The LeadingSmart Podcast

What if the way we start this year could reshape how we lead, relate, and respond to the people around us?In the first episode of 2026, Holly Tate sits down with Tim to unpack one simple—but deeply challenging—leadership principle: believe the best. In a season marked by polarization, cynicism, and quick assumptions, they explore why choosing curiosity over judgment isn’t just a personal virtue, but a cultural necessity for healthy teams and organizations.Drawing from real leadership moments, personal failures, and organizational experience, Tim explains why “believing the best” was the single lesson he would keep from his 40 Lessons in 40 Years—and why it continues to shape how he leads today. Together, they wrestle with the tension leaders feel between extending trust and protecting their organizations, discuss how assumptions quietly erode culture, and offer practical ways to interrupt cynicism before it takes root.You’ll hear:Why most leaders naturally assume the worst (and how it shows up in everyday decisions)How curiosity can defuse conflict and build trustWhat it looks like to “trust but verify” without becoming cynicalPractical ways to create a culture that believes the best—without being naiveHow to recover when believing the best actually does lead to disappointmentWhether you’re leading a team, an organization, or simply trying to lead yourself better in the new year, this conversation sets the tone for Season 3 and invites you to lead with clarity, compassion, and intention.Let’s start 2026 by choosing to believe the best—and leading smarter because of it.Join us on a trip to Israel https://www.leadingsmart.com/israel📱 Follow us for more insights and resourcesInstagram: @timstevensFacebook: @timstevens 2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com 🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years serieshttps://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast Download The Simply Strategic Show https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 📩 Have questions or want to connect?https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?si=8b6cc3d0a1124bdc

As we close out the year, we’re reflecting on the five biggest leadership lessons we learned in 2025—lessons shaped by real conversations with church leaders, boards, and executive teams across the country.In this season finale of LeadingSmart, Tim and Holly unpack what 2025 revealed about:Why many churches outgrow their board structure without realizing itHow men and women can lead together in healthy, effective waysWhy poor meeting discipline quietly damages staff cultureWhat senior pastors need to clarify before and after leadership transitionsAnd why consistency is harder—and more important—than most leaders expectThis is an honest, practical conversation about what’s working, what’s not, and what church leaders should pay attention to as they head into 2026.Whether you’re a senior pastor, executive pastor, board member, or ministry leader, this episode will help you reflect on the past year and move forward with greater clarity and intention. 📱 Follow us for more insights and resourcesInstagram: @timstevensFacebook: @timstevens 2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com 🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years serieshttps://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast Download The Simply Strategic Show https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 📩 Have questions or want to connect?https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?si=8b6cc3d0a1124bdc

Welcome Back to The LeadingSmart Podcast! In this episode, Tim and Holly take you inside a real-time strategic planning process with one of their client churches. They break down what a strategic plan actually is, what it isn’t, and why so many organizations get stuck by overcomplicating the process.Drawing from decades of experience, they explain why long-term three- to five-year plans are becoming less effective, how to build a roadmap your team can align around, and why collaboration and early “weigh-in” create lasting buy-in.You’ll hear how they gathered input from staff, key leaders, and the congregation, how they filtered ideas down to what deserves disproportionate focus, and the exact steps they use to help churches form a plan that reflects who they are and where God is leading them next.Whether your team feels overwhelmed by too many initiatives, unclear about direction, or stuck after finishing a major milestone, this episode offers a practical and honest framework for building a strategic plan that actually works.📱 Follow us for more insights and resourcesInstagram: @timstevensFacebook: @timstevens 2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com 🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years serieshttps://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast Download The Simply Strategic Show https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 📩 Have questions or want to connect?https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?si=8b6cc3d0a1124bdc

Episode 5: Executive Team Meetings That Actually Work | Leading Smart PodcastWelcome back to Season 3 of the LeadingSmart podcast—leading in real time, where ideas spark mid-week, inspiration hits on Zoom calls, and yes… sometimes Tim is literally recording from a hotel room overlooking LAX.In this episode, Holly and Tim dive deep into one of the most misunderstood, overcomplicated, and under-disciplined parts of church leadership: executive team meetings.Turns out, even the big churches feel unsure about cadence, structure, and how to stop talking in circles. So we break it all down—tactically, honestly, and with plenty of laughs.Inside this episode, you’ll learn:• The ideal cadence for an executive meeting (and why weekly works best)• How long these meetings should really be• Agenda frameworks that reduce confusion and clarify who decides what• How to use goals, dashboards, and priorities without overengineering them• The collaborative tools every team should be using• The “end-of-meeting discipline” that prevents miscommunication• Why offsites are an investment, not an indulgence• And a “Hot Takes on the Holidays” segment you didn’t know you neededIf you’ve ever sat in a meeting wondering, “Didn’t we already decide this?” or “Why are we talking about this again?” — this episode is for you.Helpful LinksHave a question or episode topic? Email us at [email protected]📱 Follow us for more insights and resourcesInstagram: @timstevensFacebook: @timstevens 2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com 🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years serieshttps://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast Download The Simply Strategic Show https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 📩 Have questions or want to connect?https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?si=8b6cc3d0a1124bdc

Tim and Holly dive into one of their favorite tools for helping leadership teams work better together: the Working Genius assessment from Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group.Here's the thing most leaders miss: your team isn't lacking intelligence, resources, or talent. The problem is you're not working together well. That's where Working Genius comes in. Unlike personality assessments like Myers-Briggs or Enneagram that help you understand yourself, Working Genius shows you how to actually get work done as a team.In this episode, Tim and Holly break down the six stages every project goes through - Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity (W-I-D-G-E-T). They explain why some people love brainstorming sessions while others want to scream "just make a decision already," and how understanding these differences keeps your meetings from dragging on forever with the wrong people in the room.You'll learn about the critical "decision line" that most executive teams blow right past (causing confusion for everyone else), why sitting in endless discernment loops kills momentum, and how to stop wasting time in meetings that drain your energy instead of filling your tank.This episode is for executive pastors, lead pastors, and leadership teams who are tired of butting heads, frustrated by inefficient meetings, or wondering why great ideas never seem to make it across the finish line. If you've ever thought "we have plenty of smart people - why can't we get this done?" this conversation will help you figure out what's actually holding your team back.Find out what your working genius is here:https://www.workinggenius.com/about/assessment📱 Follow us for more insights and resourcesInstagram: @timstevensFacebook: @timstevens 2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings 💻Visit LeadingSmart.com 🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years serieshttps://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast Download The Simply Strategic Show https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2 📩 Have questions or want to connect?https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk 🔔 Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?si=8b6cc3d0a1124bdc