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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
[S3EP24] How to Run a Staff Retreat That Actually Works: 4 Best Practices for Church Leaders
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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, Holly Tate and Tim sit down to unpack what makes church staff retreats genuinely effective — and what makes them a drain on your team's time, energy, and budget.
Whether you're planning your first leadership retreat or trying to make your annual all-staff offsite actually matter, these four best practices will help you design a retreat your team won't forget.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How to define a clear "win" before your retreat even starts
- The difference between decisions to make vs. discussions to have (and why it matters)
- Who should actually be in the room — and when to split leadership vs. all-staff retreats
- Why a retreat isn't a retreat without intentional fun, shared meals, and real hang time
- How to fund a retreat even when it's not in your budget
Plus — Holly and Tim share their recent AI wins with Claude, ChatGPT, Descript, and Gemini, and how they're using these tools to save hours in their day-to-day work.
📱 Follow us for more insights and resources
Instagram: @timstevens
Facebook: @timstevens
💻Visit LeadingSmart.com
Need help facilitating your next staff retreat or strategic offsite? https://www.leadingsmart.com/lets-talk
Houston listeners — join the Houston Roundtable on June 4th (only 25 spots). https://www.leadingsmart.com/houston-roundtable
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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