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In this encouraging leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole tackles one of ministry's hardest questions: how do you know when it's time to stay, and when it's time to go? Drawing on a courageous conversation she almost avoided, she shares a framework for making that decision, along with the difference between biblical hope and magical thinking. You'll gain a framework for deciding whether to stay or go in a hard ministry situation, a way to tell whether someone is genuinely changing or just saying the right things, and why loyalty and faithfulness aren't the same thing. This is also the final episode of Season One – thank you for listening this season! I'd love your feedback as we wrap up: email me at [email protected]. TIMESTAMPS 00:41 - When is it time to leave? The complexity of ministry transitions  01:28 - The framework: know, ask, watch, decide  02:10 - Step 1: Know what you want — get specific  02:45 - Step 2: Ask for what you want (Kadi's story)  04:06 - Step 3: Watch what happens  06:10 - Step 4: Make your decision based on reality Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this grounding leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole tackles a word we reach for too quickly: toxic. She walks through four distinct categories of church culture, from extraordinary to truly toxic, and the one principle that keeps you from mislabeling what you're actually experiencing. You'll gain a clear way to assess both your immediate team and the wider culture around you, language for telling an unhealthy season apart from genuine toxicity, and a practical next step for seeing your environment more accurately. TIMESTAMPS 00:41 - Healthy vs. unhealthy vs. toxic: why discernment matters  01:29 - Four categories of church culture 02:41 - Extraordinary culture  04:31 - Healthy culture  06:29 - Unhealthy culture  09:33 - Toxic culture  Email us at [email protected] and tell us what has been helpful from the Female Church Leaders Podcast Season 1! Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this practical leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole reframes a task many leaders treat as throwaway: giving church announcements. For many female church leaders, it's one of the first platform opportunities they're given, and how you handle it shapes how much responsibility you're trusted with next. She offers three keys to making it count. You'll gain a way to connect an announcement to your church's vision instead of just reading a calendar, why preparing three minutes well can be harder than a full message, and what to think through before you step on the platform. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Welcome & introduction  02:23 - Key #1: Connect people to the vision, not just the event  04:50 - Key #2: Prepare so well you can stay present and on time  07:54 - Key #3: Minimize distractions — delivery, movement & wardrobe  11:37 - Colossians 4:5-6 encouragement  12:16 - Action step & closing Resources mentioned: Sticky Floor Quiz Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this thoughtful leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole tackles one of the hardest ministry leadership calls: knowing when to keep developing a volunteer in their current role, and when it's time to help them move on. Drawing from a personal story, she walks through how to diagnose what's really going on before making a change. You'll learn how to question yourself about keeping someone for their good versus your convenience, a way to tell a gifting problem from a discipleship one, and how to transition to a volunteer without losing the relationship. TIMESTAMPS 01:04 - Story: navigating a volunteer mismatch  03:28 - Key principle: use ministry to build people  03:42 - Step 1: Diagnose the real problem  06:01 - Step 2: Recognize when to move someone on  07:54 - Step 3: Transition without losing connection Resources mentioned: Sticky Floor Quiz Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this candid leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole shares a personal story about finally getting help from someone who actually knew what they were doing, and how it completely reshaped the way she thinks about coaching female church leaders. You'll gain four specific qualities to look for when choosing a coach, what Kadi means by "sticky floors," and the Exodus 18 picture of letting someone further down the road help you see what you can't see on your own. Last week to enroll in CLG before doors close on Thursday, October 1st! Click here for more info and to enroll; https://www.kadicole.com/closingtheleadershipgap This week I'm teaching The Competency Gap Live Training live - register here: https://www.kadicole.com/clglivewebinar TIMESTAMPS 02:27 - Why she started coaching female church leaders  03:35 - Why women need different leadership development  06:00 - What to look for in a coach  06:05 - #1 Real church leadership experience  07:52 - #2 Understands leadership challenges unique to women  09:25 - #3 The right person, not just the right resume Resources mentioned: Make Your Stewardship Case; https://www.kadicole.com/stewardship Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this clarifying leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole tackles why some decisions come easily while others – even small ones – leave us stuck. She walks through three common traps that stall decision-making, then introduces a simple three-question tool called 10-10-10 to help you move forward with clarity instead of circling. You'll gain a way to tell how much time any decision actually deserves, a look at the three traps most likely to be slowing you down, and what James 1 says about the difference between wisdom and indecision. This week I'm teaching The Competency Gap Live Training live - register here:  https://www.kadicole.com/clglivewebinar TIMESTAMPS 01:14 – The 3 decision-making traps  01:29 – Trap 1: Overthinking  03:18 – Trap 2: Avoiding risk  04:21 – Trap 3: Relational complexity  05:32 – The 10/10/10 decision tool 09:01 – This week's action step Resources mentioned: Make Your Stewardship Case; https://www.kadicole.com/stewardship Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this insightful leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole tackles one of the hardest calls in ministry leadership: knowing when a volunteer role is ready to become a staff role. She walks through three specific symptoms that signal a shift is due, plus how to leverage unpaid staff roles when budgets are tight. You'll gain a way to tell whether someone is ready to lead a team, not just do the tasks, what actually separates an unpaid staff role from being a committed volunteer, and a simple next step for evaluating a role you've been questioning. This week I'm teaching The Competency Gap Live Training live - register here! TIMESTAMPS 03:57 – Volunteer vs. staff: it's about expectations, not pay 04:02 – Symptom 1: role has outgrown volunteer capacity 05:11 – Symptom 2: high volunteer leadership turnover 06:18 – Symptom 3: role is holding back other ministries 11:21 – Acts 6: the biblical model for delegating ministry 13:22 – Resources: Stewardship Case guide & upcoming training Resources mentioned: Make Your Stewardship Case; www.kadicole.com/stewardship Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this relevant leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole explores why advocating for your own development can feel more complicated than advocating for everyone else’s. Drawing from conversations with senior pastors and executive leaders, she identifies five common mistakes women make when asking their church to invest in their growth. You’ll gain practical insight into approaching development as stewardship, making a stronger case for investment, and navigating the conversation in a way that honors both your leadership growth and the church you serve. This week I'm teaching The Competency Gap Live Training live - register here! TIMESTAMPS 01:48 – Mistake #1: Waiting for someone else to invest in your growth  04:23 – Mistake #2: Not showing how your development benefits the church  06:11 – Mistake #3: Not preparing to make it an easy yes  07:21 – Mistake #4: Failing to be honest and honoring  08:29 – Mistake #5: Assuming a full yes is the only good answer  11:13 – Resource: Make Your Stewardship Case & Closing the Leadership Gap cohort Resources mentioned: Make Your Stewardship Case; www.kadicole.com/stewardship Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this practical leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole explores an often-overlooked part of growing your influence: how you show up in the room with other leaders. She unpacks why what we intend to communicate and what others experience can be very different — especially when we're working hard to fit in or prove ourselves. You'll gain a simple READY framework for reading the room, engaging relationally, arriving prepared, delivering value, and supporting team decisions — so you can contribute as a mature, trusted member of the leadership team. TIMESTAMPS 00:47 – Why some strong female leaders get held back from promotion  06:05 – The 5-step READY framework overview  06:17 – R – Read the room  07:08 – E – Engage relationally  08:46 – A – Arrive prepared  09:43 – D – Deliver value  10:41 – Y – Yield to the decision Resources mentioned: The Competency Gap Quiz; thecompetencygapquiz.scoreapp.com Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this strategic leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole explores why the skills that make you effective at one level of leadership aren't always the ones you need for the next. For many female church leaders, implementation is a well-developed muscle — but growing influence also requires the ability to cast compelling vision. You'll gain a practical framework for communicating the WHAT and WHY, learn to distinguish vision from strategy, and strengthen your ability to help people see a preferred future they want to help create. TIMESTAMPS 00:50 - Two leadership muscles: implementation vs. vision casting  01:46 - Why you need both working together  03:07 - The multi-site trap: mistaking strategy for vision  04:50 - Start with Why: connecting to purpose  05:59 - The past-present-future framework  08:58 - Nehemiah's vision cast in scripture Resources mentioned: The Competency Gap Quiz; thecompetencygapquiz.scoreapp.com Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this timely leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole returns to the Leading Moms series with four practical strategies for navigating the transition into a new school and ministry year. Drawing from her own experience as a working mom and ministry leader, she shares lessons that shaped how she approached this demanding season. You'll gain practical ideas for planning around what matters most, adjusting family responsibilities as seasons change, and creating space to embrace both motherhood and leadership as important parts of God's transforming work in your life. TIMESTAMPS 00:48 - Leading Moms series: back-to-school edition  02:02 - Lessons from the Gifted to Lead conference  04:16 - Strategy 1: School calendar as a "big rock"  08:02 - Strategy 2: Ask your kids what matters most  09:47 - Strategy 3: Rethink outsourcing this year  12:05 - Strategy 4: Reset from summer to school-year mode Resources mentioned: The Competency Gap Quiz; thecompetencygapquiz.scoreapp.com Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this encouraging leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole explores one of the most overlooked skills in healthy ministry: evaluation. Drawing from two very different ministry cultures, she unpacks why many leaders either avoid honest evaluation or unintentionally create fear around it, and how both extremes limit long-term ministry health. You'll gain practical insight into separating people from programs, creating a culture that celebrates and evaluates well, and using honest feedback to strengthen your ministry without discouraging the people who serve in it. TIMESTAMPS 01:02 - Two unhealthy ministry cultures: fear of critique vs. denial through over-celebration 02:33 - The importance of healthy, honest evaluation (not personal feedback) 02:54 - Challenges of evaluation with volunteer teams 05:39 - Distinguishing between celebration (morale) and evaluation (effectiveness) 06:47 - Practical steps: Separate meetings for celebration and evaluation 06:59 - Key questions for celebration and evaluation meetings Resources mentioned: The Competency Gap Quiz: thecompetencygapquiz.scoreapp.com Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this strategic leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole concludes the Spiritual Gifts Summer Series by highlighting three common mistakes that can unintentionally limit both people and ministry. Rather than simply filling roles, this episode reframes leadership as the intentional work of discovering, developing, and stewarding the gifts God has placed within His people. You'll gain practical insight into how spiritual gifts differ from personality and talent, how to recognize gifts in unexpected people, and how small leadership shifts can create a culture where both people and the Kingdom flourish. TIMESTAMPS 02:12 - The purpose of ministry: using ministry to build people, not just fill roles 02:35 - Leadership Mistake #1: Prioritizing personality assessments over spiritual gifts 03:56 - Leadership Mistake #2: Confusing natural talents with spiritual gifts 06:14 - Leadership Mistake #3: Overlooking spiritual gifts in unexpected people 09:35 - Practical action steps: discovering and developing spiritual gifts in yourself and your team Resources mentioned: The Spiritual Gifts Leadership Toolkit: kadicole.com/spiritualgifts Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this grounding leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole concludes the Spiritual Gifts Summer Series by exploring three gifts that remind us leadership isn't only about strategy and stewardship—it's also about dependence on the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Tongues, and Interpretation. This episode offers a thoughtful framework for recognizing when faithful leadership has done all it can do and it's time to seek God's direction in a deeper way. You'll gain practical insight into how these gifts function, why they matter for healthy ministry, and how they help leaders discern when a challenge requires more than simply trying harder. TIMESTAMPS 01:15 - When leadership requires more than better strategy  01:28 - Don't spiritualize manageable things  02:27 - The gift of wisdom explained  03:29 - Where the gift of wisdom shows up in ministry  05:11 - Developing people with the gift of wisdom  05:56 - The gifts of tongues and interpretation introduced  Resources mentioned: The Spiritual Gifts Leadership Toolkit: kadicole.com/spiritualgifts Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

In this clarifying leadership episode of the Female Church Leaders Podcast, Kadi Cole continues the Spiritual Gifts Summer Series by exploring two gifts that shape how God's truth transforms people: Teaching and Prophecy. This episode unpacks the difference between communicating well, helping people truly learn, and leading others to respond faithfully to God's truth. You'll gain practical insight into how these gifts function, why they're often misunderstood, and how to develop people who strengthen both biblical understanding and spiritual discernment within your ministry. TIMESTAMPS 01:58 - Understanding the spiritual gift of teaching  03:34 - Teaching vs. transferring information - what really matters  04:23 - Women and teaching in different church contexts  06:04 - Introduction to the gift of prophecy  07:06 - Prophecy as a spectrum of truth-telling  07:48 - Characteristics of people with the gift of prophecy Resources mentioned: The Spiritual Gifts Leadership Toolkit: kadicole.com/spiritualgifts Next Steps and Resources: Take the Quiz: Identify your growth gap with our Sticky Floor Quiz at www.femalechurchleaders.com.Join a Cohort: Be part of our next Closing the Leadership Gap cohort for guided coaching and monthly Q&A with Kadi. Visit www.closingtheleadershipgap.com to learn more.Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram @femalechurchleaders for daily encouragement and leadership tools.Spread the Word: If you found this episode helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more female church leaders.Tune in and get ready to lead with clarity, strength, and joy. Your calling matters, and we're here to support you every step of the way!