The LeadingSmart Podcast
Honest conversations. Practical insights. Smarter leadership.
Hosted by Tim Stevens and Holly Tate, The LeadingSmart Podcast exists to equip church leaders who care deeply about leading with integrity, clarity, and wisdom—even when it’s hard.
We are officially on Season 3! This season is about staying sharp in today’s rapidly changing environment. We’ll dive into the practical issues leaders are facing right now—from running effective executive team meetings to navigating crucial conversations to leading in moments when the playbook doesn’t exist yet.
Holly and Tim are moving out of the studio into our offices, and they will be recording and posting in real time, responding to current events as they happen, sharing fresh insights from our work with leaders across North America.
Be sure to email us at tim@leadingsmart.com if there are specific topics you want us to cover!
Enjoy!
#LeadingSmartPodcast, #ChurchLeadership, #SuccessionPlanning, #LeadershipDevelopment, #ExecutivePastor, #LeadershipTools, #MinistryCoaching, #LeadershipPodcast
Episodes
67 episodes
[S3EP43] What Leaders from Large Churches Are Talking About Right Now | Chicago LeadingSmart Gathering Recap
What challenges are executive pastors facing in large churches right now? Tim Stevens and Holly Tate recorded this episode just after LeadingSmart’s Chicago Gathering, where leaders from churches of 4,000 to 18,000 people came together for hone...
[S3EP42] Three Years of LeadingSmart: What Surprised Us Most
What happens when a 15-year business plan moves much faster than expected?In this special anniversary episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate celebrate three years of LeadingSmart as a full-time organization. They look back at how LeadingSma...
[S3EP41] Part 2: A Healthy Executive Pastor & Lead Pastor Relationship (the Lead Pastor's Perspective)
A healthy relationship between a lead pastor and executive pastor requires more than clearly defined roles. It requires trust, honesty, humility, and a willingness to have difficult conversations.In the previous episode, Tim Stevens, ...
[S3EP40] Part 1: A Healthy Executive Pastor & Lead Pastor Relationship (the Executive Pastor's Perspective}]
The relationship between a senior pastor and executive pastor can strengthen an entire church—or quietly hold it back.In this episode of Leading in Real Time, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate discuss what it takes to build a healthy p...
[S3EP39] Why We Created the Healthy Church Board Masterclass
It’s officially here! After more than two years of conversations, planning, and development, the Healthy Church Board MasterClass is now live.In this special launch episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate share wh...
[S3EP38] From Stuck to Stewarding: Wellspring Church's Board Transformation
What happens when a growing church has a big vision—but its systems and board structure keep slowing it down?In this episode, Holly Tate visits Wellspring Church (formerly Southwest Church) in Indian Wells, California, to hear from Senio...
[S3EP37] Church Board Governance: 3 Shifts from a Founder Board to a Governing Board
Every founding pastor eventually hands the church to someone else — and the church board structure that worked for a founder often breaks down for whoever leads next. In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate break...
[S3EP36] How Should a Church Board Measure Success? | Church Governance
How does a church board know whether the church is actually accomplishing its mission?In this episode of Leading in Real Time, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate explain how an “ends statement” helps a church define the outcomes it is w...
[S3EP35] The Multiple Hats of a Church Board Member: Knowing Which Role You’re In
Church board members carry more than one role. They may also be small group leaders, ministry volunteers, longtime members, friends, or family—and knowing which “hat” they are wearing in each situation matters.In this episode of the Lead...
[S3EP34] 4 Ways Leaders Learn and Grow | Leadership Development That Actually Works
How do great leaders continue learning and growing—especially when traditional conferences and classroom settings aren’t enough?In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate share four pathways to leaders...
[S3EP33] How Leaders Can Truly Disconnect: Creating Rhythms of Rest Without Falling Behind
Can leaders truly disconnect without returning to an overwhelming workload?After spending 16 days in Italy, Tim Stevens shares how he prepared to step away from LeadingSmart, remain present with his wife, Faith, and keep essential work m...
[S3EP32] Church Org Charts Explained: 3 Models Every Church Leader Should Know
Is your church organizational structure helping your team thrive—or creating confusion?In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate discuss why every growing church needs a clear organizational st...
[S3EP31] The 7 Competencies That Expand Leadership Influence
Influence grows when people trust both your character and your competence. Character may open the door, but results, wisdom, initiative, and leadership skill determine how much influence you can carry.In this episode, Tim Stevens talks a...
[S3EP30] 10 Quiet Habits That Grow Your Leadership Influence
Influence doesn't always come from title, age, tenure, or position. Sometimes the people with the most influence are simply the people leaders trust the most.In this episode, Tim Stevens talks with David Whiting (GenerosityOS SVP and Lea...
[S3EP29] Church Preschool: Ministry Opportunity or Missed Opportunity?
Preschool ministry is not just childcare. It may be one of the clearest relational bridges your church has to young families in the community.In this episode, Tim Stevens talks with Brandi Watterson about how churches can think more stra...
[S3EP28] 5 Signs of a Healthy Church Leadership Team
In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate talk about what makes a healthy church leadership team and why having the right people in the room matters. Drawing from Tim’s leadership team teaching and their work with churches, they unpack the ch...
[S3EP27] Are You Leading From Abundance or Scarcity?
In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate talk about the difference between leading from scarcity and leading from abundance. Drawing from Tim’s first three years leading LeadingSmart full-time, they unpack why leadership pressure can pull ev...
[S3EP26] Church Crisis Leadership: 4 Types of Crises and How Leaders Can Respond
In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate unpack the four types of crises churches commonly face: character, credibility, cash, and cultural. Drawing from Tim’s experience leading through crisis at Granger and Willow Creek, they discuss why c...
[S3EP25] When Clarity Lacks, Negativity Fills the Void | Leadership Lessons for Church Teams
When clarity lacks, negativity fills the void.In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate discuss why communication and clarity are essential for healthy church teams. Drawing from real consulting conversations this week, they unpack how...
[S3EP24] How to Run a Staff Retreat That Actually Works: 4 Best Practices for Church Leaders
Welcome to episode 24 of The LeadingSmart Podcast! Have you ever walked away from a staff retreat thinking, "That was a complete waste of time"? You're not alone — and it's completely avoidable.In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast...
[S3EP23] How Silos Destroy Organizations (And When They Might Actually Help)
Welcome back to episode 23 of The LeadingSmart Podcast! Silos are one of the most common — and most damaging — forces quietly undermining healthy church organizations. But how do you know when you have them, and what do you do about them? In th...
[S3EP22] The 4-Box Staff Evaluation Every Church Leader Needs (And Why It Prevents Culture Killers)
Welcome Back to Episode 22 of The LeadingSmart Podcast!Is your leadership team misaligned on staff performance? Are you holding on to people who are quietly killing your culture — or letting go of people who just need a better rol...
[S3EP21] 4 Types of Pastors Churches Need for Succession (And How to Choose the Right One
Is your church approaching a leadership transition? The type of pastor you need depends entirely on the season your church is in — and most boards get this wrong.In this episode of LeadingSmart, Holly Tate and Tim Stevens break ...
[S3EP20] How to Lead Through Church Layoffs: A Practical Guide for Pastors & Executive Pastors
Welcome to episode 20! Is your church facing financial pressure? Wondering when — and how — to make the difficult decision to reduce your staff? In this episode of the LeadingSmart Podcast, hosts Tim and Holly Tate tackle one of the hard...
[S3EP19] Shared Leadership Models in the Church: Does Co-Pastoring Actually Work?
Is shared church leadership a growing trend — or just a passing experiment? In this episode of the Leading Smart podcast, Holly Tate and Tim Stevens dive into the rising movement of co-lead pastor models they're seeing across churches of all si...