Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

Before Jesus ever sent His disciples out to preach, heal, or lead—He simply invited them to be with Him. In this episode, Paul unpacks Mark 3:14 and explores how powerful it is when leaders prioritize presence over performance.

You’ll learn why Jesus’ leadership style wasn’t built on strategy first—it was built on shared space, vulnerability, and relational connection. Whether you're leading a team, a ministry, or just trying to keep your group chat alive, this episode will encourage you to slow down, lean in, and lead like Jesus.

✨ In This Episode:

• The overlooked leadership wisdom of Mark 3:14
• Why being with your team matters more than always doing for your team
• 3 key takeaways from how Jesus led:
  1. Presence Builds Trust
  2. Presence Prepares Hearts
  3. Presence Multiplies Impact
• Practical tips to become a more present, intentional leader
• A prayer for leaders who feel stretched thin but want to lead with more heart

🛠️ Practical Presence Practices:

• Schedule “presence blocks” with team members
• Start every meeting with five minutes of non-task talk
• Ditch the phone, make eye contact, and give your full attention
• Take a walk, grab a coffee, or send a spontaneous check-in text

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

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.

Did you know that I've launched a brand new weekly newsletter designed to help you crush Mondays and get your week off the ground? It's short, fun, a little quirky, and people are loving it! You can subscribe to The Launch Pad here.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

In this milestone 50th episode of The Reluctant Leader Podcast, Paul sits down with Benjamin Crawshaw for an honest, relatable conversation about life, leadership, and what happens when everything falls apart. Benjamin shares his powerful story of how personal failure, ministry unraveling, and a season of isolation led him to rediscover God’s grace in unexpected places — including a 5-6 year-old girls’ softball team and a student ministry of four.

The episode dives into what it means to lead when you don’t feel qualified, how God often meets us in the margins, and why true leadership isn’t about numbers or titles but about showing up authentically. Benjamin opens up about how repressing emotions eventually catches up with us, and how his journey through counseling, community, and vulnerability has reshaped his perspective on faith, leadership, and mental health.

For anyone who’s ever felt burned out, overlooked, or unsure about their next step, this episode is a needed reminder that God’s not done with you yet. Paul and Benjamin also talk about how today’s culture, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha, craves authenticity more than ever, and why that’s the perfect environment for real conversations about faith and emotional health.

It’s a conversation full of wisdom, humor, and encouragement, perfect for leaders (reluctant or not) navigating the messy middle of life and ministry.

- - - - - - - - - -

🔗 Links to all the things:

To connect with Trueface, go to https://www.trueface.org/

You can contact Benjamin at benjamin@trueface.org

📙 Books we mentioned:

The Cure > https://amzn.to/3MCvF8M

Bo's Cafe > https://amzn.to/3EPnZzC

The Path > https://amzn.to/3ZbrgzR

☕️ The Starbucks Coffee Giveaway

Grab the QR code on Paul's site and use it at Starbucks to grab a coffee drink. Thanks for being a part of The Reluctant Leader Podcast community!

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

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.

Did you know that I've launched a brand new weekly newsletter designed to help you crush Mondays and get your week off the ground? It's short, fun, a little quirky, and people are loving it! You can subscribe to The Launch Pad here.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

Welcome to The Reluctant Leader Podcast—where we talk real leadership for those of us who sometimes feel like we’re not cut out for it… but keep showing up anyway.

In this episode, I’m unpacking what I learned from posting 21 straight days of hope-filled, one-minute videos on TikTok. I’ll share what surprised me, the comments that reminded me why this matters, and why consistency is your secret weapon—especially when no one’s clapping yet.

We’re talking:

• The identity-shaping power of showing up
• The spiritual truth behind compounding faithfulness
• Why success in leadership is often slow, quiet, and deeply worth it
• How a few seconds of encouragement can change someone’s entire day

Scripture Anchor:

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES:

▶️ Watch the 21 Days of Hope Challenge on TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@pauljenkinstv
(Regular encouragement, straight to your scroll.)

📺 Subscribe to My YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@pauljenkinsTV
(Real talk on life, leadership, and following Jesus authentically.)

🎧 More Episodes of The Reluctant Leader Podcast
http://www.thereluctantleaderpodcast.com
(For when you need a nudge to keep leading, even when it’s hard.)

🧠 Highlight Quotes:

🙌 Let’s Keep the Hope Going:

If this episode encouraged you, send it to a friend, leave a review, or tag me with your biggest takeaway. And remember: even reluctant leaders can lead with bold faith.

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

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.

Did you know that I've launched a brand new weekly newsletter designed to help you crush Mondays and get your week off the ground? It's short, fun, a little quirky, and people are loving it! You can subscribe to The Launch Pad here.