The Highs and Lows of Leadership

Leadership comes with incredible highs, but also real lows that few people talk about. In this episode of Leadership & Other Stuff, Pastor Brian Houston unpacks the discouragement, pressure, loneliness, and unmet expectations that often come with leading over time. Drawing from Psalm 142 and personal experience, he speaks to the moments when leaders feel overwhelmed, overlooked, and even like no one truly cares for their soul. Pastor Brian also highlights the danger of leadership at its lowest point and how those moments can shape or derail a leader's future. But there's a turning point. Through David's story, he shares three anchors for every leader: praise, people, and perspective, keys to staying grounded and moving forward even in the toughest seasons. If you've ever felt like quitting or questioned your calling, this episode will remind you how to keep going.   Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, church health, and building with long-term vision.     🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.   Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/ If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected]   Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

In Part 3 of this ongoing leadership series, Pastor Brian Houston continues the conversation on one of the most critical issues facing churches today: governance, authority, and the role of church boards.   Drawing on more than five decades of ministry experience, Pastor Brian shares real-life examples of pastors removed by boards, churches thrown into crisis, and the often unseen dynamics that shape boardroom decisions. From large international ministries to small local congregations, the question remains the same: who is truly making the decisions and why? In this episode, Pastor Brian explores: Why the real decision-makers in a board are often only a few voices The difference between board governance and board control -Why external spiritual oversight is essential for healthy leadership What biblical leadership structures actually look like in the New Testament How the model in Exodus 18 reveals the proper role of leadership and management He also addresses the painful reality that some leaders face when boards act out of self-interest, offering encouragement for pastors who have experienced injustice, betrayal, or removal from the ministries they helped build. At its heart, this episode is a call for churches to return to biblical governance, spiritual accountability, and honor for those God has called to lead.   If you're a founding pastor, church planter, or senior leader building something meant to last for generations, this conversation is essential listening.   Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, church health, and building with long-term vision.   🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.   Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/ If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected]   Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

In Part 2 of this important leadership conversation, Pastor Brian Houston goes deeper into the question every church founder and senior pastor must wrestle with: Who is really in charge? Speaking directly to church planters, pioneers, and long-term lead pastors, Pastor Brian unpacks the warning signs of a church shifting from being board-governed to board-controlled. From curbing pastoral authority and rewriting history, to redefining a founder as merely an "employee," this episode explores how control can quietly creep into church governance, and the devastating impact it can have. Pastor Brian lays out practical, forward-looking counsel for structuring accountability the right way: • Why the senior pastor should chair the board • Why staff members and conflicted relationships should not determine a pastor's future • The importance of external, seasoned apostolic oversight • How to protect the long-term vision through constitutional clarity • And the limited, biblical grounds upon which a senior leader should ever be removed This is a candid and at times confronting episode about honor, authority, accountability, and generational stewardship. If you are building something meant to outlast you, this conversation will challenge you to think carefully about how your church is governed and who ultimately holds the power.   🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.   Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/ If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected]   Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

In this episode of Leadership & Other Stuff, Pastor Brian Houston speaks directly to church founders, planters, senior pastors, and pioneers about one of the most critical, and often misunderstood areas of leadership: church governance and boards. Drawing from over 50 years of firsthand experience serving on boards, leading executives, and planting churches around the world, Brian asks a confronting question many leaders avoid: Who actually holds authority in the local church and who keeps the board accountable? This candid conversation explores the biblical foundations of church leadership, the role of apostolic oversight, and the difference between board-governed and board-controlled churches. Brian unpacks common dangers that can creep into boards, including self-preservation, offense, personal ambition, control, and self-righteousness and why these issues can have devastating long-term consequences for pastors and congregations alike. If you are planting, pioneering, or leading a church or serving in governance, this episode will challenge you to think deeply about accountability, authority, and alignment with Scripture. This is Part 1 of an essential leadership conversation that every church leader needs to hear.   🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.   Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/ If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected]   Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

In this episode of Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston, Pastor Brian unpacks seven seemingly simple decisions that can shape not only your future, but the future of generations to come. Drawing from decades of leadership, ministry, and life experience, Pastor Brian challenges the idea that decisions are ever "small" when the consequences are great. Through the framework of Who, Where, What, When, With, Why, and Wish, Pastor Brian explores how choices around relationships, location, calling, timing, community, motivation, and desire can either strengthen or undermine long-term impact. From marriage and friendships to career paths and spiritual priorities, this episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is lived out in everyday decisions. If you want to lead with intention, align your life with God's calling, and make choices that outlast you, this conversation will both inspire and challenge you to think generationally about the decisions you make today. 🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.   Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/ If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected]   Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

Rebuke is rarely welcomed, but according to Scripture, it may be one of the greatest gifts a leader can give or receive.   In this episode of Leadership & Other Stuff, Pastor Brian Houston tackles the often-avoided subject of rebuke and reveals why wise correction, received with an obedient ear, is pure gold. Drawing from Proverbs 25:12, decades of leadership experience, and personal stories from church, business, and life, Pastor Brian unpacks how rebuke—when done wisely—can become a catalyst for growth, maturity, and lasting impact.   You'll discover: -Why an inability to receive rebuke can quietly limit your future -The difference between destructive criticism and wise, life-giving correction -Seven keys to receiving rebuke with humility, honor, and strength -Eleven principles every leader must understand to give rebuke wisely -How timing, love, credibility, and discernment determine whether rebuke heals or harms   Whether you lead in church, business, family, or community, this episode will challenge your mindset, stretch your leadership capacity, and help you recognize the gold hidden in correction, without losing honor, heart, or people along the way. If you want to grow, lead well, and become all God has called you to be, this conversation is essential listening.    🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.   Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/ If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected]   Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

Pastor David Blunt sits down with Pastor Brian Houston to unpack calling, resilience, marketplace ministry, forgiveness, and team building. Discover why you shouldn't just live saved. Live called. Learn how heart beats talent when building teams, why your work is worship in the marketplace, and how leaders can walk out forgiveness without carrying a wounded spirit. Brian also shares governance lessons he'd apply if he were starting again in 1983   What you'll learn: • How a God-given calling fuels grit, endurance, and leadership resilience • Heart over talent: the character traits to prioritize when building teams • Marketplace ministry: turning your work into worship and Kingdom impact • Practical steps to forgive and avoid a wounded spirit as a leader • Governance wisdom: healthy boards, accountability, and longevity   🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website. If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected] Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

In this episode of Leadership & Other Stuff, Pastor Brian Houston explores the way leaders see and how their vision shapes everything they do. Drawing from Scripture, personal experiences, and timeless leadership lessons, Pastor Brian unpacks the importance of hindsight, foresight, and insight in guiding people and organizations. He explains why short-sighted decisions can limit growth, how foresight helps leaders prepare for what's ahead, and why insight seeing beneath the surface into motives, opportunities, and hidden potential, is perhaps the greatest leadership gift of all. From the story of Moses to the prodigal son, from biblical wisdom to real-life leadership moments, Pastor Brian encourages leaders to "lift up their eyes" and see with clarity, discernment, and faith. Whether you're leading in ministry, business, or everyday life, this episode will challenge you to sharpen your perspective and lead with vision that goes beyond the obvious.   🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website. If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected] Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact

How to Make Your Church the Best Church in the World In this inspiring and deeply practical episode, Pastor Brian Houston shares timeless principles on what truly makes a church flourish—not from the top down, but from the inside out. Drawing on over 40 years of pastoral experience, Pastor Brian explores how every believer can actively contribute to creating a church that feels like the best church in the world. From cultivating a unified spirit and building a healthy church "soul," to being easy to lead, committed to vision, and fostering a fun, faith-filled atmosphere—this episode is packed with insight for pastors, leaders, and passionate church members alike. You'll learn: Why your spirit, attitude, and faith play a critical role in your church's health How to contribute to a dynamic, faith-charged atmosphere The power of a volunteer spirit and outward-focused culture What it means to find your place in a contagious vision Why building authentic community matters more than ever Whether you're in church leadership or simply love your local church, Pastor Brian's message will challenge, equip, and encourage you to bring your best—and in doing so, help your church become all that God has called it to be. 🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website. If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected] Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact  

In this insightful and personal episode, Pastor Brian Houston unpacks ten powerful influences every leader needs to thrive, grow, and endure through the seasons of life and leadership. With a mix of biblical wisdom, personal stories, and decades of ministry experience, Pastor Brian shares the kinds of people and environments that shape a strong leader. From the importance of a mentor who truly believes in you, to the value of truthful friendships, a companion who completes you, a team that strengthens you, and an environment that encourages you—this episode is a heartfelt and practical guide to building a leadership life that lasts. Whether you're leading in ministry, business, or any sphere of influence, this episode will challenge and inspire you to evaluate the voices, relationships, and communities you're surrounding yourself with. Highlights include: Why spiritual fathers and mothers matter more than ever The difference between flattery and faithful wounds How companionship can turn into a leadership advantage Building a healthy, non-manipulative network Why every leader needs encouragement, resilience, and input that grows them Stick around to the end to hear Pastor Brian's thoughts on mentorship—and how you might get personally mentored if you're ready to go deeper. Leadership and Other Stuff with Brian Houston — equipping leaders and communicators with wisdom, faith, and practical tools for real-life impact. Subscribe to Leadership & Other Stuff with Brian Houston on YouTube. Support Our Ministry JesusFollowersTV: If you feel led to partner with us, your generosity will help us continue our work. Visit our Website. If you would like Pastor Brian to speak at your church or conduct a Leadership Roundtable, you can send an email with your inquiry at [email protected] Connect with Us: https://www.brianandbobbie.com/contact