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Understand yourself and your leadership

Mental frameworks, Actionable advice, and Step-by-step guides for living out your leadership calling.

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Life FAQ’s
5 min read

Break Through the Messy Middle: A Purpose-Focused Strategy for Success, Pt. 1

Discover how personal transformation happens in life's "messy middle." Learn three powerful strategies to clarify your life purpose, measure your impact, and align with your core values through emotional intelligence and purposeful reflection.

Leadership Is a Team Sport: Finding Friends in a Lonesome Culture

The consequences of relational disconnection extend far beyond the individual leader. Without strong personal relationships, leaders may struggle to understand themselves deeply, impacting their ability to guide others effectively.

Beyond Personality Types: How Introverts and Extroverts Can Excel In Leadership

In this post, I'll share insights and strategies for how introverts and extroverts can thrive as leaders.

[Guest Post] How to Navigate the Unchartered Waters of Half-Time: Is it a midlife crisis or the gift of halftime?

Ever feel like life throws you a curveball, and you're left pondering your next career move? Is it a mid-life crisis or a divine nudge into the next chapter? Join author and spiritual mentor Brian J. Plachta as he shares his half-time story. Discover the tools he used to transition from success to significance.

Embracing the Tumble: How to Turn Obstacles into Opportunities for Growth

From learning to walk to battling chronic illness, discover how embracing life's challenging seasons can lead to profound personal growth and unshakeable resilience. How are you embracing the tumble?

The Power of Saying No: How Setting Boundaries Will Transform Your Life

Discover how saying 'no' can revolutionize your life, freeing you from overwhelming commitments and enhancing your well-being. What happens when you prioritize yourself?

Purposeful Leadership: Balancing Being and Doing for Personal Well-Being

In this post, we are challenged to step back from the frenetic pace of life and prioritize our identity as God's beloved children. We are reminded that our productivity and accomplishments do not define our worth, and we are encouraged to implement specific practices and rhythms to cultivate self-awareness and soul care. The post concludes by inspiring readers to embrace the freedom of living from a place of being and to let our purposeful actions flow from that deep well of identity and belonging.
Ask Greg
5 min read

Must We Burnout?: Thoughts On Not Falling Off the Cliff

This post addresses the severe issue of burnout among leaders dedicated to high-pressure roles, emphasizing the necessity of proactive soul care to prevent it.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

Leading from Within: How to Cultivate A Flourishing Life Through Purposeful Leadership

Explore the concept of leading from within and how it shapes a meaningful path to personal growth and leadership effectiveness. This post delves into the essence of purposeful leadership and its impact on creating a flourishing life for oneself and others.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

Purposeful Leadership: How Well Do You Know Yourself?

In this post, I explore the temptations of performance, possessions, and popularity and how they can lead us away from true fulfillment. I also offer tips for overcoming the false self and living more authentically.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

3 ABCs: Do You Have the Life & Leadership Keys?

Do you have the keys to purposeful leadership? In this blog post, I discuss the 3 ABCs in more detail and share some tips for developing them in your life.

3 Rhythm Secrets for Leaders to Overcome Your “I'm Too Busy Excuse”

Craft a well-orchestrated life rhythm with three secrets that help leaders overcome the "I'm too busy" excuse, revealing a path to balance and success.

3 Ways Living in the Ordinary Can Bring Peace to Our Lives | Know Your Place

Chasing the "next big thing" leads to dissatisfaction. Find fulfillment in your local communities. I share my struggles with this mindset and emphasize the importance of building roots, meeting the needs of those around us, and finding purpose in everyday life. Join me on the journey of embracing the ordinary.

Purposeful Leadership & Life Lessons: Exploring Myth Two - The Misconception of Purpose

An insightful exploration into the myths and truths of spiritual rhythms and their influential role in purposeful leadership and life lessons.

4 Leadership & Life Lessons: Spiritual Rhythms, Myth & Truth, Pt. 1

Are you yearning for a deeper sense of purpose? Sometimes, our search for spiritual awakening leads us to expect dramatic moments of revelation. More often, purpose is quietly interwoven into the fabric of our daily lives. Through simple spiritual practices like silence and journaling, I realized our most profound purpose isn’t found in earth-shattering events but in the subtle dawn of everyday enlightenment. In this post, I unpack spiritual rhythms by considering a myth and a truth.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

Discover Your Purpose: How a Life Vision Leads to Personal Growth and Fulfillment

Knowing your life vision is not a luxury, not an option to be debated - it's a necessity. It is an invisible thread tying together the random beads of our daily experiences into a meaningful necklace of personal growth and fulfillment. A life vision is an essential component of personal growth and fulfillment. It operates as the compass guiding your journey, ensuring that each step you take, no matter how small, is in the direction of your ultimate life goals.

Being Teachable Is a Superpower: Three Essentials to Growth & Relationships

Are you teachable? How would the people in your world respond to this question? Life is an endless classroom where a commitment to learning molds us, equipping us to pursue excellence in various realms of life. In this diverse natural learning environment, against the backdrop of an ever-changing world, we must wholeheartedly embrace our roles as lifelong learners, always eager to absorb new knowledge and experiences. As we navigate this continuously evolving world, embracing our roles as lifelong learners becomes increasingly crucial. We must always be eager to absorb new knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. We'll understand how having an open mind and being receptive to learning can significantly upgrade one's personal and professional lives, enhance interpersonal relationships, and fuel the engine of personal growth and self-improvement.

Taking a Personal Retreat: 4 Insights For Leaders To Find Peace In Solitude

Every leader should go on a personal retreat quarterly. It may only be for a couple of days; it may be for a week. Hurry is the great enemy. We live in a fast-paced society. Retreating is slowing down, moving away from the distractions of life, and essential for the leader's soul. In this reflection, I offer four insights I keep in mind each time I retreat. These insights point us toward a deeper connection with our personhood and God.

4 Insights Into Why You Should Cultivate a Hunger for Learning No Matter Your Season of Life

Lifelong learning isn't just about accumulating information; it's about staying relevant and adaptable in a dynamic world. By keeping our minds actively engaged in continuous learning, we ensure that we're always equipped with the latest information and skills necessary to thrive in our personal and professional lives. It empowers us to embrace change, overcome challenges, and seize new opportunities. It broadens our horizons, expands our perspectives, and nurtures our intellectual curiosity. Lifelong learning enables us to unlock our true potential and lead fulfilling and successful lives.

Living the Connected Life: Uniting Leaders’ Soul Care and Emotional Health

Soul care doesn’t just mean spiritual care. It means tending to our inner psychospiritual life, which affects our whole self. The Hebrew understanding of the self is holistic, with the body, soul, and spirit being interdependent. We are complex intertwined beings, with our soul, body, mind, and emotions all amazingly interconnected.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

5 Life Rhythm Steps Leaders Must Take To Wake Up And Live A Flourishing Life

Leadership is not an easy job. It requires skill, dedication, and a lot of hard work. Leaders are responsible for their well-being and the well-being of their team, organization, and family. Leaders must build a rhythm of life that allows them to thrive personally and professionally. A rhythm of life is a set of daily habits and practices that help you stay centered and focused. Rhythm is crucial for maintaining your overall well-being.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

Equipping My 17-Year-Old Self with 5 Hard-Earned Lessons to Overcome Life Obstacles and Navigate with Resilience

I’ve learned a few things along my journey, personally and professionally. Implement these five life lessons built over the last 40 years and you will accelerate your life. By reading this post, you will unlock hard-earned, experience-based wisdom.

Shift Your Paradigm: 4 Keystone Habits for a Being-Centered Life

Rambling about the societal pressures of multitasking and high-strung productivity misses the point of living. We're human 'beings,’ not human 'doings.’ Instead of admiring those who juggle numerous tasks at once, we should appreciate those who immerse themselves fully in a project, being present and producing quality work.

8 Unexpected Habits that Lead to a Balanced Life

Imagine, for a moment, a life where your personal and professional worlds coexist harmoniously. Picture a world where you're not just surviving but genuinely thriving and not just keeping your head above water but cruising along. Sounds like some fantastical dream? Well, buckle up because we're about to embark on a journey to transform that dream into reality.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

Strong Foundation: 5 Ways to Develop Deeply Rooted Character in Your 20s and 30s

Building character is like crafting a diamond. It's a process that involves pressure, heat, and time. But what if I told you there's a more surprising and unconventional path to creating your personal diamond? Let's not kid ourselves. It's a challenging road ahead, full of self-reflection and pushing boundaries. It's about facing the uncomfortable truths, solitude, failure, lifelong learning, and generosity. Sounds intriguing, right? A strong personal character is like having an inner torch that lights your path even in the darkest times. It is what defines you beyond your job title or your social status. It's the real, unfiltered you.

Empathy Unleashed: Four Steps to Nurture Emotional Intelligence in Your Leaders

Imagine the impact of leaders in your organization who possess the superpowers of empathy and emotional intelligence. They effortlessly connect with their teams, inspire greatness, and foster a culture of learning and growth. It's the kind of leadership that ignites passion and propels organizations to new heights.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

A Lasting Legacy For Those You Care About: 4 Essential Steps

Are you a seasoned leader who has built a successful career but secretly wonders what legacy you leave behind for your family and close associates? Do you worry that your hard work and accomplishments will soon be forgotten and that your impact on the world will be limited to your LinkedIn profile and a few kind words from former colleagues? It's natural to want to leave a lasting impression on the world, to be remembered for the good you've done and the people you've touched. Here I show you steps to take toward leaving a legacy that will stand the test of time.

Your Health And Well-Being (4 Benefits to Making Wellness Your Priority)

In today's fast-paced world, getting caught up in the demands of work, family, and other obligations is easy. Prioritizing your health and well-being will lead to a fulfilling and happy life. It is a common misconception among leaders that self-care is an indulgence. Instead, it is fundamentally necessary for a healthy lifestyle and essential to your leadership. In this blog post, I explore why self-care should be your top priority, four ways self-care can benefit your life, and best practices to build on each benefit.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

How To Finish Well As A Leader (The Four Steps You Need To Take)

In my life in leadership, I’ve found starting strong to be easy. I begin with a vision, a dream, and a desire to be known for something good when I am done. Leaders must start strong and finish well. Finishing well requires self-care, intentionality, focus and dedication, and support. Give attention to these four areas, and you can leave a lasting legacy you can be proud of.

Ways of Servant Leadership (Five Essentials for Leading Well)

Servant leadership focuses on serving others and placing the needs of those we lead ahead of our own. It is a powerful tool that can be employed to transform communities and bring about lasting positive change. It emphasizes empathy, listening, awareness, persuasion, and foresight as essential qualities for developing relationships with those we serve. Together, we’ll consider some well-known Christian leaders who have exemplified these qualities and explore how we can use their examples to become better servant leaders in our own lives.

Do You Have Frustrations? Three Solutions from a Seasoned Leader

Frustration is a common emotion we all experience at some point. For personal or professional reasons, frustration can significantly hinder our success and happiness. As a seasoned leader, I've faced my fair share of frustrations over the years, and I'd like to share my perspective on overcoming them.

Overcoming Difficult Life Obstacles: 5 Lessons from My First Two Life Chapters

If my previous two life seasons taught me any lessons, this is it: life is unpredictable, and obstacles are an inevitable part of the journey. I’ve faced several challenges in my personal and professional life during my first two life seasons. However, I have learned that setbacks are not failures but opportunities for growth and transformation. In what follows, I’ll share five keys to overcoming life difficulties from my journey.

Developing Resilience: Four Habits & Rituals To Live Your Best Life

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity and maintain balance in the face of challenges. It is an essential quality for success in all areas of life, including spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational. Developing resilience requires consistent practice and the formation of healthy habits and rituals. In this blog post, we will discuss four key areas of developing resilience: spiritual fitness, physical fitness, emotional fitness, and relational fitness.

The Three Most Important Life Words: Alignment, Boldness, and Conviction

Reflecting on my personal and professional journey, I’ve realized the importance of alignment, boldness, and conviction in pursuing one's vocation (I've written on this previously in a different season of my life. You can find that post here). These three factors have played a significant role in my life.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

Reviewing 2022 | The Good and the Bad

I've done the work of year review and year preview over the last few days. Good things happened in 2022, and I look forward to good things in 2023.
Life FAQ’s
5 min read

3 Ways to Live An Extraordinary Life | Are you living one?

What is an extraordinary life, and are you living one? Our stay was the occasional extraordinary mountaintop experience that we love to have in our life together.While most of life is lived in the ordinary, I’ll suggest three critical ways that living well in the ordinary can lead to an extraordinary life.

4 Rules I Would Give My 26-Year-Old Self

I have a base of learning and wisdom built over the 30 years since I was twenty-six. I have overcome obstacles, learned, and accomplished many things. All this learning and experience has taught me much about what matters in life and what doesn’t. A lot of the things I used to care about, I don’t anymore. And things I used not to care very much about are now important to me. Here are my four rules for my 26-year-old self. These rules will help you toward your best life.

How Is Your Self-Leadership? The 4 Pillars of a Leader’s Self-Care

From over two decades of spiritual leadership, I understand self-care boils down to four pillars. These four pillars have kept me healthy and centered emotionally and spiritually. I have lived through the challenges of being a leader charged with the care of others. I’ve done this in the most challenging of places. No matter where you are along your leadership journey, I’m convinced that if you put the following principles into practice, you will reap dividends. You will avoid burnout and be better in your relationships, personally and professionally. You and your organization will reap untold rewards because you have chosen to take the self-leadership path of strategic self-care.

4 Things Fulfilled Leaders Have In Abundance

Challenging times are part of life. Pursuing growth in connection, clarity, confidence, and congruence will lead you toward living a fulfilled life. When you have the 4 C’s, your path will be straighter, your journey forward will be more precise, and your focus will narrow. You can say no to the wrong things and yes to the best things.

How Living in the Ordinary Can Bring Peace to Our Lives | Know your place

Be rooted, meet needs, and live in the reality of the ordinary.

Best Life Story | Do You Have the ABCs?

Three ABCs lead you toward your best life. They are: Alignment, Boldness, and Conviction. In this post, I unpack what it means to live according to these three concepts.
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