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

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Church giving not growing like it used to? You're not alone. In the 3rd episode of the LeadingSmart podcast, hosts Holly Tate and Tim Stevens sit down with generosity consultant David Whiting to unpack a 6 steps revolutionary framework for understanding and growing church generosity.

David, a dear friend of Tim's for over 50 years and consultant with Generosity OS, reveals his six-level framework for church giving that's helping churches across the country break through plateaus and build sustainable cultures of generosity.

What You'll Learn:

The 6 Levels of Church Giving:

• Level 1: Duty-Based Giving
• Level 2: Worship-Based Giving
• Level 3: Needs-Based Giving
• Level 4: Mission-Based Giving
• Level 5: Disciple-Based Giving
• Level 6: Legacy/Kingdom-Based Giving

Plus: 

-  How to diagnose where your church is strong (and weak) in generosity 

-  Why most churches struggle with the 2-minute offering moment (and how to fix it) 

-  How to create a 52-week giving calendar that keeps your messaging fresh 

-  The difference between transactional and transformational generosity 

-  Why younger generations give differently than older generations 

- How one church increased giving by 27% in one year 

- The biggest mistakes pastors make during offering talks

Perfect For:

• Lead Pastors seeking to grow church giving
• Executive Pastors managing church finances
• Stewardship committee members
• Church leaders planning capital campaigns
• Anyone interested in biblical generosity and discipleship

David Whiting is a church consultant specializing in generosity with Generosity OS and Leading Smart. With decades of experience as a lead pastor and consultant, David has helped hundreds of churches transform their culture of giving from transactional duty to transformational discipleship.

Connect with David Whiting: [email protected] | [email protected] 

Learn more about Generosity OS: generosityos.com

#ChurchLeadership #ChurchGiving #Generosity #PastoralMinistry #ChurchGrowth #Stewardship #LeadingSmart

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Gen Z Church Attendance & Young Adult Ministry: The Great Return to Church | Leading Smart Podcast S3E2

Discover why Gen Z and millennials are now the most regular churchgoers, outpacing older generations for the first time in decades. In this episode of the Leading Smart podcast, hosts Tim Stevens and Holly Tate explore groundbreaking Barna research on church attendance trends, young adult ministry, and Generation Z spiritual formation.

Read more in this article: https://www.barna.com/research/young-adults-lead-resurgence-in-church-attendance/

Topics Covered:

• Gen Z church attendance statistics and millennial churchgoers data (2025 Barna research)
• Church growth strategies for reaching young adults and Gen Z
• Discipleship pathways for younger generations
• Church giving trends and generosity challenges with new attendees
• Post-COVID church attendance patterns and why older generations haven't returned
• Young adult ministry best practices and spiritual formation strategies
• Church leadership challenges in ministering to Gen Z and millennials
• Rethinking Sunday service planning when attendees come 1.9 times per month
• Building community and relational connections with younger churchgoers
• Generation Distinct interview: young leaders responding to spiritual curiosity

This episode is perfect for, church leaders, pastors, ministry leaders, church staff, worship leaders, executive pastors, and anyone interested in church growth, Gen Z ministry, young adult outreach, discipleship strategies, and contemporary church leadership trends.

Learn practical strategies for spiritual formation, volunteer engagement, and creating meaningful touchpoints with the next generation of churchgoers. 

Generation Distinct: https://www.generationdistinct.com/

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Welcome to Season 3 of The LeadingSmart Podcast!

Join co-hosts Holly Tate and Tim Stevens as they tackle the real, unfiltered challenges facing church leaders today in real-time. With decades of combined experience consulting with churches across the country, Holly and Tim bring honest conversations about what's actually happening in ministry leadership right now.

Season 3 dives into the hot-button issues you're thinking about but might not be discussing openly—starting with women in leadership, team dynamics, and the evolving landscape of church culture. Whether you lead in a complementarian or egalitarian context, you'll find practical wisdom, research-backed insights, and actionable strategies to help your church thrive.

This isn't about changing your theology—it's about improving your leadership. Each episode features:

• Real-world examples from churches making it work
• Research and data on current ministry trends
• Practical takeaways you can implement immediately
• Honest discussions about the challenges (and solutions) no one else is talking about

Holly and Tim don't shy away from complexity. They lean into it, offering nuanced perspectives that respect diverse theological positions while pushing every leader to do better for their teams and congregations.

Perfect for: Lead pastors, executive pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone invested in building healthier church teams.

New episodes release weekly. 

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🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
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Officially launching Season 3, October 28! This season is all about leading in real-time.

Tim Stevens and Holly Tate tackle the biggest leadership challenges facing executives and managers today bringing you timely leadership insights as events unfold. This season focuses on real-time leadership strategies, practical management tips, and proven frameworks for navigating rapid organizational change.

What You'll Learn This Season:
✅ How to run effective executive team meetings and leadership summits
✅ Mastering crucial conversations and difficult workplace discussions
✅ Leading through uncertainty and organizational change management
✅ Real-time decision making when there's no playbook
✅ Current leadership trends and business strategy insights from North America

🎉 BONUS: The Simply Strategic Show 20th Anniversary Edition
We're partnering with The Unstuck Group to re-release all 37 episodes of the original podcast Tony Morgan and I launched two decades ago—now available for the first time in years!

📌 Subscribe now to get notified when Season 3 drops next week!

00:00 Welcome to Season Three of the Leading Smart Podcast!
00:35 Reflecting on Past Seasons and Production Challenges
02:01 What to Expect in Season Three
03:30 Special Announcement: Simply Strategic Show Re-release
03:56 Honoring Tony Morgan and the Simply Strategic Show
05:03 Conclusion and How to Access Resources

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2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings

💻Visit LeadingSmart.com

🎧 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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After 40 years in full-time ministry, what keeps someone from becoming bitter, burned out, or cynical? In this final episode of Season 2, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate dive deep into guarding your heart in ministry and maintaining faith for the long haul. Most ministry leaders either give up, burn out, or become resentful within their first decade of service. So how do you make it 40 years while still loving Jesus, loving people, and staying passionate about the mission? 

Tim shares hard-won wisdom from four decades of church leadership, including his time at Granger Community Church, Vanderbloemen Search Group, and Willow Creek Community Church. In this honest conversation, they explore the hidden dangers that erode a leader's heart over time - from the insidious nature of comparison at pastors' conferences to the personal pain of watching staff members leave. They tackle the unhealthy codependency many leaders develop with their churches, the controlling posture that damages teams, and why your identity must be separate from your ministry role. 

But this isn't just about what can go wrong - Tim provides actionable strategies for staying healthy in ministry for the long haul. Learn how to structure your days, weeks, months, and years for sustainable ministry; why taking a nap might be the most spiritual thing you do today; and how to maintain an open-handed, kingdom-minded approach when people inevitably leave your team. Whether you're a lead pastor, worship leader, student pastor, executive pastor, or anywhere on the church staff, this episode offers practical wisdom to help you finish well. Success in the long game isn't about being paid full-time in ministry for 40 years - it's about keeping your faith intact and your heart soft toward God and people, no matter where your career takes you.

🔑 KEY TOPICS COVERED:
- Warning signs of ministry burnout (bitterness, cynicism, being guarded)
- The danger of comparison in church leadership
- Why people leave churches - and how to handle it with grace
- Separating your identity from your ministry role
- Practical rhythms for rest: daily, weekly, monthly, and annual strategies
- What "success" in the long game really means

"Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap. Rest isn't weakness. You are not the savior. He already came."

This episode is perfect for church leaders, pastors, ministry staff, and anyone serving in vocational ministry who wants to stay healthy for the long haul.

#MinistryLeadership #ChurchLeadership #PastorBurnout #ChurchStaff #LeadershipPodcast #FaithAndWork

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🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
https://www.leadingsmart.com/podcast

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Welcome back to Episode 11. This episode isn’t just another ministry story — it’s an honest, emotional reflection on leadership, growth, burnout, community, and soul health after decades in ministry.

The Lead Team during the high-growth years at Granger Community Church reflect on the exhilaration of that season — and the parts that were sometimes soul-crushing. Together, they share candid lessons about what it meant to lead through rapid growth, the loneliness of leadership, the cost of success, and the importance of relationships and self-awareness.

The major themes running through the conversation include:
🔹 The cost of unchecked growth and success
🔹 The danger of isolation in leadership
🔹 Why soul care and self-awareness matter more than performance
🔹 Learning from failure and decline after years of winning
🔹 The importance of not leading alone

Whether you’re a pastor, a ministry leader, or someone passionate about leading with integrity, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to slow down, reflect, and care for your soul as much as your calling.

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🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
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In this episode of LeadingSmart, host Tim Stevens—with 40 years of leadership experience—continues sharing his 40 Lessons in 40 Years. Joined by cohost Holly Tate, Tim unpacks four powerful lessons that every leader needs to hear.

From learning how to “take your fun with you” in ministry, to remembering that your best ideas won’t come from behind a desk, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and encouraging stories. Tim and Holly also discuss the importance of staying curious as a leader, choosing joy, and always believing the best about others.

Whether you’re leading a church, a nonprofit, or a team in the workplace, these insights will help you lead with wisdom, humility, and joy.

👉 Download the full 40 Lessons in 40 Years ebook at LeadingSmart.com

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why joy is a choice and how to “take your fun with you” into ministry and leadership
• Why the best ideas come when you leave your desk and get close to the people you serve
• How curiosity keeps leaders humble and growing over time
• The discipline of believing the best about others, even when it’s not easy

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2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings

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🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
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Download The Simply Strategic Show

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What happens when church boards don’t adapt as the church grows? Frustration, stalled momentum, and pastors ready to walk away.

In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate talk about one of the most overlooked but critical topics in church leadership: board governance. Based on Tim’s 40 Lessons in 40 Years, they break down seven shifts every board needs to consider—from moving beyond doing the work themselves to actually overseeing it, to shifting from protecting relationships to protecting the mission.

This isn’t just theory. Tim shares real stories from churches he’s worked with, the common mistakes he sees, and how healthy governance gives both pastors and boards clarity.

This episode covers:

• Why governance is culture, not just paperwork
• Seven practical shifts boards face as the church grows
• How the right setup protects both pastors and the mission

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🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
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Download The Simply Strategic Show

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What causes great leaders to fade—and how can you avoid it? In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Tim Stevens unpacks 40 Lessons in 40 Years of ministry and leadership, focusing on why leaders lose influence and how to stay strong by investing in the next generation.

7 practical ways to invest in younger leaders:

1. Give them a voice at the table
2. Give them room to try (and fail)
3. Speak words of belief into them
4. Lend them your credibility
5. Invest in their development
6. Mentor them intentionally
7. Learn from them

From passing the mic to mentoring with purpose, this episode is packed with real stories and wisdom for pastors, church leaders, and anyone passionate about leadership development.

Our Episode Highlights

• Why clinging to past achievements can make leaders fade
• How to pour into younger leaders while learning from them
• Practical steps to ensure your leadership legacy outlasts you
• Fun segment: Unpopular Opinions (Southwest Airlines, avocados, and more!)

👥 Whether you’re a senior pastor, executive leader, or emerging leader, this conversation will challenge and inspire you to think differently about legacy, influence, and the future of the church.

00:00 Investing in the Next Generation
00:09 Introduction to Episode Eight
00:34 Why Leaders Fade and How to Avoid It
01:23 The Importance of Giving Young Leaders a Voice
02:12 Embracing New Kinds of Success
04:30 The Role of Mentorship in Leadership
06:30 Practical Steps to Invest in Young Leaders
09:49 Lending Credibility to Open Doors
14:15 Generation Distinct and Mentoring Young Leaders
15:00 Coaching Young Pastors
15:33 Learning from Young Leaders
16:11 Curiosity and Technology
18:11 Unpopular Opinions: Introduction
18:38 Unpopular Opinions: Travel and Habits
20:54 Unpopular Opinions: Food and Drinks
23:38 Conclusion and Partner Highlight

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2026 LeadingSmart Gatherings Are OPEN! https://www.leadingsmart.com/gatherings

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🎧 Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
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Download The Simply Strategic Show

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