed a real disconnect: leadership thought the church's direction was clear, but staff didn't share that clarity. Greg discusses what his team changed in response, work that moved Traders Point into Best Christian Workplaces' flourishing range and earned it recognition as a Certified Best Christian Workplace. For any leader hoping to grow without it costing the staff who carry the mission, this conversation is worth the listen. You'll Gain Insight On: What a post-COVID survey revealed about the gap between leadership's clarity and staff's clarity Why a flourishing culture is what makes fast growth sustainable rather than destructive What it looks like to move a staff culture from barely healthy toward flourishing What leaders should protect first when growth accelerates You'll Gain Insight On: What a post-COVID survey revealed about the gap between leadership's clarity and staff's clarity How defining specific behaviors, not just values, shapes hiring, training, and accountability Why a flourishing culture is what makes fast growth sustainable rather than destructive What leaders should protect first when growth accelerates 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/how-traders-point-became-one-of-americas-fastest-growing-churches

A leader's metrics can be strong and their mission moving forward while their soul quietly erodes underneath — and most leaders miss it until it becomes a crisis. This conversation with Mindy Caliguire, co-founder and CEO of Soul Care, unpacks why external success so often hides internal depletion, what the early warning signs actually look like, and what it means to lead from overflow instead of constantly recovering to baseline. You'll Gain Insight On: The warning signs of soul depletion most leaders miss or ignore Why mission drive and soul care aren't meant to be opposing forces The difference between resting enough to function and leading from overflow A simple framework — a page, a person, a plan — for taking action 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/leadership-burnout-soul-care-for-christian-leaders-mindy-caliguire

Most leaders assume a toxic culture means bad people — but the leaders who turn it around know it usually means nobody's been tending the garden. Leaders inheriting a toxic culture face a familiar temptation: fix it fast, or avoid naming what's actually broken. Phil EuBank, Lead Pastor of Menlo Church, has led two church staff turnarounds — one in Colorado, one currently underway at Menlo Church— and shares what actually moves the needle versus what just feels like progress. This conversation covers honest measurement, difficult transitions, and the daily discipline healthy culture actually requires. You'll Gain Insight On Why culture assessments fail when leaders treat them as a checkbox instead of a growth tool The four-part framework for identifying where your team members stand on cultural change How to inherit a toxic culture without scapegoating the leaders who came before you Why full transparency with survey results builds more trust than a curated summary 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/toxic-culture-doesnt-mean-bad-people-it-means-nobodys-watering-the-garden

Most leaders think they still have time to figure out their AI policy. Dustin W. Stout says that clock ran out the moment their staff opened ChatGPT for the first time. Christian leaders are facing a technology shift moving faster than most policies can keep up with. In this episode, Dustin W. Stout — CEO of Magai and a former youth pastor — talks through why AI adoption inside organizations is already happening below the surface, why the extremes of fear and over-reliance both miss the point, and what it actually looks like to lead well through a moment this disruptive. You'll Gain Insight On Why "we haven't decided on AI yet" is already a decision How to think about AI as a tool rather than a threat or a savior What Dustin's own path from youth ministry to founding Magai reveals about calling and timing Where AI can free up a leader's time for the relational work only people can do 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/your-staff-is-already-using-ai.-do-you-have-a-policy

Not every leader gets to choose when growth arrives. David Corry, General Counsel for Liberty University, didn't choose the timing — but what he did with the opportunity is the real story. When Liberty University committed to investing in its leaders' growth, David Corry was one of the executives given the chance to go through a full 360 assessment. In this episode, David shares why he chose to lean fully into the process — engaging honestly with feedback instead of simply going through the motions. His story offers a real look at what humility, coaching, and sustained growth look like in practice for a leader who'd spent nearly five decades in the workforce without this kind of opportunity before. You'll Gain Insight On: How to respond well when change is required, not requested How to turn feedback into a workable monthly growth plan instead of an overwhelming list What it takes to recognize and interrupt decades-old leadership habits How coaching and honest self-assessment work together, even for veteran leaders 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/he-didnt-ask-for-a-360-he-chose-what-to-do-with-it

Most Christian leaders believe they value women's full contribution — but the structures working against that belief are often invisible until someone measures them. Leaders in Christian-led organizations are facing a quiet retention problem: women disengaging not over pay, but over voice, access, and influence. This episode unpacks how ordinary policies — job descriptions, meeting habits, mentorship norms — can unintentionally exclude women from decision-making, and why leaders often don't see it until someone brings the data. You'll Gain Insight On: Why structural bias hides inside well-intentioned policies What BCW's engagement data reveals about how women experience culture differently Practical personal, relational, and structural habits that close the gap Early signs of quiet disengagement leaders often miss 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/women-arent-leaving-over-pay-theyre-leaving-because-no-ones-listening

Most leaders who plateau aren't missing feedback — they're avoiding what honest feedback requires of them. Self-identification, it turns out, is only 20% of self-awareness. Leadership development has a blind spot of its own: it focuses heavily on skills while overlooking the inner work that growth actually demands. In this episode, leadership strategist and executive coach Amy Clark explores why so many leaders stall even after they've named their weaknesses, and offers a clear path forward. From the concept of the "edge of familiarity" — where leaders cling to the expertise that got them to their current role — to a simple two-question method for gathering honest feedback from the people they lead, Amy provides practical tools that build both self-awareness and team trust. You'll Gain Insight On Why knowing your blind spots is only 20% of self-awareness — and what the other 80% requires The "edge of familiarity" and how technical expertise quietly becomes a leadership ceiling Two direct questions that build self-awareness and trust without a formal review process Why care must be practiced rather than posted on a wall 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/the-leaders-who-stay-stuck-already-know-their-blind-spots

Many leaders assume disengagement is primarily a motivation or performance problem. But what if the real issue is that people no longer experience their work as life-giving? In this episode, Jay Bransford, President & CEO of Best Christian Workplaces, explores why Life-Giving Work is the second most powerful driver of employee engagement. Drawing from decades of workplace culture research, he explains how leaders unintentionally drain meaning from work, why role alignment matters, and how connecting daily tasks to mission can dramatically increase engagement and ownership. You'll gain insight into: • Why Life-Giving Work is one of the strongest drivers of engagement • How leaders unintentionally drain meaning from work • What happens when employees are in the wrong seat • Practical habits that create energized, flourishing teams 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/your-people-arent-burned-out-their-work-may-be-draining-the-life-out-of-them

Many Christian-led organizations are passionate about serving people externally—but struggle to care for the health of their own teams internally. In this episode, Michael Martin, President & CEO of ECFA, explains why flourishing cultures require intentional stewardship, leadership rhythms, and a deep commitment to caring for people well. Drawing from ECFA's experience building a 100th-percentile workplace culture, he shares how mission clarity, collaboration, employee voice, and healthy leadership practices strengthen both culture and Kingdom impact.  You'll gain insight into: • Why ECFA made culture one of its core strategic goals • How mission clarity creates stronger employee engagement • What leaders miss when they focus only on external ministry impact • Practical rhythms that help teams stay healthy and connected 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/the-strongest-ministries-dont-ignore-the-people-closest-to-them

Trust problems rarely begin with strategy. More often, they begin with fear, self-protection, and leaders trying to create stability externally while struggling internally. In this episode, Dr. Rob McKenna—CEO of WiLD Leaders and bestselling author of Whole Leaders, Wild Trust—shares why trust grows through honesty, vulnerability, and truth-telling rather than perfection. He explains how internal formation shapes team trust, why self-protection quietly destroys cultures, and what leaders can do to build environments where people feel safe enough to tell the truth.  You'll gain insight into: • why trust begins with personal formation before organizational transformation • how self-protection quietly erodes team trust • the three questions employees are silently asking every day • why high-trust teams confront reality faster 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/you-cant-build-external-trust-on-internal-instability

Employee engagement across Christian-led organizations has reached its highest level in 15 years. Yet nearly 4 in 10 employees still cannot bring their best to work each day. In this episode, Dr. Doug Waldo, Research Director and Senior Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explains what the 2026 State of the Christian Workplace Report reveals about trust in leadership, employee voice, and the organizational barriers that still limit engagement—and what leaders can do about them. You'll gain insight on: • why 61% engagement represents meaningful progress across Christian workplaces • how disengagement quietly reduces organizational capacity • the trust signals employees are looking for from leaders today • why giving staff a stronger voice improves engagement outcomes 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/engagement-hit-a-15-year-high-so-why-are-39-still-disengaged

Many leaders assume diversity creates tension on teams. But the deeper threat to engagement isn't difference—it's disconnection. In this episode, Dr. James Borishade of Circle Urban Ministries explains how leaders can create psychological safety across differences so teams remain unified around mission. He shares practical lessons on listening well, modeling humility, and repairing trust when leadership decisions unintentionally silence team voices. You'll gain insight on: • recognizing when withdrawal signals relational unsafety • inviting meaningful input before decisions are finalized • repairing trust through humility and accountability • creating space for diverse perspectives without losing alignment 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/diversity-isnt-the-problem-disconnection-is

What happens when leaders invite feedback before decisions are finalized instead of after they're announced? In this episode of Called to Flourish, Peter Krol, President, and Tom Hallman, Vice President of DiscipleMakers, share how their ministry built one of the most engaged workplace cultures in their sector by creating clear rhythms of listening, collaboration, and shared ownership. Rather than relying on top-down decision-making, they developed practical ways for staff to contribute input early—strengthening alignment as the organization expanded from 11 to 26 campuses. Their experience offers a compelling model for ministry leaders who want to grow without losing mission clarity or cultural health. You'll gain insight on: • Why inviting feedback early strengthens trust across teams • How shared fundraising builds unity throughout an organization • How engagement surveys help leaders detect culture drift sooner • What it takes to scale ministry while protecting mission alignment 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/ask-for-feedback-before-the-decision-how-disciplemakers-built-a-100th-percentile-ministry-culture

What happens when leaders stop guessing about culture and start listening to what their teams are actually experiencing? In this episode of Called to Flourish, Brad Cooper, Lead Pastor of Culture and Direction at NewSpring Church, shares how honest feedback and engagement surveys helped their leadership team face cultural blind spots, respond to a season of challenge, and build deeper trust across staff. Instead of relying on assumptions, they used data to clarify reality and strengthen alignment across the organization. This conversation offers practical insight for pastors and ministry leaders who want to build healthier teams through transparency, shared ownership, and intentional listening. You'll gain insight into: • Why facing the truth about culture is essential for building trust • How engagement surveys help leaders see what they might otherwise miss • What team-based leadership looks like in a healthy church culture • How consistent listening strengthens staff alignment over time 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/data-driven-leadership-how-facing-the-truth-about-culture-builds-trust-and-strengthens-your-church