Episode 79 | Hope Over Hustle: The Keys to Sustainable Leadership

0:00 Welcome to the Lead with Hope podcast. I'm so grateful that you're here. On this episode, I am sharing a glimpse into our very first Empower Her mastermind session titled Heart, Home and Hustle, a faith-based approach to leadership. And today, we're going to focus in on the hustle, that constant drive to do more, to hold it all together, constantly pushing even when your heart feels tired. So if you've ever felt stretched, then stretched between your calling and your capacity, this conversation's for you. So TuneIn, listen closely and let me know what resonates with you.

0:41 Before we get started, I want to thank our legacy partner, Craig Williams, founder of Commissary as Spark Hope. We believe this story matters because story shapes how we lead, how we connect, and how we show up in the world. Commissary helps authors and leaders bring clarity to their story and confidence to their voice so their brand truly reflects who they are. You can learn more about their work by visiting the link in today's show notes or on the Spark Hope website. Thank you, Commissary, for supporting the Lead with Hope podcast. As women leaders, we all carry. So much of this image is a great representation of everything that we carry.

1:25 We are taking care of the things going on within us. Things weigh on us. We have a heavy heart sometimes and we're navigating that along with a tired mind, the family life, a heavy heavyweight, and that may be trauma or difficulties in the relationships or maybe even in the home meetings, clerical duties, these longer hours. We are responsible for so many things and for a long time, my identity was so tied to what I could produce. There was a time when I was a Superintendent that I thought that business was kind of a badge of honor. My calendar was super full. My inbox, even though I am that person that likes to have Gmail, my Gmail app on my phone, it needs to be a 0. But it was never emptied.

2:13 People were relying on me constantly and from the outside everything looked fine. But on those rare days that the pace slowed, instead of feeling relief, I'll be honest with you, I was almost restless and that's when I noticed something underneath it all, my worth was tied to the results I could produce. That is a question that is very subtle but also very dangerous. Is your worth tied to what you can produce? Your title, the work that you do? When productivity becomes the measure of your worth, rest starts to feel irresponsible and stillness feels like a weakness. When I transitioned out of the superintendency, I felt that quiet whisper, felt like God was telling me to be still. He was interrupting me with that command. Be still and know that I am God.

3:03 And I want you to notice here that God doesn't say be. Be efficient and know that I am God. He doesn't say do more and prove that you trust me. He tells us to be still. Stillness is not laziness. It's an act of trust and an act of obedience. Sometimes when we as leaders refuse to be still, the hustle quietly becomes a substitution for our faith and we act as if everything depends on us. I mean, think about that. Have you ever felt like everything was on your shoulders, your effort, your speed, your output? Psalm 4610. It reminds us of something that I have found very grounding and very freeing in the season of my life. God is in control even when we stop striving. Your worth is not tied to how much you can produce, and your leadership is not sustained by constant motion. Your influence doesn't disappear when you pause. Stillness restores your perspective, and when perspective is restored, hustle can finally be guided by alignment instead of pressure.

4:08 Take that in. When perspective is restored, hustle can finally be guided by alignment instead of pressure. You know Jesus in the Bible, he, he modeled this for us. He modeled purposeful work and intentional rest. His disciples were doing the most important work. They were going from town to town feeding people. They were healing people. They were ministering to people, but he knew that rest was essential, and he modeled this as a consistent practice on the screen. I have several scriptures that point to this. Mark 135. Very early in the morning, he went off to a solitary place and he prayed.

4:48 Luke 516 reminds us that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and he prayed, and then that pattern is repeated in Matthew and again in Luke with the Scriptures that I have provided there for you. Here's the truth, guys. If Jesus needed quiet time, golly, I definitely need it. Stillness is important. It is so very important, but work is also important, and the Bible teaches us that it's good and alignment makes it sustainable. Ecclesiastes 910 tells us whatever your hands fine to do, do it with your whole might. Do it with all of your might. Our biggest drain in the hustle isn't usually our workload.

5:29 It's our limiting beliefs. It's our mindset, negative self talk, our endeavors to do more, to be more. But here is the truth, we can change that. We have the power to make that choice. And through mindset work and practical systems, that's what I do. I help leaders replace fear driven hustle with clarity driven action. So a daily question that I asked myself is what deserves my heart today, not just my time? That alignment again, what deserves my heart today? When I filter my hustle through this lens, asking what truly deserves my energy, I start choosing with intention rather than reacting out of fear and doubt or even habit. The leaders who thrive aren't the ones that are constantly doing more.

6:16 They're the ones that move with clarity and conviction. That helps you to move undistracted by yourself, imposed, limiting thoughts. Sustainable leadership requires alignment. This is a simple framework that my husband and I have always used in our home. We put God first. God is always first. That is our goal. We fall short of that goal sometimes because we're human. But God is first. And then our spouse. After that is our children and our grandchildren and then finally work and everything else. This is biblical. When your priorities are aligned in this way, then you can have clarity and sustainability. Scripture tells us to love God first, and I love this scripture because it reminds us that loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind, this is the first and the greatest commandment. Loving God anchors our values and it shapes our vision, gives us the strength to lead with purpose. And then after that we're told to love people. Scripture in first, John 411 and 12 says, dear friends, since God loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God.

7:28 But if we love one another, God lives in US and his love is made complete in US. Leadership is relational. There's no bones about that. And when we lead with love, we invest in people. We invest in people first. I am my disk profile. I am a Heidi. So I love people. But sometimes I get sidetracked by the tasks. The doing, you know, the doing instead of the being. And every year I do John Gordon's one word challenge. Last year I chose the word thrive. This year I chose the word love because that's what I want more of in my life. You've heard that saying hurting people hurt people, but there is hope for the hurting when we choose to love.

8:11 And I believe we all need that as as people. That's why these communities are so important is we need a community to love us and to lift us up and to help us be the best version of ourselves. That connection refuels our resilience and it refuels our impact. And then the last is serving all. Each of you should use whatever gift you have to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in his various forms. Service reminds us that leadership is not about your title, it's about your influence and your stewardship and your contribution. Serving creates that alignment between our actions and our values. And when we lead from our gifts, when we all have giftings, but when we lead from our gifts, the focus is shifted to using what we have to serve other people. Loving God, loving people, and serving all. Very simple, sustainable leadership starts with who you are and who you're becoming from the heart. And when those internal habits support your for external actions, alignment can happen naturally. This requires two kinds of habits, being habits and doing habits.

9:19 And the being habits are the internal inner habits. Things going on inside of you like your attitude, cultivating that attitude of gratitude, developing heart for other people, choosing faith over fear, practicing stillness and reflection, and nurturing your self-awareness. The doing habits are the external habits. They shape what you accomplish. They they shape how you are living out your purpose every day, how you're serving others with excellence, building collaborative relationships and setting and achieving goals. And both being habits and doing habits are essential to my system of hope. They're all very important in helping you become the best version of yourself. I'll pause for just a moment because I want to tell you about a partner who truly aligned with the heart of this podcast. Here on Lead with Hope, we talked a lot about clarity, Clarity of purpose, clarity of voice, and clarity of direction. And that's exactly where Commissary comes in. They help leaders, educators, and change makers uncover the story behind their work and share it in a way that feels honest, meaningful, and deeply aligned with who they are. If you've ever felt the nudge to write a book, refine your message, or build a brand that actually reflects your values, not just your resume, Commissary doesn't rush you or vox you in. They walk alongside you, helping

10:53 you shape your story with intention and integrity. You can learn more by clicking their link in the show notes or visiting them through the Spark Hope website. A big thank you to Craig Williams at Commissary for being a legacy sponsor of this podcast and for investing in stories that matter. Because when we share our stories with clarity and hope, real change happens. You can join us each month if you join the Spark Hope Community. And this is a membership community that has been curated for women who lead with heart. But you don't want to do it alone. Inside this community, you're going to receive the monthly Masterminds, a powerful midday space to refuel your leadership.

11:37 These masterminds are practical, purposeful, and real. Because real leaders don't need fluff. They need clarity, support, and strategies that actually work in everyday life. You will also get access to a full course. It's called Why Hope Matters and it talk. It walks you through the system of hope and the research that I used in designing that system of hope. Why Hope is not just a feeling, but it's a framework for resilient leadership. Plus, you're going to get the replays of all of these masterminds. So when life gets busy and you're pulled in 100 different directions, you can still join us. You can still persist, participate with learning on your schedule, and as a member, you will also receive within that community purpose driven tools, strategies, early access to upcoming events, all designed to help you lead with confidence, clarity and alignment. But just as important as all of that, you'll also get access to each other.

12:33 There's a discussion board within this community where you can share information, you can ask problems of practice, you can ask about experiences and really connect with women who are exactly where you're at in the leadership journey. A supportive network of female leaders who understand the weight that you're carrying right now and the importance of hope. And be reminded that you're not doing this alone and you don't have to. So if you're looking for that kind of space and you would like to join us, we've had dropped a link and you can check it out, you can learn more. And there are two options. And this is an introductory pricing for this year. You can either do it $37 a month or you can get a little discount with $400 a year. Thank you for being here today and spending your time with us. And remember, fuel your life with hope. Embrace your purpose and shine your light for others. And if today's conversation encouraged you, I'd love help in spreading hope.

13:31 Leave a five star rating and share this episode with a friend or a colleague. It all helps us reach more leaders who need this message of hope right now. Hope isn't just something we hold, it's how we live and it's how we lead. So until next time, keep leading with hope.