One of the significant challenges that my mentoring/supervision clients wrestle with is work/life balance and managing the priorities of life. On one hand, we all want to provide for our families and to be great employees. The challenge is that we want to be both a hard worker and dedicate time and energy to those we love most in life. We often face conflict with how to spend our time in a way that feels meaningful, productive and true to who we are…

Over the last several months, we have looked at the competencies required for a mentor, supervisor or coach to lift the vitality of the leaders around them. Now it’s time to wrap up this series and recap what we have covered…

We have spent months looking at the competencies that are essential for an effective leader, almost completing our series last week with a blog on self-awareness. Growing these competencies (specifically self-awareness) leads to the growth of another important, overarching necessity in leaders: emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to see, understand and manage emotions in yourself and others, and to have the humility and wisdom to rely on others when you are struggling to do so…

If you have been following Verve Lead for even just a few weeks, you will know that I am a strong advocate for the work of mentors, coaches, and professional supervisors. Personally, having a mentor has brought me closer to God and my calling, and I believe that developing a relationship with a mentor is crucial for all ministry leaders. Given its positive impact, let us encourage everyone to participate in the process. There is, however, a hard truth: mentoring costs…

If you ask any marathon runner, they will tell you that running as hard as you can the entire race is impossible. There may be moments for sprinting and pushing yourself, but what is really important is finding a pace that you can maintain for miles at a time. There are times to slow down, drink water and find your breath. It’s about using your energy in a sustainable manner. This is also true for our professional lives; working hard constantly will only lead you to run out of steam before the race is over, compromising your goals, mental and emotional health, and making you much more susceptible to injury. A person who prioritises work over everything will likewise face risks over time; this can cause stress on relationships and negatively impact one’s physical, mental, and emotional health…

The word “boundaries” is being used more and more in current discussions of well-being, from licensed professionals to people wanting more control over their lives. It can feel like boundaries are just any reason to say no to something in order to avoid unpleasant feelings. However, truly healthy boundaries take more into account. It’s not all about saying no, but also about curating habits that support your needs, and prioritising them over distractions. Creating healthy boundaries means taking serious inventory of your values and reflecting on your personal and professional limits. The goal of boundaries for a mentor, supervisor or coach is to prevent harm coming to yourself and your clients…

For any Christian leader, having a trusted personal mentor, professional supervisor or coach is necessary. Even the most experienced leaders need another person’s insight for support and to ensure that they are developing and following proper practices. No matter how wise a person is, how much integrity or empathy they have, situations will always require a new perspective. A mentor/supervisor or coach is a comfort in difficult times and lets leaders rest knowing they are not alone in their struggles. There are three significant ways that a great mentor, coach or supervisor can help you: by upholding professional standards and by providing professional support and development…

Years ago my mentor asked me, “How would the devil stop you from doing what God is asking you to do?” I wasn’t sure. He began asking this question every time we had our monthly session, and after pondering it for three months, I finally knew the answer! It was emotional depletion. This was a bit of a “duh” moment for me. My emotional depletion had stopped me several times in my years in ministry, once leading to a full burnout where I lost six months of time at work to rest and to get back on my feet. However, during this time of recovery, I discovered how important self-care is for my work. Engaging routinely in self-care practices is an essential competency for all leaders…

As leaders in the spiritual community, often our first (and sometimes only) priority is our own spiritual well-being. Because the foundation of our work revolves around relationships with God and each other, and the transformation of our own souls, it’s only natural that our spiritual health is at the forefront of our minds. However, this can lead to neglecting other aspects of our lives, like our emotional and physical wellness…