Leaders inspire, they influence and empower others, define new realities, and bring vision to life. Leaders that make a difference lead self, lead others and lead communities.
In Level Up: Lessons on Leadership, the Rev. Jack Shitama, of the Center of Vital Leadership, helps leaders grow. In these short videos, church leaders will discover some of the best and most influential principles in today’s secular writing about leadership. Learn from the masters, to transform yourself and the world.
The videos are organized by Key Leadership Competency. Click on the "+" on the right side to read a brief synopsis, then click "LEARN MORE" to view the video. The lessons marked (MAP) are great Missional Action Planning resources.
In addition, you can find all the lessons here.
In Level Up: Lessons on Leadership, the Rev. Jack Shitama, of the Center of Vital Leadership, helps leaders grow. In these short videos, church leaders will discover some of the best and most influential principles in today’s secular writing about leadership. Learn from the masters, to transform yourself and the world.
The videos are organized by Key Leadership Competency. Click on the "+" on the right side to read a brief synopsis, then click "LEARN MORE" to view the video. The lessons marked (MAP) are great Missional Action Planning resources.
In addition, you can find all the lessons here.
Leads Self
Thriving Spirituality
In Life and Work, Balance Is a Verb Not a Noun
3 Ways Gratitude Makes You a Better Leader
It IS Better to Give than Receive
the myth of self-discipline
Self-discipline, self-control and willpower are exhaustible resources. Here's how to make that work for you.
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The Power of Keystone Habits
the power of micro habits
3 ways a shutdown routine increases work-life balance
Creating a clear boundary between your work and personal life improves well-being. A shutdown routine can help.
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To Be Your Best, Balance Screens with Green
Research shows that nature can renew us physically, emotionally and cognitively. It's God's fix for our weary minds and bodies.
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Intercultural Competency
effective ministry leaders understand the 3 types of conflict
Not all conflict is equal. There are three different kinds of conflict. Task. Values. And Relationship.
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to lead change you need to understand the fundamental attribution error
What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. Here's why and what to do about it.
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Non-Anxious Leadership
The Power of Vulnerability
beware the quick fix
Lasting change is a long, often painful process. The leader's role is to help God's people lean into this.
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addition by subtraction
Leading as a non-anxious presence may result in some people leaving. That can be a good thing.
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LEADS OTHERS
Trust and Team Building
diversity matters: the best teams have 3 kinds of people (MAP)
The most effective teams combine subject-matter experts, non-redundant outsiders from different backgrounds, and creative oddballs to stimulate innovation and fresh thinking.
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YOU CAN'T LEAD WITHOUT TRUST (MAP)
Trust is the foundational leadership competency that enables organizations to move quickly, adapt, and bring their best selves to the work.
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how self DETERMINATION theory can make you a better leader
Leaders grow intrinsic motivation in others by fostering three essential needs: autonomy, a sense of competence, and a sense of relatedness.
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the first shall be last is a leadership principle
Servant leadership is both a biblical mandate and a proven strategy for building trust and inspiring missional commitment.
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Three Techniques from a Former Hostage Negotiator for Being a Non-Anxious Presence
Using 'no' questions, reflective listening, and reverse empathy helps leaders reduce anxiety, build rapport, and foster collaboration in difficult situations.
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4 steps to building more effective teams (MAP)
Psychological safety—cultivated through daily bonding, normalizing mistakes, making people feel seen, and humbly seeking input—is the foundation of high-performing teams.
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Four Ways Humor Can Make You a Better Leader
Appropriate humor builds trust, sparks innovation, enhances memory and learning, and improves negotiations—making leaders and their teams more effective.
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The Best Leaders Demand 85% Effort
If you’re like most people, you were taught to give 100%, or even 110% effort. According to the Harvard Business Review, that’s wrong.
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Resilient Leadership
WHy church leaders need a growth mindset (MAP)
A growth mindset—the belief that abilities improve through effort and God's grace—equips leaders to embrace challenges and overcome obstacles.
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5 ways church leaders can develop grit
Grit (passion + perseverance for long-term goals) is built through purpose, creativity, challenge, consistent practice, and seeking support.
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3 Ways to Be Quick—but Not Hurry
Focusing on effort over results, practicing continuous incremental improvement, and keeping things simple enables leaders to act decisively and skillfully without rushing.
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Progress Is Your Biggest Motivator
Incremental small wins create a powerful motivational feedback loop that fuels ongoing engagement and compounds into extraordinary results over time.
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beware of the dip (MAP)
Every worthwhile endeavor hits a difficult middle stretch where most people quit, but leaders who press forward one step at a time achieve what others don't.
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Innovation & Experimentation
WHy church leaders need to think big and act small (MAP)
Breaking big goals into small daily actions sustains motivation through incremental progress and makes overwhelming challenges manageable.
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Feeling Stuck? Try Some Little Bets (MAP)
Taking small, low-risk experimental steps breaks through the paralysis of anxiety and creates the movement God can work with to generate breakthrough.
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How Agile Are You? Design Thinking Can Help (MAP)
A community-centered, iterative approach to problem-solving—engaging real people and testing minimum viable ideas—helps churches find real needs and effective solutions.
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Curiosity Will Make You a Better Leader (and 4 Ways to Get More Curious) (MAP)
Curiosity fosters innovation, engagement, and a culture of continuous growth—and it can be intentionally developed as a muscle through reflection and openness.
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Test and Learn (MAP)
Continuously asking 'Does it work?' and adjusting based on real results—rather than rigid adherence to a plan—produces better outcomes and creates momentum.
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4 components of intelligent failure (MAP)
Failing in new territory with purpose, informed hypotheses, and minimal scale transforms failure into the learning engine that drives meaningful innovation.
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LEADS COMMUNITIES
Vision Casting
what is the difference between leadership and management?
While managers focus on process, organizing, and directing, leaders focus on vision, alignment with mission, and inspiring others toward meaningful change.
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Vision is Crucial to Leadership
Leaders must discern and communicate God's vision for the future, because without vision, anxiety and dysfunction fill the vacuum.
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Missional Alignment
Finite and Infinite Games: Which One Are You Playing? (MAP)
Church leaders should shift from a winning-focused finite mindset to an infinite mindset centered on continuous improvement, shared mission, and abundance.
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what is a level 5 leader?
The greatest leaders combine personal humility—giving credit to others—with fierce professional will focused on mission rather than personal gain.
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three time management principles that changed my life
Focusing on the important-but-not-urgent, identifying your next action, and applying the two-minute rule transforms productivity and advances your most important work.
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Adaptive Leadership
the power of positive deviance (MAP)
By identifying and scaling what's already working in unconventional ways within your own community, leaders can generate transformative, widespread change.
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The Church Needs Adaptive Leadership Now More than Ever (MAP)
Adaptive leadership inspires people to tackle complex challenges through new learning and broad collaboration rather than relying on existing expertise or positional authority.
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How to Make Good Decisions (MAP)
Clear thinking, a sound decision-making process focused on minimizing downside risk, and separating process from outcome leads to better leadership decisions.
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The Center for Vital Leadership is a ministry of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Episcopal Area