Great leadership is about knowing who you are and who you are not. In part one of this podcast series, I shared the first 5 marks of a highly-differentiated leader. On today’s podcast, I continue by sharing 5 more attributes that deserve careful consideration. Why? Because the cost of lowly-differentiated leadership is enormous: We diminish the long-term impact of our ministries. We allow the wrong people exercise power and leadership. We perpetuate immaturity. We grow resentful and live in dis-ease. We waste the time, energy, and money of God’s people. We increase anxiety in everyone around us. We, and our community, become less playful (and more “intense/heavy.”) The good news is that godly, highly-differentiated leadership is the pathway to freedom, a lighter yoke, less worry, better relationships, clearer goals, and more joy! With you on the journey, Pete Scazzero

Everything rises and falls on the character and inner life of the leader. The apostle Paul seemed to believe so as well. He writes to his spiritual son Timothy that “whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” (1 Tim. 3:1) I believe the great need of our day is for us to become godly, highly-differentiated leaders while developing other leaders in the same way. In today’s episode, I share five marks of a highly-differentiated leader and how to start becoming one today. Truth be told – it’s hard work. But MUCH harder should you avoid the work. Highly-differentiated leadership is the pathway to freedom, a lighter yoke, less worry, better relationships, clearer goals, and more joy!

Every day, people all around us live in a chronic state of dread, anxious about what tomorrow will bring. Nations and economies are crumbling. News media agitates our deepest fears. It often feels like the ground is shaking beneath our feet. In a time like this, it is critical that we continue to LIVE and LEAD out of deep rest in Christ. But how do we break free from the gravitational pull of bad news and despair? I believe we must recalibrate a biblical vision of HOPE. (Hint: it’s more than optimism) Let’s be clear – this doesn’t happen easily. We must contend for God’s vision of reality and vigilantly pursue deep rest in Christ. In today’s podcast episode, I share keys to cultivating hope and deep rest. With you on the journey, Pete Scazzero  

Hiring new staff (paid or volunteer) is one of the most difficult responsibilities of church leadership.  The difference between the right hire and the wrong hire will have a long-term consequences in your church. Two weeks ago on the podcast, I brought the first part of “Emotionally Healthy Hiring (Paid or Volunteer)”, in which we covered the first 7 principles that leaders must consider before making a hire. Today, I bring the second part, offering the next 6 out of 13 principles for emotionally healthy hiring. (It’s shocking to hear how often principle #11 is overlooked when hiring staff!) ➡️ Along with this episode, today we launch a FREE resource bundle to help you craft a “Rule of Life” for your staff and leadership team. I pray it is helpful! With you on the journey, Pete Scazzero

Churches around the world are rebuilding in a post-pandemic world. Leaders are assembling new teams and desperately trying to fill vacant positions. The temptation to cut corners in your hiring process (paid or volunteer) is ENORMOUS. When you feel the pressure to onboard a new worship leader or children’s pastor in order to keep “the wheels on the bus”, it’s easy to make poor hiring decisions. In my experience, hiring staff and leaders is one of the most difficult tasks of church leadership. I’ve made plenty of mistakes (some disastrous). The truth is – one bad hire can sabotage the culture you are building in your church. And the right person, hired at the right time, can breathe new life into everything you are doing. In today’s podcast, I share 7 out of 13 principles that MUST be considered before your next hire. On the following podcast, I will release part two of this series with the. Read more.

Today, very few church leaders feel like they are winning. We look at our churches compared to what they used to be or what we’d like them to be, and it’s hard to feel like we’re making a real difference. So we’re faced with a difficult temptation… Do we use our best energy to chase the perception of momentum? Or do we pursue heaven’s perspective and seek to live with integrity from the inside out? In the book of Revelation, we get a snapshot of the condition of 7 first-century churches. Through John’s revelation, Jesus addresses each church uniquely. They were different in the challenges they faced, but here’s what was common. They each had a limited perception of reality and desperately they needed the Light of heaven to illuminate truth in a fresh way. In the same way, we all need to see things from Jesus’ perspective. When we do, we’ll be free to live and lead. Read more.