What happens when it’s time for a senior pastor to step aside—and how can churches prepare before it becomes urgent?

In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast (Season 3: Leading in Real Time), Tim Stevens and Holly Tate break down the four most common pastoral succession scenarios they see when working with churches across the country. Whether you're a founding pastor, board member, or church leader, this conversation will help you think proactively about leadership transitions and avoid common pitfalls.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between a founding pastor vs. longtime pastor transition
• What happens during board-initiated succession (and why it’s often challenging)
• Why proactive succession planning is critical—even 10 years in advance
• The two biggest factors that delay healthy transitions: identity and finances
• How to prepare for succession before it becomes an emergency

If succession is on your radar—or even if it’s not yet—this episode will give you a framework to start thinking strategically and faithfully about the future of your church.

Resources mentioned:

• Download the Succession eBook: https://leadingsmart.com
• Register for the upcoming Succession Webinar (April 28): https://leadingsmart.com/podcast
• Book a call with the Leading Smart team: https://leadingsmart.com

Listen to more episodes on church leadership, succession, and healthy growth:
Subscribe for weekly insights from experienced church leaders navigating real-time challenges.

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
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💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

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Leadership isn’t just about stepping back… but what if stepping back is actually hurting your team?

In this episode of Leading Smart, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate unpack the real difference between empowering leadersand disengaged leaders—and why so many leaders get this wrong.

From “swoop and poop” leadership to decision-making authority, this conversation will challenge how you think about delegation, trust, and what it actually means to empower your team.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt like a bottleneck as a leader
• Worked under a leader who disappears… then reappears and changes everything
• Wondered how to truly empower your team without losing control

This episode is for you.

What we hope you will take away:

• The difference between delegating vs. empowering
• Why clarity (not just trust) is the key to healthy teams
• How disengagement can quietly damage your organization
• What “decision-making authority” really looks like in practice
• How to lead without becoming the bottleneck

Perfect For:

• Senior leaders & executive pastors
• Second-chair leaders / integrators
• Growing teams navigating leadership tension
• Anyone building (or rebuilding) a healthy leadership culture

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens

💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

📩 Have questions or want to connect?
https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk

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Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1IqLLXtvtZBEgRsM2gOXpO?si=8b6cc3d0a1124bdc

Welcome back to episode 16! Tim and Holly reflect on a year of unexpected transitions, courageous leadership, and the lessons that often only come through real-time experience.

As Holly approaches the one-year mark of relaunching The Ready Network, she shares a reflection called “12 Lessons in 12 Months.” What began as a simple exercise in reflection turned into a meaningful conversation about leadership, resilience, and what it takes to move forward when the future isn’t fully clear.

Together, Tim and Holly unpack several of the lessons that shaped the past year—from navigating uncertainty to leading with greater clarity and courage.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Why working with people you love and trust often matters more than the work itself
• How cultivating a mindset of gratitude can change how you lead through uncertainty
• Why doing things scared is often the fastest path to growth
• The difference between managing time and managing energy
• How leaders can get stuck in discernment loops and unintentionally stall momentum
• Why clarity creates momentum for teams and organizations
• How the rise of AI may actually increase the need for human connection

Plus, Tim and Holly share a few of their favorite newsletters, introduce new members of the LeadingSmart team, and continue the ongoing conversation about what it looks like to lead in real time.

If you're navigating change, building something new, or simply trying to grow as a leader, this episode offers practical insight and encouragement for the journey ahead.

Resources mentioned in today's episode:

Hollys book recommendation:https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Lion-Snowy-Day-Opportunity/dp/1601429290

Subscribe to the ready network:  https://www.thereadynetwork.com/

Hollys Favorite Newsletters: 

https://seths.blog/

https://fs.blog/check-your-email/

Tim's Favorite Newsletters: 

https://unbiasedjordan.substack.com/

https://sherwood.news/subscribe/

https://usafacts.org/

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
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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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

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Welcome back to Episode 15! 

What happens when you stop telling church leaders what to talk about — and actually ask them? In this episode of The LeadingSmart Podcast, hosts Tim and Holly Tate recap three back-to-back gatherings held in Palm Springs and Clearwater, Florida, sharing the raw, unfiltered topics that rose to the top when executive pastors and lead pastors were given the mic.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How they used ChatGPT and AI tools to analyze open-ended survey responses — and what surprising topics surfaced that never appeared on a preset list
• Why meeting structure and meeting culture became one of the hottest topics among church leaders in 2026
• How burnout and unsustainable pace showed up across both lead pastor and executive pastor groups
• What an org chart exercise with 20+ church leaders revealed about structure, staffing, and what's actually working
• Why pastoral succession is quietly front-of-mind for 20–25% of executive pastors — even when no transition is announced
• What made one attendee call this gathering "one of the best experiences in the last eight years"

Whether you're a lead pastor, executive pastor, or church operations leader, this episode is a window into the conversations happening in rooms across the country — and a reminder that you're not navigating these challenges alone.

Mentioned in this episode:

• LeadingSmart Gatherings (Palm Springs & Clearwater, FL)
• Upcoming Large Church Gathering (10,000+ attendance) — Registration opens next month
• Next Winter Gatherings launching in June
• Free eBook: Simply Strategic — available at leadingsmart.com/resources

Subscribe + get notified when June gathering dates go live → leadingsmart.com 

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens

💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

📩 Have questions or want to connect?
https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk

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Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962

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Culture is either getting better or getting worse — there's no neutral. And yet so many churches wait until something breaks before they pay attention to it. So how do you build a staff culture that's truly healthy, deeply owned, and actually lasts beyond a leadership transition or a hard season?

In this episode, Holly and Tim walk through the five practical steps LeadingSmart uses with churches of every size — from well-resourced megachurches to small church plants — to assess, define, and sustain a thriving team culture:

1. See it — Before anything can change, you have to know where you actually are. Take an honest, structured assessment of your current culture — and don't make the mistake of surveying your team and never sharing the results.
2. Say it — Define your values collaboratively, not top-down. This isn't a job for ChatGPT or a leadership offsite without the team. Real buy-in requires real weigh-in from the people who have to live it out every day.
3. Saturate it — Say the values so often you think you might vomit — and then keep going. Culture doesn't stick from a one-time announcement. It has to show up in every meeting, every conversation, and every decision.
4. Systematize it — Build the values into the regular rhythms of your organization. Monthly spotlights, staff newsletters, team meeting questions — if it's not in the system, it won't survive.
5. Spotlight it — What gets recognized gets repeated. Celebrate the people who are living out your values, and make sure you're celebrating the value itself, not just the person.

Tim also shares an unforgettable story from his time at Willow Creek — a typo on a stress cube that accidentally became the most powerful culture moment of the entire year, and a vivid reminder that how you handle the small moments says everything about who you really are as an organization.

If you're a church leader who wants to stop reacting to culture and start intentionally shaping it, this episode will give you a clear framework and the inspiration to get started.

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens

💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

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

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What are the biggest legal risks churches are facing right now?

In this episode of the Leading Smart Podcast, we sit down with church attorney Keith Richardson from Michael Best to unpack the top five legal issues impacting churches in 2026 — and what executive pastors, senior leaders, and boards must proactively address.

Keith and his team work with over 400 churches nationwide, giving him a front-row seat to the real challenges pastors are navigating today.

We cover:

• Child protection policies & abuse prevention – How to safeguard your church and properly respond to allegations
• Religious freedom & First Amendment rights – What churches need to know about the right to worship and protestors
• Church leadership transitions – How to avoid messy senior pastor exits and public fallout
• Church bylaws & board governance – Why outdated governing documents create personal liability for leaders
• AI in ministry – How artificial intelligence is reshaping church operations, sermon prep, and risk management

Whether you’re a lead pastor, executive pastor, board member, or church administrator, this episode will help you protect your church, steward your leadership well, and prepare for what’s ahead.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Do our child safety policies actually protect us?
• Could our board be personally liable?
• Are we legally prepared for a pastoral transition?
• Should we have an AI policy for our staff?
• What are our constitutional rights as a church?

This conversation is essential listening.

🎧 Subscribe for practical leadership insights, church governance strategy, and real-time guidance for leading in today’s changing legal and cultural landscape.

Get in touch with Keith Richardson at MichaelBest 

https://www.michaelbest.com/people/keith-richardson/ 

Email: [email protected]

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
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Facebook: @timstevens

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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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

📩 Have questions or want to connect?
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Are you navigating the transition from a founder-led church to a more sustainable governance model? In this episode, Tim and Holly break down the seven essential shifts every church board must make when moving from founder-led to governing board structures.

Drawing from real client experiences and decades of church consulting, they explore:

• How founder boards differ from governing boards and why both serve important purposes
• The shift from loyalty to the founder to loyalty to the mission
• Moving from operational involvement to strategic governance
• Implementing formal evaluation processes and succession planning
• Creating covenant-driven unity that outlasts any single leader

Whether you're a founding pastor preparing for succession, a church board member, or a senior leader thinking about long-term sustainability, this episode offers practical insights for building governance structures that will serve your church for generations to come.

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
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💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

📩 Have questions or want to connect?
https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk

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Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962

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How do you know if your church is overstaffed, understaffed, or positioned wisely for the future?

In Episode 11 of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate unpack one of the most common leadership questions churches ask: What is a healthy staffing percentage—and how do we know if ours is sustainable?

This episode walks through two critical metrics every lead pastor and leadership team should understand:

1. Personnel costs as a percentage of the church operating budget
2. Staff-to-attendance ratios using Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) calculations

Rather than offering rigid rules, Tim and Holly provide practical guardrails leaders can use to evaluate staffing decisions in light of their church’s mission, strategy, and growth stage.

You’ll learn how to calculate fully loaded staffing costs, account for part-time and contract staff, and recognize warning signs that staffing growth may be outpacing attendance or giving. The conversation also explores how staffing structures impact team morale, volunteer engagement, and long-term ministry effectiveness.

If you’re a lead pastor, executive pastor, or church leader responsible for stewardship, staffing, or culture, this episode will help you lead with greater clarity, wisdom, and confidence.

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens

💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

📩 Have questions or want to connect?
https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk

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Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962

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Welcome Back to Episode 10 of The LeadingSmart Podcast! 

Struggling to figure out when your church needs an executive pastor? You're not alone. In this episode of Leading Smart, hosts Holly Tate and Tim Stevens tackle one of the most common questions church leaders ask: when is it time to hire an XP, and what should that role actually look like?

Here's the challenge most churches face—the executive pastor role can mean wildly different things depending on your context. Some churches need a big E, little p (executive/pastor) who excels at operations, systems, and administration. Others need a little e, big P (executive/PASTOR) who brings strong ministry leadership, preaches regularly, and shepherds the team. And larger churches might need both through separate roles like Executive Pastor of Operations and Executive Pastor of Ministries.

In this practical conversation, Holly and Tim break down the key factors that determine when you need an XP. Spoiler alert: it's probably sooner than you think, but it also depends heavily on the wiring of your lead pastor and existing team. They explore how churches are creatively solving operational challenges through outsourcing in areas like finance, HR, IT, and legal support—freeing up staff to focus on high-impact ministry rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks.

You'll also discover a free self-assessment tool from Leading Smart that helps you identify whether you need someone who leans more executive or more pastoral. Whether you're a church of 150 or 1,500, this episode will help you think strategically about your staffing structure and avoid the trap of hiring someone just because "that's what churches do."

Key topics covered in this episode:

• When to hire an executive pastor (hint: probably sooner than you think)
• The difference between an "Executive" pastor and an "executive Pastor"
• How to use the free self-assessment tool to identify what kind of XP you need
• Smart outsourcing strategies for finance, HR, IT, and legal support
• The 25-50-100 dollar exercise for auditing your workload and prioritizing high-impact activities
• Return on energy versus cost savings when making staffing decisions
• How fractional services can free up your team to focus on ministry

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens

💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

📩 Have questions or want to connect?
https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk

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Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962

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Welcome back to episode 9! Are you drowning in administrative tasks? Struggling to focus on what only you can do as a church leader? You might need the right support role—but do you need an Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, or Chief of Staff?

In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate break down the critical differences between these three essential support roles and help you determine which one (or combination) is right for your church or organization.

Understanding the Three Roles:

Administrative assistants are reactive—they handle the day-to-day tasks like booking hotels, managing receipts, and scheduling meetings. 

Executive assistants are proactive—they represent you to your staff, discern what truly needs your attention, and keep everything else off your plate. 

The Chief of Staff role is rising in popularity, especially in large and complex church organizations, serving as an integrator of people development, strategic initiatives, and organizational health.

Tim shares insights from 30+ years of leadership, including his early inspiration from Leo McGarry on The West Wing, while Holly breaks down her hot take on how AI and automation will reshape these roles in the coming decade. They discuss why the right executive assistant takes 2-4 years to develop that perfect working relationship and how complementary Working Genius profiles (like Holly's DG pairing with Anna's ET) create powerful partnerships that energize rather than drain.

When Do You Need Each Role?

You don't need a mega church budget to benefit from these positions. Tim and Holly explain how churches with just 8-20 staff members can implement these roles part-time or as "hats" worn by existing team members. They share real examples of churches using volunteers in executive assistant capacities and creating new positions like "Director of Strategic Initiatives and Growth" to increase everyone's capacity.

This episode is perfect for senior pastors and lead pastors feeling overwhelmed, executive pastors building support structures, church leaders in multi-site or complex organizations, and anyone wondering if they need an executive assistant or evaluating their organizational structure.

📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens

💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

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

Download The Simply Strategic Show

 https://www.leadingsmart.com/books-2

📩 Have questions or want to connect?
https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk

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Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadingsmart-podcast/id1813933962

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