Many leaders assume disengagement is primarily a motivation or performance problem. But what if the real issue is that people no longer experience their work as life-giving?

In this episode, Jay Bransford, President & CEO of Best Christian Workplaces, explores why Life-Giving Work is the second most powerful driver of employee engagement. Drawing from decades of workplace culture research, he explains how leaders unintentionally drain meaning from work, why role alignment matters, and how connecting daily tasks to mission can dramatically increase engagement and ownership.

You'll gain insight into:

• Why Life-Giving Work is one of the strongest drivers of engagement

• How leaders unintentionally drain meaning from work

• What happens when employees are in the wrong seat

• Practical habits that create energized, flourishing teams

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/your-people-arent-burned-out-their-work-may-be-draining-the-life-out-of-them

Many Christian-led organizations are passionate about serving people externally—but struggle to care for the health of their own teams internally.

In this episode, Michael Martin, President & CEO of ECFA, explains why flourishing cultures require intentional stewardship, leadership rhythms, and a deep commitment to caring for people well. Drawing from ECFA's experience building a 100th-percentile workplace culture, he shares how mission clarity, collaboration, employee voice, and healthy leadership practices strengthen both culture and Kingdom impact.

You'll gain insight into:

• Why ECFA made culture one of its core strategic goals
• How mission clarity creates stronger employee engagement
• What leaders miss when they focus only on external ministry impact
• Practical rhythms that help teams stay healthy and connected

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/the-strongest-ministries-dont-ignore-the-people-closest-to-them

Trust problems rarely begin with strategy. More often, they begin with fear, self-protection, and leaders trying to create stability externally while struggling internally.

In this episode, Dr. Rob McKenna—CEO of WiLD Leaders and bestselling author of Whole Leaders, Wild Trust—shares why trust grows through honesty, vulnerability, and truth-telling rather than perfection. He explains how internal formation shapes team trust, why self-protection quietly destroys cultures, and what leaders can do to build environments where people feel safe enough to tell the truth.

You'll gain insight into:

• why trust begins with personal formation before organizational transformation
• how self-protection quietly erodes team trust
• the three questions employees are silently asking every day
• why high-trust teams confront reality faster

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/you-cant-build-external-trust-on-internal-instability

Employee engagement across Christian-led organizations has reached its highest level in 15 years. Yet nearly 4 in 10 employees still cannot bring their best to work each day.

In this episode, Dr. Doug Waldo, Research Director and Senior Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explains what the 2026 State of the Christian Workplace Report reveals about trust in leadership, employee voice, and the organizational barriers that still limit engagement—and what leaders can do about them.

You'll gain insight on:

• why 61% engagement represents meaningful progress across Christian workplaces
• how disengagement quietly reduces organizational capacity
• the trust signals employees are looking for from leaders today
• why giving staff a stronger voice improves engagement outcomes

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/engagement-hit-a-15-year-high-so-why-are-39-still-disengaged

Many leaders assume diversity creates tension on teams. But the deeper threat to engagement isn't difference—it's disconnection.

In this episode, Dr. James Borishade of Circle Urban Ministries explains how leaders can create psychological safety across differences so teams remain unified around mission. He shares practical lessons on listening well, modeling humility, and repairing trust when leadership decisions unintentionally silence team voices.

You'll gain insight on:

• recognizing when withdrawal signals relational unsafety
• inviting meaningful input before decisions are finalized
• repairing trust through humility and accountability
• creating space for diverse perspectives without losing alignment

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/diversity-isnt-the-problem-disconnection-is

What happens when leaders invite feedback before decisions are finalized instead of after they're announced?

In this episode of Called to Flourish, Peter Krol, President, and Tom Hallman, Vice President of DiscipleMakers, share how their ministry built one of the most engaged workplace cultures in their sector by creating clear rhythms of listening, collaboration, and shared ownership. Rather than relying on top-down decision-making, they developed practical ways for staff to contribute input early—strengthening alignment as the organization expanded from 11 to 26 campuses. Their experience offers a compelling model for ministry leaders who want to grow without losing mission clarity or cultural health.

You'll gain insight on:

• Why inviting feedback early strengthens trust across teams

• How shared fundraising builds unity throughout an organization

• How engagement surveys help leaders detect culture drift sooner

• What it takes to scale ministry while protecting mission alignment

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/ask-for-feedback-before-the-decision-how-disciplemakers-built-a-100th-percentile-ministry-culture

What happens when leaders stop guessing about culture and start listening to what their teams are actually experiencing?

In this episode of Called to Flourish, Brad Cooper, Lead Pastor of Culture and Direction at NewSpring Church, shares how honest feedback and engagement surveys helped their leadership team face cultural blind spots, respond to a season of challenge, and build deeper trust across staff. Instead of relying on assumptions, they used data to clarify reality and strengthen alignment across the organization. This conversation offers practical insight for pastors and ministry leaders who want to build healthier teams through transparency, shared ownership, and intentional listening.

You'll gain insight into:

• Why facing the truth about culture is essential for building trust

• How engagement surveys help leaders see what they might otherwise miss

• What team-based leadership looks like in a healthy church culture

• How consistent listening strengthens staff alignment over time

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/data-driven-leadership-how-facing-the-truth-about-culture-builds-trust-and-strengthens-your-church

What happens when unforgiveness quietly shapes your workplace culture?

In this episode of Called to Flourish, Tara VanderSande, Senior Engagement and Talent Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explores why forgiveness is not just a personal spiritual practice—but a leadership discipline that directly impacts trust, innovation, and organizational health. Drawing from engagement survey data, Scripture, and real-world leadership experience, Tara explains how unresolved offenses create fear, secrecy, and disengagement within teams. This conversation offers practical and spiritual guidance for leaders who want to build cultures marked by humility, accountability, and freedom.

You'll gain insight on:

• How unforgiveness affects trust and collaboration

• The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation

• How leaders balance grace with accountability

• Practical rhythms for building awareness and addressing offense

👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/forgiveness-in-the-workplace-how-leaders-build-trust-heal-culture-and-strengthen-teams