3 Shifts to Unlock Growth

You know, it's January. The confetti has been swept away, the champagne glasses are in the dishwasher, and those ambitious New Year's resolutions are staring us in the face. If you're leading a church staff, managing a business team, or guiding a ministry, you know that familiar weight: How can I do more? How can I lead better? How can we finally break through this year?

Today I want to share something counterintuitive with you: The path to doing more starts with doing less.

I know that sounds backwards—maybe even irresponsible—but stick with me. We're going to talk about three fundamental mindset shifts that can unlock exponential growth, not just in your organization, but in the people around you and in yourself.

These aren't tactics. These aren't five-step formulas. These are paradigm shifts that require us to esteem others higher than ourselves—as Philippians 2:3 tells us—and to recognize that we are God's workmanship, His poem to the world.

When we operate from steadfast love—not abandon, not apathy, not selfishness—but the steadfast, zealous, selfless seeking of another's true good, everything changes in our leadership.

So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let's dive into three shifts that could transform your leadership this year.

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Host: Rodney Cox

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Transcript

You know, it's January. The confetti has been swept away, the champagne glasses are in the dishwasher, and those ambitious New Year's resolutions are staring us in the face. If you're leading a church staff, managing a business team, or guiding a ministry, you know that familiar weight: How can I do more? How can I lead better? How can we finally break through this year?

Today I want to share something counterintuitive with you: The path to doing more starts with doing less.

I know that sounds backwards—maybe even irresponsible—but stick with me. We're going to talk about three fundamental mindset shifts that can unlock exponential growth, not just in your organization, but in the people around you and in yourself.

These aren't tactics. These aren't five-step formulas. These are paradigm shifts that require us to esteem others higher than ourselves—as Philippians 2:3 tells us—and to recognize that we are God's workmanship, His poem to the world.

When we operate from steadfast love—not abandon, not apathy, not selfishness—but the steadfast, zealous, selfless seeking of another's true good, everything changes in our leadership.

So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let's dive into three shifts that could transform your leadership this year.

Here we go.

Okay, so let's talk about the first shift.

SHIFT NUMBER ONE: LET GO TO GO UP

Most leaders I meet? They're drowning in details. And I mean drowning. You're up at eleven o'clock at night approving social media posts. You're rewriting emails that your team already drafted—emails that were probably fine, by the way. You've become the bottleneck in every single decision because somewhere along the line, you started believing that if you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself.

Now, here's what I want you to hear. That belief? It's not just about control. It actually reveals something deeper. It reveals a lack of love.

Now before you turn this off and think I'm being too harsh, just stay with me for a second. At Ministry Insights, we define love very specifically. We say love is the steadfast, zealous, selfless seeking of another's true good.

So when you refuse to delegate, when you're holding every responsibility close to your chest, you're actually operating from the exact opposite of that. You're operating from apathy instead of zeal—because you're not caring enough to invest in someone else's development. You're operating from selfishness instead of selflessness—because you care more about the outcome than you care about the person. And you're operating from abandon instead of steadfastness—because you're essentially giving up on their potential to grow into that role.

I know. That stings a little bit. But this is the honest evaluation a lot of us need.

So here's the counterintuitive shift. Craig Groeschel, the pastor of Life Church, teaches something that completely revolutionized my own leadership. He says, "To go up, you must let go."

Think about it this way. When you're stuck doing everything yourself, you can only go as far as your own capacity will take you. But when you actually empower other people, when you delegate not just tasks but real authority and ownership, you multiply your impact exponentially.

I mean, think about Jesus for a second. He had three years to change the world. Three years! What did He do? He didn't try to do everything Himself. He invested in twelve ordinary people. He gave them real responsibility. And then—and here's the key—He left. He went up, literally in the ascension, so that they could go out.

So here's what I want you to do this month. I want you to identify three tasks that you're currently doing that someone else could do at eighty percent of your quality.

Now notice I said eighty percent, not a hundred percent. That's the perfectionist trap right there. But eighty percent? That's good enough. And more importantly, it gives someone else the chance to grow.

So here's how you do this. First, choose the person. Who shows potential in this area? Who needs this growth opportunity?

Second, give them context, not just instructions. Don't just tell them what to do. Explain the why behind the task, not just the how.

Third, give them authority along with the responsibility. Let them make real decisions. And yes, let them fail forward.

And fourth—this is the hardest one—resist the urge to rescue. When they struggle, and they will struggle, coach them instead of taking it back.

This is love in action. This is what it means to esteem others higher than yourself. This is believing that they are God's poem too and giving them the space to demonstrate that.

Alright, let's move to the second shift.

SHIFT NUMBER TWO: THINK HIGHER, NOT HARDER
You know that feeling when you finally get home after a really long day and you realize you've been busy for twelve straight hours but you cannot point to a single significant thing you actually accomplished?

Yeah. That feeling.

You were productive. But you weren't effective. And there's a big difference between those two things.

Productivity is doing things efficiently. Effectiveness is doing the right things.

Most leaders—and I'm guilty of this too—we're working in our organizations when we really need to be working on our organizations. We're fighting fires instead of preventing them. We're reacting instead of planning. We're stuck in the weeds when we need to be looking at things from thirty thousand feet.

So here's the counterintuitive shift. Stop trying to work harder. Start thinking higher.

Now this isn't about working less, although you might end up working less. This is about elevating your perspective. It's about carving out regular time for strategic thinking where you're asking better questions.

Questions like: What are we really trying to accomplish here? That's the vision question. What's working? What's not? That's evaluation. Where are the real bottlenecks in what we're doing? That's systems. What do my people need most from me? That's development. And what opportunities are we missing? That's innovation.

Think about Solomon for a second. The wisest man who ever lived, right? He didn't get that wisdom by grinding out eighteen-hour days. He asked God for wisdom, and then he used it to think strategically about how to lead well. You can read about it in First Kings chapter three, verse nine.

So here's what I want to challenge you to do this month. Block out two hours. Yes, two full hours. Just to think.

Now I know what you're thinking. "Rodney, I don't have two hours." But here's the thing—you do. You just have to decide that strategic thinking is important enough to protect that time.

So no meetings during those two hours. No email. No interruptions. Just you, a notebook, and some strategic questions.

Here's a simple framework to get you started. First, review. What did we accomplish last quarter? What did we learn?

Second, assess. Where are we stuck? What patterns keep repeating?

Third, dream a little bit. If resources weren't an issue, what would we do differently?

Fourth, focus. Of everything that's on our plate right now, what are the three things that would have the biggest impact?

And finally, plan. What's one strategic decision I can make this month that's going to compound over time?

When you start thinking higher, you see things you couldn't see before. You spot opportunities that other people miss. You prevent problems before they turn into full-blown crises.

This is wisdom. This is stewardship. This is what it looks like to lead as someone who recognizes they're managing God's resources, not building their own little kingdom.

Okay, third shift. This one's going to challenge you.

SHIFT NUMBER THREE: KNOW LESS TO REACH MORE

Alright, here's a painful truth. Your expertise might actually be limiting your influence.

Wait, what? Aren't leaders supposed to be experts? Aren't we supposed to have all the answers?

Not necessarily.

When you position yourself as the expert who knows everything, you create several problems. First, you limit innovation, because your way becomes "the right way." Second, you discourage input, because who wants to look foolish in front of the expert? Third, you create dependency, because people just wait for you to tell them what to do. And fourth, you isolate yourself, because you can't admit what you don't know.

And this posture? It's not love. It's pride dressed up as competence.

So here's the counterintuitive shift. Become comfortable saying, "I don't know."

The best leaders I know aren't the ones with all the answers. They're the ones who ask the best questions. They invite diverse perspectives. They create space for other people to contribute their expertise.

They understand that "we" is always smarter than "me."

Look at how Paul describes the body of Christ in First Corinthians twelve. Every part is essential. Every gift matters. The eye can't say to the hand, "I don't need you." When you acknowledge what you don't know, you create space for others to step into their strengths.

So here's the practical application. In your next three team meetings, practice asking more than you tell.

Try these question stems. "What am I missing here?" Or, "What do you think we should do?" "Where do you see the gaps?" "If you were in my position, what would you prioritize?" "What perspective am I not considering?"

And here's the hard part. Actually listen. Don't just wait for your turn to talk. Don't just collect information to validate what you've already decided. Genuinely seek wisdom from the team that God has placed around you.

This is humility. This is recognizing that you're one part of God's poem, not the entire work. This is esteeming others higher than yourself by actually valuing their contributions.

Okay, so let's bring this together. These three shifts—let go to go up, think higher not harder, know less to reach more—these aren't just leadership tactics. They're spiritual disciplines.

They require us to confront our pride, our control issues, our insecurity, and our fear. They demand that we trust God's design for community and collaboration. They ask us to live out what we say we believe—that every person is made in God's image and has unique value to contribute.

As we step into this new year, I'm grateful. I'm grateful for the capacity to grow and change. I'm grateful that God isn't finished with any of us yet. And I'm grateful that we get to lead from a position of stewardship rather than ownership.]

So here's my challenge to you. Choose one of these three shifts and commit to practicing it this month. Not all three. Just one.

Let go of something. Think higher about something. Admit you don't know something.

And then watch what God does when you create space for Him and for others to work.

Now, let me ask you a few questions. You don't have to answer out loud, but just think about these for a second.

What's one responsibility you're holding onto right now that someone else could actually grow into?

When was the last time you had dedicated strategic thinking time? What would change if you did this monthly?

In what areas are you positioned as "the expert" in ways that might actually be limiting your team?

And finally, what would love—that steadfast, zealous, selfless seeking of another's true good—what would that actually look like in your leadership this month?

Now, if you're listening to this and thinking, "Man, my team needs this," you're probably right. But here's the thing. Leadership development isn't just about consuming good content. It's about creating shared language, shared understanding, and shared commitment within your team.

That's why we created the Leading From Your Strengths assessment and the Strong Teams Starter Pack. These aren't just personality tests. They're tools that help you and your team understand how God has uniquely wired each person, appreciate the diverse strengths that everyone brings to the table, and communicate more effectively across all those different styles.

The Strong Teams Starter Pack is especially great because it includes everything you need for three transformational team sessions. It's a turnkey process with discussion guides and practical applications built right in.

Because here's the truth. You can't let go, you can't think higher, and you can't know less effectively if you don't understand yourself and your team. You've got to know how people are wired. You've got to understand their strengths. You've got to see where the gaps are.

If you want to check it out, just go to StrongTeams dot com. That's StrongTeams dot com.

CLOSING PRAYER

Before we wrap up, let me pray for us.

Father, thank You for the privilege of leadership. Thank You that we don't have to have all the answers, we don't have to carry all the weight, and we don't have to do all the work.

Help us to trust You enough to let go, to think strategically about what really matters, and to create space for others to flourish.

Give us the humility to know less and the wisdom to ask better questions.

Remind us that we are Your workmanship, Your poem, and so is every person we lead.

May we esteem them higher than ourselves, seeking their true good with steadfast zeal.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Alright, that's it for today. I hope this was helpful. I hope it challenged you a little bit. And I hope you're walking away with at least one practical thing you can do this month.

If this episode was valuable to you, would you do me a favor? Share it with one leader who needs to hear this message. Text them the link, post it on social media, or just tell them about it over coffee. Because healthy teams really do change the world, and it starts with leaders like you who are willing to grow.

And hey, if you're not already subscribed to this podcast, hit that subscribe button right now so you don't miss future episodes. We're releasing new content every two weeks throughout twenty twenty-six.

Thanks for listening. I'm grateful for you. I'm grateful for the privilege of speaking into your leadership. And I'm grateful that God isn't finished with any of us yet.

Until next time, remember: you are God's workmanship, His poem to the world.