Self-differentiation is about understanding and taking full responsibility for your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Leading from a place of self-differentiation means following the guidance of your internal values, thoughts, and feelings—as opposed to outside pressure or values—and being fully yourself while staying connected and caring for others. [image by Philip Oroni on Unsplash]

LeaderWise offers four grounded practices to help leaders respond to moments of powerlessness with clarity, integrity, and hope. When power or influence seems to be fading: Test perceptions in order to respond with clarity; invest in relationship-building and consider common goals; turn inward to find personal meaning; and consider what to let go of. In times like these, leaders who utilize accompaniment such as coaching, spiritual direction, or counseling can listen more deeply and rediscover a grounded sense of purpose.

Noticing a loss of power in leadership might prompt leaders to ask, “Am I still relevant?” This might look like a diminished ability to influence outcomes and can signal a decline in effectiveness due to disengagement, slow decision-making, or insecure, autocratic behavior, ultimately eroding follower trust and triggering a collapse in authority. How you react or respond to this situation is key.

Candidates and denominational partners often ask how we work to make our assessments culturally responsive. In considering how to bring an ethical and culturally responsive lens to our work at LeaderWise, we use 3 questions to guide us: How do we honor the fullness and complexity of the cultural experiences of those we serve? How do we work to establish safety and hold vulnerability for those we serve? How do we meet the changing needs of the ministry context?

Society’s helpers ~ clergy, therapists, spiritual directors, teachers, social workers ~ offer the gift of attention and presence in a distracted, multitasking world. Do the helpers fully receive this gift ~ if it’s even offered? Our spiritual direction and pastoral supervision clients often ask me to pray with/for/over them, and doing so is always an honor. Here is a prayer for you, the helpers.

LeaderWise’s Mary Kay DuChene created the Shape of Leadership program following a conversation about leadership challenges and a vision for future leaders. The program helps leaders see their innate gifts, learn new frameworks for leadership, and practice new ways of leading. Years later, hundreds of ministers who have completed the Shape program have gone on to bolder leadership. [Photo by Fotógrafo Samuel Cruz on Unsplash‍]

The question “How are you doing?” often functions less as a genuine inquiry than a social ritual. What if, from time to time, we asked the question intentionally—and truly meant it? What if we trusted that we don’t need the perfect response in order to listen well? In a restless and uncertain world, genuine attention may be one of the most meaningful ways we care for one another. [Photo by Mohit Mehta on Unsplash‍] ‍

Rev. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, PhD unpacks various types of power, reminding that power can potentially be for good or evil. To harness power for community growth, leaders must work toward sharing (redistributing) power. Power redistribution depends on three central activities: revealing, bending, and reweaving. Lizardy-Hajbi guides readers in reflecting on the communal possibilities of power. [Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash]

Being asked to complete a psychological assessment can be anxiety-provoking, confusing, and vulnerable. The LeaderWise assessment team: wants to get an accurate picture of how you will function in ministry; is committed to being culturally responsive; strives to honor our professional role, safeguard the integrity of our reports and our tools, and maintain clarity in relationships and boundaries.

Research shows that emotional intelligence predicts workplace effectiveness more than other skills. Emotional intelligence can be learned and refined. LeaderWise assesses emotional intelligence through the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi) and offers 1:1 individualized coaching to determine strengths and areas for development. Monthly emotional intelligence coaching fosters growth. [Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com M on Unsplash]

Showing up in what trauma expert Laura van Dernoot Lipsky calls a “microculture of support” means crossing historic lines of tribe, religion, race, and ethnicity to center relationships with neighbors as primary. LeaderWise refers to showing up as the practice of “accompaniment,” a practice of human resilience. Here are 4 ways you can practice accompaniment in your community.

In our shared desire to support you who are out in the field leading in these chaotic times, LeaderWise is offering regular touchpoints throughout this season of Spring holy days, a season marked by themes of renewal and rebirth, liberation and hope, gratitude and transformation. These touchpoints will create sacred space for you to slow down. It is our hope to give you the space you need to respond with greater clarity, purpose, and impact. Finally, we’ll offer resources to utilize and share with the people you serve.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Sarah Parker shares wisdom from Mister Rogers and the Fred Rogers Institute about talking to children when disturbing images and scary news dominates media streams. Highlighting suggested approaches with children, Sarah also reminds us of the importance for adults to practice good self care in difficult times: set boundaries, rest, and find joy and support.

[Photo by Oladimeji Odunsi on Unsplash]

LeaderWise executive director Drew Benson, PhD, LP, discusses that listening with courage in these strained times calls for connection with one’s body, the ability to sit in discomfort, and active hope. “In the midst of fear, anger, sadness, and pain,” shares Drew about events in Minneapolis, “there have also been moments of care, connection, community, and courage.” [Photo by Ronak Valobobhai on Unsplash]

Whether you are a faith leader who steps into the pulpit every week, occasionally, or rarely, these are challenging times to preach. Have you encountered a heightened level of criticism about your preaching? The Rev. Cindy Halvorson, DMin, LeaderWise consultant and author of Real People, Real Faith: Preaching Biblical Characters, offers 4 considerations for sermon-writing in these fraught times.

Faith leaders are at risk for burnout, and LeaderWise boundaries training can help. Healthy Boundaries for Healthy Leaders is an interactive workshop relevant to challenges faith leaders face. The training prioritizes wellness through a trauma-informed approach, discusses steps to making decisions when the road is uncertain, and considers the impact of culture and context on boundaries.

This “good news story” describes how a denominational organization, guided by LeaderWise consultants, healed from toxicity and conflict to shift to an organization built on trust. The transformation required participants to be vulnerable and willing to work through difficulty. As a result of the strategic Bridgebuilder process, participants experienced renewal and were able to envision a new way forward. [image by Nick Fancher on Unsplash+]

In this compilation from LeaderWise’s 2025 weekly messages, find valuable tools to bring into the new year: 5 Most Popular LeaderWise Articles from 2025, 4 Mission-Critical Articles, 3 Articles Not to Miss, 2 Article Series, 1 Opportunity for 2026.

[Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash]

The Christmas holiday season can be a stressful time of year. Here LeaderWise offers three quick and easy tools to help you care for your body, set (realistic) expectations, and offer some grace. [Photo by Julia Michelle on Unsplash]

What is LeaderWise’s secret sauce? The recipe is best summed up by a term that a staff member coined years ago. In a conversation about what we’d like more of at work, she identified “a greater sense of team and unity,” and then said, “Us-ness.” As the executive director at the time, Mark Sundby started using the term “us-ness” to describe how we aspire to be and do our work at LeaderWise. In interviews with potential staff members, the concept of “us-ness” as a core value resonated with many of them. They wanted to be part of an organization where they belonged and felt fully invested, and to know that others, including the organization itself, were invested in them as well. The beauty of us-ness is that it’s a made-up term, so we can craft it into what we want to be and imbue it with our own meaning. At the same time, the term has depth and touches us at our deepest, most existential level: We all want to belong.