Dare to dream as a leader again | with Jo Saxton
Stephanie welcomes Jo Saxton to discuss issues of leadership, and the general feeling from many leaders today of being overwhelmed, overburdened, and maybe even on the deep end of burnout. What happens when you don’t show up for your calling, because you are too busy or burned out to step into the fullness of it? And what does it look like to be faithful with what we have been given – for the long run? We discuss the perfect storm we have traversed and where we are today. Jo brings wisdom, encouragement, truth and brutal sincerity. She shares her own survival tips and how to thrive in the desperate times we have traversed. She is humble and honest - and Stephanie deeply appreciates that!
What about the idea that we should haved our act together inthis day and age and should know exactly what to do these days as if we were perfect? As leaders, most of us have more responsibilities than ever — often in BOTH our personal lives and our professional lives. And, yet, many of us might feel like imposters even as the growing responsibilities continue. Many of us might be ignoring, downplaying, or shelving our God-given abilities, influence, gifts, and dreams. Many of us would not consider ourselves to be influential — even though we are impacting so many others for the good. Many of us don’t live beyond our own narratives of what we believe to be true about ourselves. Many of us would feel uncomfortable with the word “leader” — even as we guide our families and teams.
Desperation for God is grounds for hope. Jo shares her own passion to delight in God and how it has been her anchor and survival technique.
You can also watch the live video of the conversation on our YouTube channel, and make sure to subscribe:
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MORE ABOUT JO SAXTON
Jo Saxton is a speaker, podcaster, author, guest TV host and leadership coach. She hosts a digital coaching community and is the founder of the Ezer Collective,two initiatives dedicated to investing in women leaders around the world, equipping them to own their voice, and boldly step into their calling.
Born to Nigerian parents and raised in London,England,Jo now lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two daughters. She loves the everyday stuff like good music, good food, and good friends.And Target. She really, really loves Target.
Twitter/Insta/Linked In - @josaxton
Facebook: josaxton1
CONNECT WITH THE EZER COLLECTIVE
https://www.josaxton.com/ezer-collective
JO SAXTON HAS SOMETHING TO TELL YOU… LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE — OR CHALLENGES — YOU MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING
Many women know they were created and commissioned to lead, but they are often left feeling stuck, overlooked, and limited. After working directly with thousands of women and evaluating my own experiences, here are a few reasons why women in leadership struggle (even in a supportive, encouraging organizational culture):
· Leadership simply wasn't the primary path for women in previous generations, so we don't always have accessible role models to illuminate our path forward.
· With the realities of family life — marriage and/or children — a woman's career path is rarely linear. Statistically, it's more likely that a woman will have to take an extended leave from work. This is a unique challenge for women to navigate as they often return to greet a new environment at work with more responsibilities at home. Even if you have a supportive male leader, he can't and won't understand how to navigate the challenges and realities of leadership as a woman.
· What's expected from women in society, what women are allowed to do in your organization or industry, and what's required of women outside of work, requires different tools, different practices, and a different process for women to develop their leadership.
WHY WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP NEED COACHING
No leader thrives alone. We all need some help along the way!
Studies show that even as women rise to leadership in the workplace and the community, they still carry most of the responsibilities in the rest of their lives — from parenting to household management to supporting relational connections among family members. This produces a mental load so heavy that it can lead to fractured relationships, disillusionment, and burnout.
If you want to thrive as a leader, you need your support crew.
In fact, the highest performers in most industries, sports, or life have a coach or mentor. Finding a coach who can mentor you and share their experiences is an excellent investment in your life and your leadership.
I understand because I've been there.
I know what it’s like to feel and to be told I can’t lead, to be told to wait your turn, to not know what’s next, to hope for an opportunity to contribute in a way that leverages your passion and maximizes your potential. However, I also know how great it feels to have someone believe in me, give of themselves to mentor me, and put their reputation on the line to open up doors for me.
I want to help you rise.
Jo Saxton Leadership Coaching is an online, group leadership coaching program and community designed to help amazing women own and accelerate their development as leaders at work and at home.
My goal is to give you and the women in your organization wings to soar to new places and cheer you on every step of the way.
As a member of the coaching program, you'll get access to a live, video session every Tuesday featuring:
· Two-hour live coaching session, hosted by me!
· Mentor interviews from diverse, leading voices
· Tactical workshops with expert guests
· Virtual community meetups
· And more!
You’ll also be able to view or listen to every session on your own schedule within our private, online community — exclusively for members of the coaching program.
We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.
Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog
Identity in the battle | Ephesians
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/
Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/
Shades of Red | Against human oppression
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/
God's glory, our delight
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/
GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES
Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?
Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?
Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.
Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.
Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog
This month we are celebrating the anniversary of Gospel Spice! We launched our first episode in 2019, when we faithfully and haltingly followed God's pretty clear directions!
Would you please take a moment to celebrate with us? There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us.
1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup
2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice
3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!
4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!
So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do 1 or more of the following suggestions:
1- signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup
2- find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice
3- rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!
4- and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!
You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer
There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God’s eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement.
But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I’ll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn’t prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision?
As an unassuming student, I’m going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray.
If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don’t miss out!
A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER
To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God’s Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts.
We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation.
So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is.
There’s only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this.
Let’s begin.
THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE
Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don’t really know how to pray. I’m a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn’t really about what I’ve learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I’ve sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings.
So, I’ll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ.
Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it’s up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let’s make it delightful together!
So, let’s get started.
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