Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times

Debbie Owen
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A Video and Audio Podcast To Help You Forge Bold, Courageous Leadership and Flourish in a Challenging, Shifting World. Hosted by leadership coach and spiritual director Deborah Owen, this show features spacious, honest conversations with leaders across fields—from education to business, theology to the arts, and more. Each episode explores what it means to flourish in the face of complexity and overwhelm—by staying rooted in integrity, rising with courage, and leading from the inside out. New episodes weekly. Subscribe and join the journey. debbieowen.substack.com

  1. Apr 14

    What If the Problem Isn’t Them? with Shaunti Feldhahn

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, Season 1, Episode 13Small Shifts, Big Impact: Kindness, Leadership, and Human Flourishing with Shaunti Feldhahn What if the key to flourishing leadership isn’t doing more—but changing small, everyday interactions? In this insightful and highly practical episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, Deborah Owen sits down with Harvard-trained social researcher and bestselling author Shaunti Feldhahn to explore: ✅ Why small behavioral shifts can dramatically change relationships and outcomes ✅ How hidden assumptions shape the way we lead and relate to others ✅ The surprising role of kindness as a driver of motivation, connection, and well-being ✅ How leaders can prevent burnout by creating safe, honest conversations ✅ Why instilling hope may be one of the most powerful tools leaders have Drawing from decades of research, Shaunti shares how something as simple as reframing a question, offering genuine affirmation, or practicing consistent kindness can retrain our thinking—and transform our leadership and relationships. She also introduces the powerful 30-Day Kindness Challenge, a practical framework that has helped improve 89% of relationships by reshaping mindset and behavior over time. 🎧 Listen now to discover how small shifts can lead to lasting change—and how flourishing leadership is built one interaction at a time. 🔗 Subscribe for more episodes on staying rooted with integrity and rising with courage:https://debbieowen.substack.com/ 🔗 Learn more about Shaunti Feldhahn and her work:https://shaunti.com/ 🔗 Listen to Shaunti’s podcast, I Wish You Could Hear This:https://shaunti.com/podcast/ Find out more in Shaunti’s books:https://shaunti.com/books-and-studies/ How have small shifts—or acts of kindness—changed your leadership or relationships? Share your thoughts in the comments! ==== HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode: The Lent books, When Sorrow Speaks:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGQBSX24  The Advent books, The Awaiting:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1Z6QHP5?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1776132046&sr=1-18&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin  Tags:leadership, Shaunti Feldhahn, Deborah Owen, kindness, emotional intelligence, workplace culture, leadership development, human flourishing, relationships, burnout prevention, motivation, connection, neuroscience, habits, Christian leadership, resilience, flourishing leadership, tough times, leadership podcast, personal growth Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min

  2. Mar 24

    When Telling the Truth Could Cost You Everything, with Margaret Donovan

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times. Season 1, Episode 12. Truth, Loyalty, and Leadership; A Conversation with Ex-JAG Margaret Donovan. What happens when the people in charge stop leading? In this compelling episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, Deborah Owen sits down with former Army JAG officer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Donovan to explore what real leadership looks like when institutions are strained and credibility is on the line. They discuss: ✅ Why holding a title doesn’t make someone a leader ✅ How “loyalty” without truth corrodes integrity ✅ The hidden cost of speaking out in volatile systems ✅ Why mentorship anchors leaders in moments of crisis ✅ How to fortify your character before you find yourself in the foxhole Drawing from her experience in the military and the Department of Justice, Margaret reflects on moral courage, institutional accountability, and why citizens are not required to accept every official as a model of leadership. 🎧 Listen now and discover what it truly means to lead when it costs something. 🔗 Subscribe for more episodes on staying rooted with integrity and rising with courage: https://debbieowen.substack.com/ What distinguishes a leader from someone who simply holds power? Share your thoughts below. Margaret teaches at Yale Law School and writes publicly on issues of leadership and institutional accountability. ==== HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode: Links to the Lent series, “When Sorrow Speaks”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGQBSX24?binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_ks_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1774199947&sr=1-1 Links to the Advent series, “The Awaiting” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1Z6QHP5?binding=paperback&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tpbk&qid=1774199908&sr=8-1 ==== leadership, integrity, truth and loyalty, Margaret Donovan, Deborah Owen, ex JAG, moral courage, institutional accountability, leadership under pressure, mentorship, ethical leadership, resilient leadership, public service, rule of law, tough times, flourishing leadership, leadership podcast, leadership development Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    44 min

  3. Mar 17

    When “Being Helpful” Is Actually Hurting Your Leadership, with Cyd Holsclaw

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times Leading from Secure Love: Attachment & Transformation with Cyd Holsclaw What if the key to courageous leadership isn’t better strategy—but healing your attachment wounds? In this deep and insightful episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, Deborah Owen sits down with spiritual director and coach Cyd Holsclaw to explore: ✅ Why attachment theory matters for leaders ✅ How healing anxious or avoidant patterns transforms how we show up ✅ How spiritual formation begins with secure love, not striving ✅ Practical ways to stay grounded in God’s delight when leading under pressure With honesty and grace, Cyd shares how she moved from self-protection and perfectionism to secure, embodied leadership—grounded in the love of God and the safety of connection. 🎧 Listen now and discover how attachment healing can lead to greater wholeness, resilience, and freedom in your leadership journey. 🔗 Subscribe for more episodes on staying rooted with integrity and rising with courage: https://debbieowen.substack.com/ 🔗 Learn more about Cyd Holsclaw and her book Landscapes of the Soul: https://www.cydholsclaw.com/ 🔗Or at the Center for Embodied Faith: https://www.embodiedfaith.life/ How have attachment patterns shaped your own leadership story? Let us know in the comments! ==== HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode: The Lent books, "When Sorrow Speaks": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGQBSX24?binding=paperback&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tpbk&qid=1773679851&sr=8-1 The Advent books, "The Awaiting": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1Z6QHP5?binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_ks_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1773679928&sr=1-1 ==== Tags: leadership, attachment theory, Cyd Holsclaw, Deborah Owen, secure attachment, spiritual formation, embodied leadership, inner healing, resilience, faith and psychology, flourishing leadership, rooted leadership, tough times, performance vs. presence, anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, coaching, personal growth, Christian leadership, trauma-informed leadership, leadership podcast Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    41 min

  4. Mar 10

    Leadership In a Lonely World, with Dori Gorman

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough TimesWhole-Person Wellness: Chaplaincy, Courage, and Community with Dori Gorman What does it mean to care for minds, bodies, and spirits in an era of burnout, division, and disconnection? In this insightful and deeply grounded episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, host Deborah Owen speaks with Dori Gorman, Association Chaplain for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, about how chaplaincy can reweave the fabric of community and well-being in unexpected spaces. Together, they explore: ✅ Leading from authenticity and vulnerability in non-traditional roles ✅ How whole-person wellness requires integrating spiritual and mental health ✅ Bringing chaplaincy into public life—and why it matters now more than ever ✅ Creating sacred space for staff, members, and volunteers in secular contexts ✅ Holding space for grief, complexity, and hope as a form of leadership Drawing from her experience as a pastor, church planter, chaplain, and spiritual companion, Dori shares how courageous leadership begins with presence, listening, and a deep commitment to human dignity. 🎧 Listen now for a conversation that reframes leadership not as power over, but as care within—especially in the spaces where people often feel unseen. 🔗 Subscribe for more episodes on staying rooted with integrity and rising with courage: (https://debbieowen.substack.com/) 🔗 Learn more about Dori Gorman’s work with the YMCA’s Spirit & Mind program: (https://www.ymcamidtn.org/programs/he...) How are you holding space for others—and yourself—this season? Share your reflections below. ====HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode: The Lent books, "When Sorrow Speaks" The Advent books, "The Awaiting" ==== Tags: leadership, flourishing leadership, Deborah Owen, Dori Gorman, YMCA, chaplaincy, whole-person wellness, spiritual care, mental health, nonprofit leadership, grief and hope, servant leadership, spiritual formation, resilience, inclusive leadership, vocation, rooted and rising, listening, secular chaplaincy, pastoral care, tough times, leadership podcast Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    46 min

  5. Mar 3

    How to Lead When You Don’t Know the Ending, with Karen Georgia Thompson

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times – Standing in the Doorway of Becoming; A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson. Season 1, episode 9. What does it mean to lead faithfully in seasons of uncertainty, change, and sacred pause? In this grounded and reflective episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, host Deborah Owen sits down with Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson—General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ—to explore: ✅ How leadership is a spiritual journey of becoming, not arriving ✅ Why liminal spaces are fertile ground for transformation ✅ Finding joy and rootedness as antidotes to fragmentation and despair ✅ The role of kindness, clarity, and grace in leading divided communities ✅ How God’s “bigness” holds us through the unpredictable and unfinished With pastoral wisdom and poetic vision, Dr. Thompson invites listeners to rethink leadership not as mastery, but as movement; an unfolding life with God through every threshold we face. Tune in now to rediscover the sacredness of the in-between, and how to flourish even when the path isn’t yet clear. Resources & Next Steps --Learn more about the United Church of Christ: www.ucc.org --Connect with Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson’s leadership: UCC Newsroom --Reflect on your own season of becoming: Where are you being invited to trust the process, not rush the outcome? ==== HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode: The Lent books, "When Sorrow Speaks" The Advent books, "The Awaiting" ==== leadership, spiritual formation, liminal space, becoming, joy, grace, United Church of Christ, Karen Georgia Thompson, Deborah Owen, kindness, faith, clarity, tough times, resilience, Christian leadership, podcast Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    40 min

  6. Feb 24

    There Is No First In a Circle, with Kavita Ramdas

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times – Leading with Courage, Rest, and Community; A Conversation with Kavita N. Ramdas Season 1, Episode 8 How do we lead with both courage and compassion in a world that glorifies burnout and hierarchy? In this soulful and expansive episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, host Deborah Owen is joined by renowned global advocate Kavita N. Ramdas to explore: ✅ What it means to lead with others instead of over them ✅ The power of rest and self-care as forms of resistance and renewal ✅ Navigating the tension between patience and courage in moments of injustice ✅ Why flourishing leadership begins with following, listening, and community ✅ How nature and diversity teach us about sustainability and strength With wisdom drawn from decades of activism, philanthropy, and feminist leadership, Kavita offers a radical re-visioning of what flourishing looks like in tough times—not as individual triumph, but as collective, interconnected resilience. Tune in now to reflect on how you lead, when you rest, and the kind of world we’re called to co-create. Resources & Next Steps Learn more about Kavita’s current work: www.knrsisters.com Reflect on your own leadership model—where do you need more community, more rest, more courage?(Apologies for a few technical issues.) ==== HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode: The Lent books, When Sorrow Speaks The Advent books, The Awaiting. ==== leadership, feminist leadership, flourishing, community, courage, rest, activism, human rights, justice, burnout, spiritual leadership, self-care, nature, Kavita Ramdas, Deborah Owen, tough times, global equity, podcast Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    39 min

  7. Feb 17

    When the Storm Comes and Leadership Feels Heavy, with Tammy Dunahoo

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times: Wisdom & Stewardship with Tammy Dunahoo How do leaders stay grounded, wise, and resilient during life’s toughest seasons? In this inspiring episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, Deborah Owen sits down with Tammy Dunahoo, Executive Dean of Portland Seminary, to explore: ✅ How internal formation shapes external leadership ✅ Practical wisdom and discernment for making decisions ✅ Viewing leadership as stewardship, not identity ✅ Building supportive communities for honest reflection ✅ Practices to maintain rootedness and flourish under pressure Tammy shares powerful insights on transforming challenges into opportunities for growth, staying humble in leadership, and embracing wisdom as the hallmark of spiritual maturity. 🎧 Listen now and discover how to lead with courage, humility, and resilience. 🔗 Subscribe for more episodes on staying rooted with integrity and rising with courage: https://debbieowen.substack.com/ 🔗 Learn more about Tammy Dunahoo: https://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/fa... What’s the biggest challenge you face in staying rooted as a leader? Share your thoughts below! ==== HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode:The Lent books.The Advent books. === leadership, resilient leadership, Tammy Dunahoo, Deborah Owen, wisdom in leadership, spiritual leadership, stewardship, rooted leadership, Christian leadership, tough times, flourishing leadership, leadership podcast, leadership resilience, wisdom and discernment, personal growth, leadership development Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min

  8. Feb 10

    When Sorrow Becomes a Place of Fellowship, with Grace Carol Bomer

    Rooted & Rising: Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times Art as Witness: Grace Carol Bomer on Suffering, Paradox, and Hope What if making art is an act of both resistance and reverence? In this luminous and layered episode of Flourishing Leadership in Tough Times, host Deborah Owen sits down with Grace Carol Bomer—a visual artist whose textured, theologically rich mixed-media work grapples with the ache of a broken world and the beauty of God’s redemptive story. Together they explore: ✅ Why art is an act of faith—and of seeing the unseen✅ How paradox and pain give shape to deeper hope✅ The artist’s vocation as both witness and truth-teller✅ The quiet resistance of making beauty in a disordered world✅ How Scripture, suffering, and silence shape a life of creative prayer With depth and honesty, Grace shares how her life and work are anchored in the “already and not yet”—where longing and the love of God meet, where art becomes a way of wrestling, and where God’s presence emerges through shadow and light. 🎧 Tune in now to discover how faithful artistry can help us name the pain of the world, bear witness to grace, and live more fully into hope. 🖼 Resources & Next Steps:– Learn more about Grace’s art and writing at: https://gracecarolbomer.com/– Explore the Rooted & Rising series at: https://debbieowen.substack.com/– Reflect this week: Where might God be inviting you to pay attention—to beauty, to brokenness, or to the holy paradoxes in your own life? ==== HERE ARE THE NEURO-BASED ENNEAGRAM BOOKS mentioned in the middle of the episode: The Lent books. The Advent books. ==== Tags: art, theology, suffering, paradox, Christian creativity, beauty, hope, Grace Carol Bomer, Deborah Owen, visual art, spiritual formation, lament, flourishing in hard times, witness, faith and art, podcast Get full access to Rooted & Rising at debbieowen.substack.com/subscribe

    43 min
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A Video and Audio Podcast To Help You Forge Bold, Courageous Leadership and Flourish in a Challenging, Shifting World. Hosted by leadership coach and spiritual director Deborah Owen, this show features spacious, honest conversations with leaders across fields—from education to business, theology to the arts, and more. Each episode explores what it means to flourish in the face of complexity and overwhelm—by staying rooted in integrity, rising with courage, and leading from the inside out. New episodes weekly. Subscribe and join the journey. debbieowen.substack.com

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