Chad Lunsford discusses his book 'Made for More' and the journey of discovering one's purpose and living a life of significance. He shares how the message of the book formed in his mind and heart and the obstacles people face in finding their greater purpose. Chad emphasizes the importance of character development and living fully in the present moment. He also talks about the impact of travel and experiencing new things on his life. The book aims to inspire readers to live a life worth living and to reflect on who they are becoming.
 
 

In this episode, Alan Briggs and older brother J.R. Briggs discuss the topic of cynicism and its impact on leaders. They explore the cultural prevalence of cynicism and how it can erode trust and hope. J.R. shares his personal experience with cynicism and the pernicious effect it had on his life. The difference between cynicism and skepticism is also discussed. The conversation delves into the challenges leaders face during election season and offers practices for guarding against cynicism. The history of cynicism is explored, highlighting its relevance in today's society. The episode concludes with a reflection on personal cynicism and the importance of self-awareness.
 
About J.R. Briggs
 
Dr. J.R. Briggs lives with a clear and focused calling: to serve, guide, and equip hungry leaders who want to grow healthier and thrive. In 2011, he started Kairos Partnerships, an organization committed to serving hungry kingdom leaders through leadership coaching, consulting, speaking, and teaching. He loves investing in the KP team of equippers so Kairos Partnerships can invest in all leaders who desire care and equipping.
For more than 15 years, J.R. served in pastoral roles in mega-churches, church plants, and house church networks. Since starting Kairos Partnerships, he has served and invested in a wide variety of leaders, including business owners, pastors, university administrators, non-profit directors, entrepreneurs, attorneys, Blackhawk army helicopter operators, U.S. Olympic athletes, and Division I college coaches.
In addition to coaching leaders and consulting with businesses, organizations, universities, and non-profits, he also speaks and teaches.
He has taught in higher education since 2017. Currently, he serves as a faculty mentor for Kairos University and as a guest instructor at Friends University in the Masters of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Leadership program. He has guest lectured, taught, and spoken at over a dozen colleges, universities, and seminaries around the U.S.
He also serves as the Director of Leadership & Congregational Formation for The Ecclesia Network and as a National Trainer and Strategist for Fresh Expressions U.S.
He has written or co-written thirteen books on a wide variety of topics and served as one of the contributors to the Abide Bible. He has written over 50 published articles, both online and in print, with Christianity Today, Huffington Post, Preaching Today, American Bible Society, N.T. Wright Online, Missio Alliance, Boundless.org and Relevant Magazine, and several others.
He hosts the Resilient Leaders podcast, a weekly podcast equipping leaders in a wide variety of backgrounds to grow in their resilience and health.
He serves on the Board of Directors for Jerusalem University College and the Board of Advisors for the Institute for Bible Reading.
J.R. loves swimming, kayaking, hiking, reading, traveling to new places, eating fish tacos, and watching the Philadelphia Phillies.
He and his wife Megan have been married for over 21 years and have two teenage sons, Carter and Bennett. They live in Lansdale, PA in the greater Philadelphia area.
 
Takeaways
Cynicism is a prevalent issue in our culture and can erode trust and hope.
Leaders are particularly susceptible to cynicism and must guard against it.
Cynicism is different from skepticism, as it assumes a closed-minded posture.
During election season, leaders need to be mindful of cynicism and strive to bring hope.
Practices such as gratitude, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and surrounding oneself with hopeful people can help guard against cynicism.

Alan Briggs and thought leader, Tabitha Scott, talk through the importance of understanding whether you are working with the flow of your energy or against it and how this relates to burnout.
About Tabitha
Tabitha is known for her groundbreaking expertise in leveraging the principles of modern and ancient science to accelerate innovation, productivity and adaptation for organizations. Tabitha led efforts to create the world’s largest solar-powered community and was recognized for her numerous innovative uses of advanced technology at the White House.
She has published dozens of original works in leading industry publications, like Forbes, the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, the Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology, and CEO Magazine on energy, behavior change, corporate leadership, and avoiding burnout. Tabitha is a Certified Energy Manager and Certified Demand Side Manager through the Association of Energy Engineers. 
She is Blockchain Certified through MIT, and is a Certified Practitioner in bio-field holistic practices. Tabitha has a bachelor’s degree in Finance from University of Louisville, a master’s degree in Bank Management from the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management at the University of Virginia, and an MBA from Fairfield University. She is also certified as an AEM-Cube consultant and a CultureTalk partner.
Connect with Tabitha
Website: https://www.tabithaascott.com/
Books: https://www.tabithaascott.com/books/
 

Join us on the historic 400th episode of the Stay Forth Leadership Podcast.
Alan sits down with his kids for a fun episode where they each take turns asking him the hardest questions he's had to answer to date. You don't want to miss this one!
We want to thank everyone who has helped us on this journey and we're excited for another 400!
Remember, it is possible to live and lead without burning out.

Leaders have SO much on their plates, that we often don't make time for prayer. After studying extraordinary kingdom leaders, Peter Greer is convinced prayer is one of THE great practices of amazing leaders. Peter shares insights from his book on prayer and highlights the prayer habits of extraordinary leaders. They also explore the obstacles that leaders face in engaging in prayer and the need to prioritize prayer in busy lives. Peter emphasizes the value of wasting time in prayer and the impact it can have on intimacy with God. They discuss the importance of shaping cultures of prayer and offer practical recommendations for personal prayer practices. Instead of just talking about prayer we leave you with a guided prayer time at the end.
 
About Peter Greer
Prior to joining Hope International, Peter worked internationally as a micro-finance advisor in Cambodia, technical advisor for Self-Help Development Foundation in Zimbabwe, and managing director for Urwego Community Bank in Rwanda. He received a B.S. in international business from Messiah College and an MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School. As an advocate for the Church’s role in missions and alleviating extreme poverty, Peter has been a speaker at a number of conferences, and he has been featured by Christianity Today, World, Forbes, CNN, and RELEVANT. He has also written The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good (with Anna Haggard, 2013), Mission Drift (with Chris Horst, 2014; selected as a 2015 Book Award Winner from Christianity Today), Entrepreneurship for Human Flourishing (with Chris Horst, 2014), Stop Helping Us (2014), Watching Seeds Grow (with his son Keith, 2014), The Giver and the Gift (with David Weekley, 2015), 40/40 Vision (with Greg Lafferty, 2015), Created to Flourish (with Phil Smith, 2016), The Board and the CEO (with David Weekley, 2017), and Rooting for Rivals (with Chris Horst, 2018).

Our hearts take so many hits navigating these challenging times. It's easy for our hearts to get hard, but it can be hazardous to us and those around us. Charaia Rush gets real in this episode as she shares her painful story and a pathway from hard hearts to soft hearts.
About Charaia
Charaia Rush is a writer and speaker who is passionate about telling the story of the gospel and watching how it softens the hardened corners of our hearts and illuminates the dark rooms of our spirits. She has written for outlets such as Christian Parenting and SheReads Truth. She resides in Colorado with her two lovely children.
Preorder her book Courageously Soft here https://www.amazon.com/Courageously-Soft-Daring-Tender-Heart/dp/1540903435/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19MEG3RJ0U0YT&keywords=charaia+rush&qid=1708122280&sprefix=charaia+rush%2Caps%2C328&sr=8-1

What is sabbatical all about? We do a lot of work to demystify sabbatical as we coach leaders through it. We watch sabbatical be an incredibly transformative experience that shapes the present and future for leaders.
 
In this episode Sabbatical Coaches Alan Briggs and Chad Lunsford demystiy the WHY and WHAT of sabbatical. You can apply for one-on-one sabbatical coaching or our Summer Sabbatical Cohort to receive guidance during your sabbatical
 
Learn More: www.stayforth.com
Visit www.reachthelost.com to see how they can help your church or ministry win searches.

The best leaders do three things; steward opportunities, overcome obstalces and seize outcomes. This requires different thinking and different actions. During this episode Alan shares how to move from opportunities to obstacles to outcomes and three personal stories from his leadership. Make sure to bring a journal to this one for notes and to answer the questions
 
Increase your focus and productivity with Magic Mind. 
https://magicmind.com/products/magic-mind-productivity-shots?selling_plan=858325126
Use code Briggs at checkout for a 20% discount. 
Purchase a Right Side Up Journal:
https://www.rightsideupjournal.com
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