Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

📖 Episode Overview:

Let’s be honest — sometimes the hardest thing about leadership isn’t starting something new… it’s knowing when to stop. In this episode, Paul gets real about a recent decision to pause his weekly email, The Launch Pad, and redirect that time and energy into his leadership at The Gathering and his doctoral studies.

It’s a vulnerable, practical conversation about what it looks like to evaluate our efforts with wisdom and courage — and how to pivot without shame when God starts blessing a different lane.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why pivoting isn’t failure — it’s faithful leadership
• How to evaluate your current strategies through a wisdom-driven lens
• Practical questions to ask when deciding whether to press on or press pause
• Biblical encouragement from Acts 16 about trusting divine redirection
• Why God cares more about your mission than your methods

📖 Scripture Highlight:

Acts 16:6-10 — When Paul’s missionary strategy got blocked by the Holy Spirit, he didn’t fight it. He pivoted and ended up sparking a revival in Europe. God still works that way.

🛠️ Episode Resources:

• Proverbs 16:9 — “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.”
• C.S. Lewis Quote: “There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

🎧 Listen If You:

• Are wrestling with a project, ministry, or initiative that just isn’t bearing fruit
• Feel guilty about quitting something you once believed in
• Need wisdom and courage to reallocate your time, energy, and focus
• Want to hear a leader be honest about failure and faithfulness

📣 Stay Connected:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend or teammate navigating a pivot of their own. And don’t forget to leave a review — it helps more reluctant leaders like us find their tribe.

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Did you know that I've launched a brand new weekly newsletter designed to help you crush Mondays and get your week off the ground? It's short, fun, a little quirky, and people are loving it! You can subscribe to The Launch Pad here.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

Before Jesus ever sent His disciples out to preach, heal, or lead—He simply invited them to be with Him. In this episode, Paul unpacks Mark 3:14 and explores how powerful it is when leaders prioritize presence over performance.

You’ll learn why Jesus’ leadership style wasn’t built on strategy first—it was built on shared space, vulnerability, and relational connection. Whether you're leading a team, a ministry, or just trying to keep your group chat alive, this episode will encourage you to slow down, lean in, and lead like Jesus.

✨ In This Episode:

• The overlooked leadership wisdom of Mark 3:14
• Why being with your team matters more than always doing for your team
• 3 key takeaways from how Jesus led:
  1. Presence Builds Trust
  2. Presence Prepares Hearts
  3. Presence Multiplies Impact
• Practical tips to become a more present, intentional leader
• A prayer for leaders who feel stretched thin but want to lead with more heart

🛠️ Practical Presence Practices:

• Schedule “presence blocks” with team members
• Start every meeting with five minutes of non-task talk
• Ditch the phone, make eye contact, and give your full attention
• Take a walk, grab a coffee, or send a spontaneous check-in text

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Did you know that I've launched a brand new weekly newsletter designed to help you crush Mondays and get your week off the ground? It's short, fun, a little quirky, and people are loving it! You can subscribe to The Launch Pad here.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

In this milestone 50th episode of The Reluctant Leader Podcast, Paul sits down with Benjamin Crawshaw for an honest, relatable conversation about life, leadership, and what happens when everything falls apart. Benjamin shares his powerful story of how personal failure, ministry unraveling, and a season of isolation led him to rediscover God’s grace in unexpected places — including a 5-6 year-old girls’ softball team and a student ministry of four.

The episode dives into what it means to lead when you don’t feel qualified, how God often meets us in the margins, and why true leadership isn’t about numbers or titles but about showing up authentically. Benjamin opens up about how repressing emotions eventually catches up with us, and how his journey through counseling, community, and vulnerability has reshaped his perspective on faith, leadership, and mental health.

For anyone who’s ever felt burned out, overlooked, or unsure about their next step, this episode is a needed reminder that God’s not done with you yet. Paul and Benjamin also talk about how today’s culture, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha, craves authenticity more than ever, and why that’s the perfect environment for real conversations about faith and emotional health.

It’s a conversation full of wisdom, humor, and encouragement, perfect for leaders (reluctant or not) navigating the messy middle of life and ministry.

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🔗 Links to all the things:

To connect with Trueface, go to https://www.trueface.org/

You can contact Benjamin at benjamin@trueface.org

📙 Books we mentioned:

The Cure > https://amzn.to/3MCvF8M

Bo's Cafe > https://amzn.to/3EPnZzC

The Path > https://amzn.to/3ZbrgzR

☕️ The Starbucks Coffee Giveaway

Grab the QR code on Paul's site and use it at Starbucks to grab a coffee drink. Thanks for being a part of The Reluctant Leader Podcast community!

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Did you know that I've launched a brand new weekly newsletter designed to help you crush Mondays and get your week off the ground? It's short, fun, a little quirky, and people are loving it! You can subscribe to The Launch Pad here.