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We live in a world that rewards speed, noise, productivity, and visible results. So it makes sense that a lot of us have learned how to do things for God without really slowing down to be with God.

In this conversation, Paul talks with Angela, a fellow doctoral cohort member, counselor, and woman of deep wisdom, about what it means to move beyond a checkbox faith and into a life of presence. Angela shares her story of coming to the helping professions later in life, how she bridges faith and counseling, and why intentional time with God changes the way we show up with people.

They talk about the difference between information and transformation, the contagious nature of anxiety and peace, the tension between being and doing, and why the presence of God is not a luxury for helpers, but oxygen.

This episode is especially for pastors, leaders, counselors, and caregivers, but really, it’s for anybody who knows what it feels like to be busy, spiritually dry, and hungry for something deeper.

Key takeaways

• You can do helpful things without being deeply anchored in God, but it changes the quality of your presence.
• Being with Jesus is not wasted time. It shapes what you carry into every room.
• A non-anxious, non-pushy presence is one of the greatest gifts we can offer people.
• Spiritual practices are not meant to be dry checklists but relational spaces of encounter.
• Gratitude, walking, music, Scripture, stillness, and even imagination can all become ways of meeting with God.
• Identity must inform activity, not the other way around.
• Our culture trains us to chase information, but transformation often comes through presence.
• God is not frustrated with our slowness; He is patient, present, and inviting.

Memorable lines / pull quotes

• “You can do without being, but it’s going to affect the integrity of your doing.”
• “When I’m connected with God, I feel like I have more to give.”
• “Has the good news reached your face?”
• “God has a non-pushy presence.”
• “Their quiet time was with Him.”
• “Identity informs activity.”
• “We are so busy doing things for God that we don’t even think about what we’re bringing into those things.”
• “It’s not just the fuel for the rest of your day. Jesus is going with you for the rest of your day.”

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Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Rather watch the video? Head over to The Reluctant Leader Podcast on my YouTube channel.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

Leadership pressure is unavoidable. Expectations, decisions, criticism, responsibility—it all adds weight. Most leaders spend their energy trying to reduce pressure, avoid pressure, or escape pressure.

But what if pressure isn’t just something to eliminate?

In this episode, we explore a different lens from James 1: pressure produces something in us. When handled well, the very things that squeeze leaders can actually shape their character, deepen their faith, and strengthen their endurance.

Instead of asking, “How do I get rid of this pressure?” we learn to ask a better question:

“What is God forming in me through this?”

If you're leading anything—a church, a team, a family, or a ministry—this conversation will help you see leadership pressure in a whole new light.

1. Pressure Reveals What’s Already in Us

Pressure acts like a spiritual MRI. It exposes what’s happening inside our hearts—our fears, our trust, our patience, and our insecurities. What rises under pressure shows us where God is still forming us.

2. Pressure Builds Leadership Endurance

Strength rarely grows in comfort. Just like muscles develop under resistance, leaders develop perseverance through the weight of responsibility and the challenges they face.

3. Pressure Deepens Our Dependence on God

Pressure has a way of reminding leaders that the mission isn’t sustained by our strength alone. The moments that push us hardest often pull us back toward deeper reliance on God.

James 1:2–4
“Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

Luke 6:45
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

2 Corinthians 1:8–9
“This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.”

Instead of asking “How do I escape this pressure?”, try asking: “What might God be producing in me through this?”

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Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Rather watch the video? Head over to The Reluctant Leader Podcast on my YouTube channel.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

What if the very thing you think is protecting you as a leader is actually holding you back?

In this episode of The Reluctant Leader Podcast, Paul sits down with Natasha Skolny, a former professional ice skater who is now a leadership coach and founder of The Leadership Cabin. It's a wide-ranging, deeply practical conversation about authenticity, nervous system regulation, resilience, and what it really takes to lead people well.

Natasha introduces the idea of “corporate armor”—the protective persona leaders put on to look competent, composed, and in control—and explains why that armor quietly erodes trust instead of building it. Together, Paul and Natasha explore why leaders are often promoted for control, but succeed long-term through connection.

The conversation moves from boardrooms to locker rooms to ice baths, unpacking:

• Why vulnerability actually increases credibility
• How control and discipline are not the same thing
• What professional athletes understand about emotional regulation
• Why breathwork, movement, and even cold plunging help leaders stay grounded
• How stored emotion shows up in surprising (and often destructive) ways
• Why the best leaders invest in coaches—and keep doing it
• How Natasha helps young women reconnect with their voice, values, and direction

This episode is honest, hopeful, and highly practical—especially for leaders who are tired of pretending they’re fine and ready to lead from a healthier place.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Armor creates distance; humanity builds trust
• What got you here won’t get you there
• Regulation beats repression—every time
• Resilient leaders train their nervous systems, not just their skills
• You were never meant to lead alone

🔗 Connect with Natasha

• Website: theleadershipcabin.com
• LinkedIn & YouTube & Instagram

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Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Rather watch the video? Head over to The Reluctant Leader Podcast on my YouTube channel.