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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!
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The LeadingSmart Podcast
[S3EP8] Why Great Leaders Choose To Believe The Best
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What if the way we start this year could reshape how we lead, relate, and respond to the people around us?
In the first episode of 2026, Holly Tate sits down with Tim to unpack one simple—but deeply challenging—leadership principle: believe the best. In a season marked by polarization, cynicism, and quick assumptions, they explore why choosing curiosity over judgment isn’t just a personal virtue, but a cultural necessity for healthy teams and organizations.
Drawing from real leadership moments, personal failures, and organizational experience, Tim explains why “believing the best” was the single lesson he would keep from his 40 Lessons in 40 Years—and why it continues to shape how he leads today. Together, they wrestle with the tension leaders feel between extending trust and protecting their organizations, discuss how assumptions quietly erode culture, and offer practical ways to interrupt cynicism before it takes root.
You’ll hear:
- Why most leaders naturally assume the worst (and how it shows up in everyday decisions)
- How curiosity can defuse conflict and build trust
- What it looks like to “trust but verify” without becoming cynical
- Practical ways to create a culture that believes the best—without being naive
- How to recover when believing the best actually does lead to disappointment
Whether you’re leading a team, an organization, or simply trying to lead yourself better in the new year, this conversation sets the tone for Season 3 and invites you to lead with clarity, compassion, and intention.
Let’s start 2026 by choosing to believe the best—and leading smarter because of it.
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Listen to the full 40 Lessons In 40 Years series
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