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When building a team, we all start with great intentions. Then disruption comes and it's hard to tell where things went wrong.   Can we get real?   You may be sabotaging your team without even realizing it.   Don't worry, this is actually a lot more common than you may think.   On this episode of The CourageToLead Podcast with Shawn Lovejoy, Shawn describes the tendencies that sabotage team building and why they are so often found in new teams.   Want to overcome these tendencies?   Listen in...

Passion is central to being a courageous leader. But how can we channel our passion to produce our desired outputs? Derwin Gray, former NFL football player, founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, and today's podcast guest, believes it all lies in our motives. In this episode of The CourageToLead Podcast with Shawn Lovejoy, Derwin shares how our motives ("why we do what we do") deeply influences how effective our passion can be.

Have you ever hired someone who just wasn’t the right fit?   How about promoted someone who wasn’t ready for it?   On this episode, Shawn shares what he has learned from the times he was too hasty when hiring or promoting.   Looking back, Shawn explains that this happened when he neglected to objectively assess his hires on his team. Here Shawn offers wisdom into how to better evaluate your team with objectivity.

Servant leadership is not an isolated event; it's a cultural shift. On this episode of the CourageToLead Podcast with Shawn Lovejoy, we are joined by Dino Rizzo, Executive Director of ARC Churches, Associate Pastor at Church of the Highlands, and author of Servolution. Shawn and Dino discuss how serving accelerates the efforts of leadership and share about Serve Day, an annual opportunity for churches to impact their communities by showing the love of Christ through service projects.

There is a difference between managing people and leading them; the difference lies in your ability to inspire. You don’t have to be the most brilliant person in the room, just the most passionate to inspire your people. In this episode of The CourageToLead Podcast with Shawn Lovejoy, Shawn presents 4 foundational ways to become a more inspirational leader. Get the tools to take your decisive step away from just managing and towards true LEADERSHIP.

“What is my purpose?” Why is it often hard to answer that question? Not knowing the answer may feel paralyzing and unnerving. We have all been there, including Elizabeth Dixon, our guest on this episode of The CourageToLead Podcast with Shawn Lovejoy. Elizabeth leads Strategy, Hospitality, and Service Design at Chick-Fil-A, Inc. Listen in as she offers 3 ways (plus an interactive exercise) to not only define your purpose, but also have confidence that it is built on a solid foundation.

What is the #1 tension that keeps leaders awake at night? The answer to this question was the reason Shawn Lovejoy founded and leads CourageToLead.com and serves as the topic of this episode of the CourageToLead Podcast with Shawn Lovejoy. Here Shawn shares the top tension every leader navigates on a consistent basis and the coaching insights he uses to guide them through it.

Focus is powerful. Leaders who are thriving during this current season of uncertainty keep the best of their energy and attention leveraged in the same direction. There are few limits to what relentlessly focused leaders and teams can accomplish. The opposite is also true. Distracted leaders and teams, cause problems by taking their eyes away from where they should be focused, moving in a multitude of directions and accomplishing little. In this episode of the CourageToLead Podcast, Shawn Lovejoy exposes the warning signs that you may be a distracted leader.

“I wish we could just get back to normal!” Many leaders have made this statement since COVID-19 impacted America and turned the world upside down. It’s hard for many of us to feel in control as the global pandemic drags on, leaving us longing for some sense of normal. Problem is, "normal" is average. Don’t look to go back to normal, work to get better! In this episode, Shawn Lovejoy reflects on his own journey of "getting better" during the pandemic and the 4 key post-pandemic decisions he's made to help him improve his life, relationships, leadership and organization on the other side of COVID-19.

The Broadway musical Hamilton took the world by storm. Inspired by the life of the American founding father, Alexander Hamilton, and debuting in 2015, the show was quickly received as a groundbreaking work of art, which was recognized by winning 11 Tony Awards. With its release on Disney+ in 2020, Its cultural and creative impact has even more widely grown to continue to inspire its audiences. One audience member on whom the show left a lasting mark is author Kevin Cloud who sees Hamilton as a “modern-day parable” that carries a depth of spiritual, leadership and transformative power. In this episode, Shawn talks with Kevin, the author of God & Hamilton. Their conversation centers on themes of leadership and spirituality from the life of Alexander Hamilton, an influential American Founder.

It’s a simple word. In 20+ years of coaching it’s also the thing we see missing most often in leaders, teams and organizations. What is it? Accountability. Most leaders don’t need another podcast, another book or another conference… they need accountability. Strategies and systems work when we are accountable to another person to execute them. In this episode Shawn introduces you to part of the CourageToLead coaching framework: The 5 Pillars of Accountability.

People tend to walk into the successful chapter a person’s life is on and assume it’s their entire story. Courage may even appear to come natural, while seemingly avoiding others. In this episode, Shawn is joined by a leader who embodies courage in leadership and life, Nona Jones. Nona is an author, entrepreneur, pastor, podcast host, business executive and Head of Faith-Based Partnerships for Facebook who overcame childhood physical and sexual abuse to become a global voice of hope through faith in God. Prepare to be inspired!

Anyone who has ever tried to break a bad habit, start working out, or learn a new skill knows that change is hard. As human beings, we’re wired to love safe, predictable and routine. Anything that challenges the tried-and-true is going to face serious resistance. In fact, a 2008 survey of 3,200 executives around the world found that only one workplace transformation in three was successful. In other words, change is difficult; but change is an integral part of growth—both for individuals and organizations. It requires Change to Grow and it requires Courage to Change! In this episode, Shawn shares from his own story of leading and navigating change to help you beat the odds and stay relevant, adaptable, and open to change.

The weight is heavy. The burden is broad. You, and every other leader I know, are currently leading through tension, fear and an uncertain future. I named our organization Courage to Lead for a reason. It takes courage to lead…especially in a moment like this one. In this episode I want to personally encourage you out of my heart and give you a few thoughts on how to lead courageously in this season.

The best teams maintain good communication, trust, healthy conflict, commitment, and accountability, all while staying focused on strong results and finishing together. In this episode of the CourageToLead Podcast with Shawn Lovejoy, we welcome Russ Morgan & Joey Mure, partners at WealthWithoutWallStreet.com and co-hosts of the Wealth Without WallStreet Podcast. This conversation will help leaders build high-performing teams, that create amazing company cultures, and allow leaders to scale their organization for success.

There's a right way and wrong way to do everything. Leadership will at some point bring you face-to-face with having to release someone from your team. Perhaps it’s during the current crisis and economic downturn our country is in. Perhaps you have a weak link on your team that needs to be transitioned. Or perhaps you’re dealing with a problem team-member that won’t go away, but is driving everyone else away. Whatever the circumstance, you need to do the right thing, and you need to do it in the right way. In this episode, CourageToLead Founder & CEO Shawn Lovejoy talks about the right way to release someone from your team. 

Every person on the globe has somehow been impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis. We’ve all felt the tension in our career, our health, our relationships, our bank account…the list goes on and on. When we made our personal resolutions and organizational plans for 2020, none of us knew this is what reality would look like only 4 months in. This has not been the year you or anyone expected. In this episode, Shawn Lovejoy walks you through what you should do when things have not met your expectations.

In this episode you’re getting a sneak peak inside one of the Monday Coaching Calls hosted by Shawn Lovejoy.  These calls occur each Monday and focus encouraging leaders and teams to the next level. On this call, Shawn was joined by best-selling author Jon Gordon to discuss “How To Be A More Resilient Leader.” Leaders need resilience. A leader’s role doesn’t allow for pessimism about the future—as the team takes cues from its leader about how to respond in difficult times.  Individual and team resiliency is a vital component of ongoing high performance...especially in the COVID-19 Crisis. The most critical time for leadership isn’t on the mountaintop, it’s in the valley. Make sure resilience is a widespread team attribute, rather than a scarce one.  Enjoy this episode, giving you an insider’s look at the Monday Coaching Call.

There’s a great opportunity for leaders right now. Opportunity to not only survive…and hang on… …but to thrive.  Leaders who seize the opportunities a crisis presents will: Separate themselves from the competition with a different message of good news Discover new innovations only times of scarcity can present Reemerge stronger after the crisis by how they reimagine during crisis In this episode of the CourageToLead Podcast, Shawn Lovejoy shares practical ways to make the most of the opportunities before us during the COVID-19 Crisis. 

You are one of the many courageous leaders who are adjusting to navigate the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 Crisis. Leading teams and organizations virtually, searching for new growth opportunities, and keeping things stabilized are all part of this new reality. I want to remind you of the #1 resource you have: People. People on your team and in your organization are, guess what…PEOPLE! That’s right, they are not robots, they’re human beings who have fears, concerns and emotions. You are the leader. During crisis leaders chart the course for the organization, care for the people inside of it, and communicate consistently to both. In this episode of the CourageToLead Podcast, Shawn Lovejoy shares 10 Things People Need From Leaders during the Covid-19 crisis, or any crisis you lead through.