The LeadingSmart Podcast

[S3EP26] Church Crisis Leadership: 4 Types of Crises and How Leaders Can Respond

In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate unpack the four types of crises churches commonly face: character, credibility, cash, and cultural. Drawing from Tim’s experience leading through crisis at Granger and Willow Creek, they discuss why crisis can feel like everything is on fire and how naming the type of crisis helps leaders focus on the right problem instead of spinning their wheels. They also talk about why communication matters when trust begins to erode, how credibility crises can form in the absence of clarity, why cash crises require courage and honesty, and how cultural crises can put pressure on church leaders in ways that feel impossible to navigate. Additional topics include: church crisis leadership church communication organizational trust leadership credibility church staffing and structure leading through change church health executive pastor leadership board and elder leadership Timestamps 00:00 Do the next right thing 01:15 Why churches need language for different types of crises 02:20 Tim reflects on leading through crisis at Granger and Willow Creek 05:20 Character crisis: when a leader’s failure creates public fallout 07:25 Credibility crisis: when trust in leadership begins to erode 10:20 When clarity lacks, negativity fills the void 13:35 Cash crisis: when the numbers tell a hard story 15:45 Cultural crisis: when outside events create pressure inside the church  17:00 How multiple crises can stack together 18:25 Why doing the next right thing is simple but not easy 20:00 How LeadingSmart helps churches navigate pivotal moments 20:50 Random segment: favorite travel brands 📱 Follow us for more insights and resources Instagram: @timstevens Facebook: @timstevens 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com [http://leadingsmart.com/] Need help facilitating your next staff retreat or strategic offsite? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] Houston listeners — join the Houston Roundtable on June 4th (only 25 spots). https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable [https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable] Listen to Leading In Real Time Podcast Series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ2wnxRYYqm_ThAiSPBwjH7vQH5i3H3aK Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast [https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast] Download The Simply Strategic Show  https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 [https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2] 📩 Have questions or want to connect? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962] Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?s...

[S3EP25] When Clarity Lacks, Negativity Fills the Void | Leadership Lessons for Church Teams

When clarity lacks, negativity fills the void. In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate discuss why communication and clarity are essential for healthy church teams. Drawing from real consulting conversations this week, they unpack how unclear expectations create assumptions, frustration, and tension inside organizations — especially during seasons of growth and change. They also reflect on one year of the LeadingSmart Podcast, sharing lessons they’ve learned about consistency, audience growth, practical leadership content, and why authentic conversations are resonating more than highly polished production. Additional topics include: * church leadership * staff culture * team communication * organizational health * leadership development * ministry growth Timestamps 00:00 Why clarity matters in church leadership 01:45 Real leadership lessons from this week’s consulting work 03:10 “When clarity lacks, negativity fills the void” 04:30 Why unclear expectations create team frustration 06:15 What happens when fast-growing churches lack structure 08:00 Reflecting on one year of the LeadingSmart Podcast 10:45 Why weekly podcasting started working for Tim & Holly 12:00 Lessons from Season 1, 2, and 3 13:30 Why practical leadership content is outperforming polished production 15:00 The real reason the podcast started growing 17:00 Why every audience responds differently to content 18:15 Consistency vs chasing trends 19:00 The importance of serving the right audience 20:00 Tim gets recognized at pickleball because of the podcast 21:00 Podcasts Tim & Holly are listening to right now 24:00 Final thoughts for church leaders 📱 Follow us for more insights and resources Instagram: @timstevens Facebook: @timstevens 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com [http://leadingsmart.com/] Need help facilitating your next staff retreat or strategic offsite? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] Houston listeners — join the Houston Roundtable on June 4th (only 25 spots). https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable [https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable] Listen to Leading In Real Time Podcast Series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ2wnxRYYqm_ThAiSPBwjH7vQH5i3H3aK Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast [https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast] Download The Simply Strategic Show  https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 [https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2] 📩 Have questions or want to connect? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962] Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?s...

[S3EP24] How to Run a Staff Retreat That Actually Works: 4 Best Practices for Church Leaders

Welcome to episode 24 of The LeadingSmart Podcast! Have you ever walked away from a staff retreat thinking, "That was a complete waste of time"? You're not alone — and it's completely avoidable. In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Holly Tate and Tim sit down to unpack what makes church staff retreats genuinely effective — and what makes them a drain on your team's time, energy, and budget. Whether you're planning your first leadership retreat or trying to make your annual all-staff offsite actually matter, these four best practices will help you design a retreat your team won't forget. In this episode, you'll learn: * How to define a clear "win" before your retreat even starts * The difference between decisions to make vs. discussions to have (and why it matters) * Who should actually be in the room — and when to split leadership vs. all-staff retreats * Why a retreat isn't a retreat without intentional fun, shared meals, and real hang time * How to fund a retreat even when it's not in your budget Plus — Holly and Tim share their recent AI wins with Claude, ChatGPT, Descript, and Gemini, and how they're using these tools to save hours in their day-to-day work. 📱 Follow us for more insights and resources Instagram: @timstevens Facebook: @timstevens 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com [http://leadingsmart.com/] Need help facilitating your next staff retreat or strategic offsite? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] Houston listeners — join the Houston Roundtable on June 4th (only 25 spots). https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable [https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable] Listen to Leading In Real Time Podcast Series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ2wnxRYYqm_ThAiSPBwjH7vQH5i3H3aK Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast [https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast] Download The Simply Strategic Show  https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 [https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2] 📩 Have questions or want to connect? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962] Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?s...

[S3EP23] How Silos Destroy Organizations (And When They Might Actually Help)

Welcome back to episode 23 of The LeadingSmart Podcast! Silos are one of the most common — and most damaging — forces quietly undermining healthy church organizations. But how do you know when you have them, and what do you do about them? In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate tackle the silo problem head-on, with Tim sharing five specific ways silos hurt organizations and Holly bringing the heat on why she feels so passionately about this topic. From territorial mindsets that replace mission with ownership, to broken trust between teams, to volunteers who burn out because nobody's communicating — Tim and Holly give church leaders practical language and tools to identify and dismantle the silos that could be quietly fracturing your culture. And then Tim drops a hot take: are there times when a silo can actually be healthy? Holly's skeptical — but you'll have to tune in to find out if he convinces her. In this episode: * The 5 ways silos kill healthy organizations (including one specific to churches and volunteers) * Why territorial language — "my ministry," "my volunteers" — is a warning sign worth paying attention to * How silos hide problems until they're expensive to fix * Tim's "hot take" on when siloing your team might actually be the right move * A practical Venn diagram exercise to help leaders identify what they can — and can't — control * When it's time to stop protecting a culture that isn't yours to fix 📱 Follow us for more insights and resources Instagram: @timstevens Facebook: @timstevens 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com [http://leadingsmart.com/] Need help facilitating your next staff retreat or strategic offsite? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] Houston listeners — join the Houston Roundtable on June 4th (only 25 spots). https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable [https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable] Listen to Leading In Real Time Podcast Series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ2wnxRYYqm_ThAiSPBwjH7vQH5i3H3aK Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast [https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast] Download The Simply Strategic Show  https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 [https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2] 📩 Have questions or want to connect? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962] Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?s...

[S3EP22] The 4-Box Staff Evaluation Every Church Leader Needs (And Why It Prevents Culture Killers)

Welcome Back to Episode 22 of The LeadingSmart Podcast! Is your leadership team misaligned on staff performance? Are you holding on to people who are quietly killing your culture — or letting go of people who just need a better role? In this episode, Holly Tate and Tim walk you through one of the most powerful staff evaluation exercises they use in nearly every leadership gathering and consultation: The 4-Box Staff Framework. Using a simple 2x2 grid — with culture on one axis and performance on the other — you'll learn how to objectively assess every person on your team, have aligned conversations as a lead team, and know exactly what action to take for each person. In this episode, you'll learn: * How to define "culture fit" even if your church hasn't established formal staff values * How to rate every staff member on a 1–4 scale for both culture and performance * The 4 quadrants: Retain, Reposition, Remove, and Redeem — and what action each one requires * Why your top performers will leave if you don't address your culture killers * The difference between a PIP and a coaching plan — and when to use each * How to handle the "brilliant jerk": the person crushing their goals but destroying team culture * Why this exercise is gold during a financial crunch or staff restructure Whether you lead a team of 5 or 50, this framework will bring clarity to conversations your lead team has been avoiding — and give you a shared language for making hard, loving, and necessary decisions about your people. As always, please email us any topics you would like us to cover! 📺 Watch on YouTube at youtube.com/leadingsmart to see the actual framework graphic. 📅 Upcoming Events discussed in today's episode: * Large Church Gathering (10K+ attendance) — September https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings [https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings] * One-Day Experience in Houston — June  https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable [https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable] * Monthly Virtual Executive Pastor Cohort — open enrollment (email holly@leadingsmart.com [holly@leadingsmart.com] or tim@leadingsmart.com [tim@leadingsmart.com] for a free trial) * Graphic https://canva.link/4quadrantgraphic 📱 Follow us for more insights and resources Instagram: @timstevens Facebook: @timstevens 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com [http://leadingsmart.com/] Need help facilitating your next staff retreat or strategic offsite? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] Houston listeners — join the Houston Roundtable on June 4th (only 25 spots). https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable [https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable] Listen to Leading In Real Time Podcast Series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ2wnxRYYqm_ThAiSPBwjH7vQH5i3H3aK Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast [https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast] Download The Simply Strategic Show  https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 [https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2] 📩 Have questions or want to connect? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk [https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk] 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962] Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?s...