Thermostat Leadership: Steady Under Pressure

When Pressure Tests Your Leadership

Pressure has a way of revealing what’s really inside us.

Over the past few months, I’ve been leading through one of the most complex and high-stakes projects of my career. Plans shifted. Timelines moved. The outcome looked nothing like what we expected. And yet, in the middle of it all, I saw something powerful taking shape—grit, perseverance, and true leadership rising to the surface.

Those seasons have a way of humbling you. They strip away comfort, test your character, and force you to ask: What kind of leader am I under pressure?

Thermometers vs. Thermostats

Every leader faces a choice in moments like that.
We can be thermometers, simply reflecting the atmosphere around us, or thermostats, intentionally setting it.

A thermometer rises and falls with the environment.
A thermostat regulates the environment with consistency and composure.

The best leaders don’t react to the climate—they reset it.
They bring calm into chaos and confidence into uncertainty.

As author Brian Tracy once said:

“The true test of leadership is how well you function in a crisis.”

Pressure Doesn’t Just Reveal Character — It Refines It

I’ve learned that the true measure of leadership isn’t control—it’s composure.

Anyone can lead when things go right. But when the unexpected happens, leaders are called to steady others by first being steady within themselves.

Pressure doesn’t just reveal character—it refines it.
It shapes endurance. It deepens empathy. It reminds us that leadership is less about holding everything together and more about staying grounded in what matters most.

A Steadfast Spirit

James 1:12 puts it this way:

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
— James 1:12 (ESV)

James wasn’t writing about workplace stress or project deadlines—he was speaking about trials that test our faith. Yet the same steadfast spirit that anchors us in faith can also steady us in leadership.

When our confidence is grounded in God, not outcomes, we can lead with peace even when everything around us feels uncertain.

Lead with Composure

When pressure builds, I’ve learned to pause and ask myself:
Am I mirroring the chaos around me, or modeling the peace within me?

Leadership isn’t about control; it’s about composure.

When we choose to lead from that quiet center—rooted in faith, anchored in peace—we create stability for everyone around us.
Our teams don’t need us to have all the answers; they need us to carry peace into the room.

Set the Temperature

Leadership has never been about avoiding the heat; it’s about standing in it with the kind of faith and steadiness that changes the atmosphere.

Be the thermostat this week.
Set the tone.

Lead with clarity, faith, and steadfast presence.
Because when peace rules in you, it spreads through those you lead.

#StartStrongLeadWell

The Decision Filter: Leading with Wisdom and Peace

When Leadership Demands Discernment

Leadership rarely gives you perfect information.
More often, it gives you tension—two good options, one hard choice, and the weight of knowing people are depending on your decision.

I’ve been there. Early in my career, I used to pray for certainty—for God to spell it out clearly. But I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about finding certainty; it’s about walking in discernment.

Certainty demands control.
Discernment requires trust.

And that shift has changed the way I lead.

The Decision Filter

Over the years, I began using what I call The Decision Filter—a simple way to slow down and align choices with what matters most.

I run every significant decision through three questions:

1. Values — Does this line up with who I am and what I believe?
2. Vision — Does this move me toward where God is leading?
3. Voice — Have I invited wise counsel and God’s perspective into it?

It’s not a formula; it’s a framework.
The Decision Filter helps me lead from conviction, not emotion—rooted in truth rather than driven by pressure.

Wisdom for the Asking

James gives leaders a promise that’s both simple and profound:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
— James 1:5 (ESV)

James was writing to believers facing trials, not executives facing deadlines, but the principle still holds: wisdom isn’t earned; it’s asked for.

Leaders don’t need to have every answer—they just need the humility to seek God’s.

Dr. Tony Evans once said,

“All decision-making is a values-clarifying exercise.”

He’s right. Every choice—big or small—reveals what’s really leading us.
When we pause to examine our motives through the Decision Filter, we discover what’s steering our hearts: fear or faith, ambition or obedience.

Peace as Confirmation

There’s one more layer to wise leadership: peace.

After I’ve walked through my filter, I pay attention to what’s happening in my spirit. When the peace of God settles deep in my heart—even if the situation still feels uncertain—that’s my signal I’m heading in the right direction.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:7 (ESV)

That peace doesn’t guarantee an easy road; it simply assures me I’m not walking it alone.
It guards my heart, confirms my direction, and gives me confidence to step forward in faith.

Leading with Clarity and Conviction

Leadership decisions will always carry weight, but they don’t have to carry confusion.

When you filter your choices through Values, Vision, and Voice, ask for wisdom, and follow peace, you can move forward—even into uncertainty—with confidence.

Because godly leadership isn’t about controlling outcomes.
It’s about walking faithfully in the direction of wisdom and trusting God with the rest.

#StartStrongLeadWell

What’s Your Story? Leading Through Listening

One of the most powerful questions a leader can ask is simple yet profound:
“What’s your story?”

Over the years, I’ve learned that question has the power to change relationships, reshape teams, and reveal the heart behind the work we do.

When we take time to listen, we do more than gather information—we build bridges. Every story we hear becomes a bridge we can lead across.

The Power of a Question

When I served as a pastor, I became known for asking that one question. Most of those conversations happened over coffee—just two people sitting down, one cup and one story at a time.

I discovered that when people share their stories, they open the door to their hearts. They share their dreams, fears, values, and faith. And often, what begins as small talk turns into sacred ground.

Jesus said it best:

“Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
— Luke 6:45 (ESV)

If we listen long enough, we begin to hear what fills a person’s heart. Their words reveal what matters most to them—their priorities, their pain, and their purpose.

Good leaders learn to listen that way—not just with their ears, but with discernment.

From the Church to the Marketplace

What I learned in ministry still shapes how I lead today.
Every person on your team has a story shaping how they work and why they care.

If you listen long enough, you’ll always find common ground—a shared value, a familiar struggle, or a common dream. It might take some digging, but it’s always worth the effort.

Listening turns workplaces into communities and coworkers into collaborators.

The Divine Intersection

I call this the Divine Intersection—the place where your story intersects with mine, and together they align with a greater mission and vision.

When stories connect, trust grows. Connection deepens. Collaboration strengthens.
Purpose becomes shared.

That’s the moment leadership becomes more than strategy—it becomes ministry.

Lead People, Not Tasks

Leadership at its best isn’t about directing tasks; it’s about developing people.
And people are shaped by their stories.

The moment you ask, “What’s your story?” you stop leading tasks and start leading hearts.

So, here’s the challenge for this week:
Who’s one person on your team whose story you need to hear?

Because every time we listen with intention, we lead with compassion.
And that’s where trust—and transformation—begin.

#StartStrongLeadWell