Marty Lamb is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s signed some incredible talent from high schools and colleges. Learning how to spot talent early isn’t an easy feat, so I’m grateful to hear some of his insights on what it takes to do just that every day. We get a chance to talk about some of his learnings on the road and the highlights of his career so far. Marty also takes time to share about the incredible work he does with Refuge for Women, a non profit organization that supports survivors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. 

Special thanks to our sponsor Stadia for sponsoring this episode!

Highlights

About Marty Lamb - 2:11

• Marty’s start as a baseball player.
• How he became a baseball scout.

What Does it Take to Spot Talent? - 08:29

• The qualities Marty looks for in an up-and-coming player.
• What makes an LA dodger different from other players?
• How do you balance the analytics with the classic way of scouting talent?

Marty’s Work with Refuge for Women - 43:32

• What is Refuge for Women?
• An in-depth look at the work they do to help women recover from sexual exploitation.

Resources

• Marty's Twitter
• Marty's Instagram
• https://www.mlb.com/dodgers
• https://refugeforwomen.org/ - Refuge for Women
• https://refugeforwomen.org/socal/ - The Southern California Branch of Refuge for Women
• https://survivormade.org/ - Products made by those housed by Refuge for Women.

Some of the best leadership lessons I've learned have come from conversations I've had with sports legends like Ned Yost on the podcast (you can listen here as he talks about how to build a winning team culture). But there's nothing like learning alongside a friend. That's why I'm glad to have Brad Williams back for this episode of Leading Simple. Join us as we sit down to talk about the lessons on leadership we’ve picked up on throughout the summer, our hopes for the Lakers, and why magnifying the positive is crucial for any leader.

Special thanks to Stadia for sponsoring this month's podcast.

Resources

• ​​Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks - Chris Herring
• Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win - Jocko Willink and Lief Babin
• Discipline Equals Freedom - Jocko Willink 
• Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell - by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle 
• A Beautiful Constraint - Andrew Morgan and Mark Barden
• Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men - Stephen Mansfield
• Become Your Most Masculine Self - Devotional
• Not in It to Win It: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines The Church - Andy Stanley
• Top Gun: Maverick - movie starring Tom Cruise

Kyle Idleman from Southeast Christian Church is my guest for this week's episode. What you may not know is that Kyle is the one who planted Real Life Church, where I am today.

As we sat down, I learned a bit more about what it was like for Kyle to grow up under the microscope as a pastor's kid. (Something my daughters know a little something about. You can listen to their take on being a pastor's kid here). He shared with me how being open and authentic can be a catalyst for a better connection with your people. We also got to talk about his new book One at a Time. Kyle shares some great insights in this episode that I hope are helpful for you too.

Special thanks to our sponsor for the month, Stadia Church Planting!

Highlights

About Kyle - 2:05

• Kyle’s start in ministry
• Planting Real Life Church

From under the microscope to in the fishbowl - 20:28

• Kyle’s experiences as a pastor’s kid
• How that helped him navigate being a pastor himself
• Understanding brokenness
• The importance of vulnerability in leadership

Leading Southeast Christian Church - 33:02

• Stepping into the senior pastor role at Southeast Christian
• What it was like following not just one legend but two
• How to navigate a pastoral transition well.

Resources

• Kyle’s Website
• One at a Time - Kyle Idleman's book
• Southeast Christian Church

The Kansas City Royals were a significant part of my childhood. So, imagine how excited I am to have Ned Yost on the podcast. Ned Yost was the manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2014-15 when they went to the World Series and won. Ned and I sit down and talk all things baseball, of course. I got to hear some of the lessons he’s learned as a coach, how he listened to his instincts and honed his ability to develop talent. Ned also talked about his faith journey: how he because a Christian and how his faith ultimately impacted his coaching. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to learn incredible lessons from Ned’s life and leadership. And if you are a baseball fan, I have to say that this will be a special episode for you.

Lance Witt joins me on the podcast this week, and we’re talking about burnout. Burnout is an issue that I think every person, no matter their industry, has had to navigate. Lance openly shares his experience as a pastor at Saddleback and the pivotal moment when he realized he needed a shift in his life. Lance also provides some helpful tips on combating burnout and increasing your self awareness, so that you can lead and work from a healthier place.

Savannah Kimberlin is the Director of Research Solutions at Barna Group, and I am honored to have her as a guest on the podcast this week. Sometimes, data and statistics can be a little intimidating to people (myself included). Thankfully, there are people like Savannah and the incredible team at Barna Group who are called to research so we can see how the numbers reflect the world around us.

Join Savannah and me as we talk through what our culture and faith look like after COVID, how to use trends in data to inform how you lead your organization, and what the stats have to say about how different generations engage church and faith.

Special thanks to Growmentum for being our sponsor this month.

There are so many great articles and podcasts out there about how to create a healthy staff culture.

This is not one of them.

This week, Rusty reflects on how he broke his staff culture, and what it took to repair it.

Paul Hicks joins Rusty on the podcast this week. He is a part of Search Ministries based in Texas, along with another Leading Simple guest, Bruce Matthews.

When we think about evangelism, our minds can immediately go to planning some big event with a lot of people. But in Rusty's conversation with Paul, he breaks down a process to share your faith that is centered on one person, one day at a time.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get more confident in sharing the gospel with people who may not believe in God, or you are curious about what it means to make disciples, then you’ll enjoy hearing Paul's insights.

Mark and Michelle McKinney are co-pastors, parents, and the first dynamic duo on Leading Simple. Rusty sits down with the two of them to talk about the ups and downs of being a part of a church community. 

Michelle shared her experiences as a pastor, a pastor’s wife, and with her children. Mark also gave some advice to husbands about what it can look like to support their partner through difficulty. Plus, if you are considering adoption, the McKinneys walk you through some things you should think about before starting the process. 

Special thanks to our sponsor this month, Leadr.